Fickle.
I’m pretty sure that’s what I am. Fickle. Because at some point, I said that this was my favorite project, and this, and then probably this. Really, you can assume that any project in which I don’t totally screw things up is my favorite.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM!
Felted wool dryer balls – to help dry your laundry faster, keep it free from static, and to give it a little something to play with while it’s rolling around in the machine.
To be honest, I didn’t expect this one to work out so well, because I fudged a bit and didn’t follow the tutorials I found to the letter. You’ll see.
But let me tell you something, sister, these are amazing. I’ve done three loads with them now, and my clothes are soft, wrinkle-free, and I’m pretty sure they came out poppin’ fresh long before they ever have in the past.
What Are Felted Wool Dryer Balls – And Why Do You Want Them?
Instead of loading your laundry – that soft, precious fabric that touches your skin every day – with stinky chemicals that are in dryer sheets, these felted wool dryer balls will do the same job in less time.
In a nutshell: The wool soaks up some of the moisture in your laundry as it dries, but then evenly distributes it into the air – helping your dryer stay humid longer, which exponentially reduces static cling. In addition, this “soaking and releasing” action makes your clothes dry faster. And all of these things together mean fewer wrinkles.
Best of all, if you make them tight enough and awesome enough, they’ll last up to 5 years. That’s 5 years without having to worry a single bit about static, dryer sheets, wrinkles, buying supplies, and failed presidential debates (you shouldn’t ever worry about that last thing, anyway). This is the best part of felted dryer balls. Mine, for three, cost about $5 total. For five years of drying pleasure.
(Compare that to what the average household spends on fabric softener sheets, why don’t you?)
So what are they exactly? Pretty much just what I said. Felted wool.
You can go about making them several different ways, but each way is going to involve … dum dum dum … WOOL. And that’s pretty much it. You can use wool roving (which is why my balls look the way they do) or wool yarn – and you can even reuse/recycle an old wool sweater for the middle if you want. (Yep. What I did, too.)
Wool roving, however, is my favorite “look” for these babies, because it stretches and pulls and gives a very unique felty look, something you’re probably not going to get as much of with wool yarn.
This is wool roving:
And this is what wool roving looks like when you stretch it out a little bit and then pretend like it’s your own hair:
(Note: You can see the burn from last week on my arm there. see how it’s almost completely healed? GO Homemade Salve!)
I bought my wool roving from the lovely Etsy seller Ingrid Moss, because it’s all hand-dyed (by her) and comes from a farm in Canada where she assures the animals are well loved. But this Etsy seller has some absolutely lovely roving, too. Or, you could look for it in a local craft store, if that’s what floats your boat.
How to Make Felted Wool Dryer Balls – A Quick Tutorial
From start to finish – not including washing time – this project took about 15 minutes. I know, I know. SO much time to ask you to take out of your day.
Like I mentioned, I went about this in a bit of a wonky way. I didn’t want to use all my wool roving on dryer balls that I wasn’t completely sure would turn out right, so instead, I went hunting through the closet for something old and 100% wool.
Luckily, I found this monstrosity in the very back, which I purchased for $3 a few years ago, thinking it was a kitschy thrift store find. It was not. It was just big, and alpaca, and everyone who saw me wear it (the ONE time I did) covered their stupid laughing mouths and turned their dumb heads away, embarrassed for me.
Not to mention, it has no less than three dozen holes which, in a blind thrift store daze, I must’ve missed when I bought it. So, because it’s 100% wool, I decided to sacrifice this baby for the good of my other clothes by cutting it into strips and then turning it into the “center” of my balls.
I’m going to say “my balls” several times throughout this tutorial, so get your giggles out now.
What You Need to Make Felted Wool Dryer Balls
In place of my scraps of poncho-from-days-of-olde, you can use scraps of a 100% wool sweater, 100% wool yarn, or just wool roving all the way through. But here’s a look at what you’ll need:
- Wool roving or wool yarn
- Wool scraps (optional)
- Pantyhose
- Scissors (to cut things, if you need to)
Not much, is it? No, sir. Not much at all.
1. Twist Your Wool Into a Very Tight Ball
I did this with my monster poncho scraps by tucking the ends under and turning, adding more scraps to tuck under as I turned the ball around.
Alternatively, you just roll your yarn or wool roving up into a very tight ball. Just like it sounds.
2. Cover the Wool Scraps With Wool Roving (if you’re doing it my way)
If you’re not doing it the same way I am, you can just skip right on down to the next step, once you have a ball that’s about the size of a tennis ball.
Otherwise, wrap that wool roving around as tightly as you can. It may not be as tight as you think it should be, but you’ll take care of all that here in a minute with the felting step.
Here is what my balls looked like after I’d wrapped all the roving around it, and before they went to live in the pantyhose for a few washes.
As you can see, the balls weren’t very round. And at this point, I panicked and thought for sure I’d messed my entire life up with the use of one horrible poncho. But I pressed on to …
3. Tie the Balls Tightly, and Separately, In Your Pantyhose Leg
You’ll want to snip the pantyhose off around the crotchal area. This will make things easier.
Then you just roll the leg down, put your first ball in, and then tight a knot tightly – securing it in well. It’s never pretty when your balls fall out of your pantyhose.
In fact, this is not an optional step. Without this, you’ll just end up with a matted bunch of goop at the bottom of your washing machine.
Once you have them all in the pantyhose leg and secured nice and tightly, you’ll have something that looks like this – or even more creepy, if you’re making a bunch of dryer balls:
4. Wash Your Dryer Balls, In the Pantyhose, on Hot – and Then Dry Them
Now all you do is toss this lumpy snake into the washing machine (you can do this with a load of clothes if you don’t want to waste a wash) on HOT. (HOT.) Then put them in the dryer and let them dry all the way.
Then, optionally, you can do this step again, just to make sure everything is felting correctly. I did. And I’m glad I did.
After that, you just cut the balls out of the pantyhose and set them free to live their lives as static-busting laundry servants. (I don’t know if you have to cut them out, but I did, because some of the wool crept through the pantyhose, making it impossible to untie.)
And then they look like this:
Then, they also look like this:
How to Use Your Felted Wool Dryer Balls
Throw them in the dryer with your clothes, and let them go to town.
That is all.
And don’t forget! You can also add a few drops of essential oils to these, to give your laundry a super fresh-smelling boost.
Have You Ever Used Felted Dryer Balls?
I know several of you have, because we’ve had conversations about this before. But what do you think?
You love your dryer balls?
Did you make them yourself? And if so, how did you do it differently than I just did?
The Womanly Ideal: Then and Now in 10 Comparative Photos
Hi everyone! I am a weaver of many years using all types of yarn. When using 100% pure wool, I needed to be especially careful to avoid shrinking and felting while washing finished articles.
This is what I have learned through my 74 years ….. the agitation is what causes shrinking and felting. Knitted, woven etc. wool will start to shrink and felt after 2 minutes of agitating. ( If I did not want for this to happen, I would need to stand at my washer and stop my machine at 2min. or if I wanted the wool to soften and start to mesh a little, I would time for approximately 3-4min).
This process used to be a lot easier when my washer was a top load and had the agitator in the middle that would go back and forth while washing.
My newer washer is a front load and does not have that agitator, which is actually easier on clothing but not so great for felting. And therefore it takes several washing for the wool to start meshing. * ALSO, probably the difference in the newer washers degree of agitation, water temp. and duration, is a factor to consider.
I do think this is the one reason some are having a hard time for their balls to felt … lol!
Hope this has helped to understand the process of felting and probably one reason for wool failing to felt.
Love, Live, LAUGH,
Helen
Greetings,
Does Ingrid Moss still sell on Etsy? I could not locate her. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
I’ve been wanting to make these so thank you for the “how to”. I currently use foil scrunched into tennis ball size which works well also and gets rid of the static.
I want to make sure I order enough wool roving. How much did you order?
I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you!
The first 2 times I made these, they turned out great. Now, they turn into discs instead of balls, I have to check them in the washer and reshape them. Also getting them out of the panty hose is a pain, but sometimes they don’t felt into the panty hose. I can’t figure out what makes the difference
I was wondering if I could use a golf ball in the center?? I have a huge bin of them, and thought the weight might help. What do you think?
I dig your style. I have had many vey long days. rock on sister!
Great tutorial! Thank you! I’m sharing on Pinterest!
I just made my first dryer ball, I have a lot of roving around because I have been spinning yard for weaving, much easier then I though after looking at quite a few wet felting videos
I just made the dryer balls, I’m having a problem getting them out of the panty hose as the wool went through the nylon. As I pull the nylon off then the dryer ball gets all fuzzy. What did I do wrong? Can you make the nylon too tight on the wool?
The 3 dryer balls I made today are currently in the rinse cycle. They felted quite nicely. I made mine in 3 layers. The center of the balls came from wool sheared off sheep and never processed. Then I wrapped that tightly with wool that I did not like enough to make anything with. The last layer was wool roving that I did not have a purpose for. Your directions were clear and easy to follow. I also used an old stocking with knots between each of the balls as you suggested. Thanks for your help.
I like your idea of the 3 layers, I will try that. Thanks
Just made them and threw them in the wash! Thanks Crunchy Betty!
happened upon your post on the balls. i like your style! also, the photograph of the ghost poncho is so so beautiful. i wonder if you would mind if i were to print it and put in my home. also, we could trade photographs, maybe…
What if, like me, you haven’t owned a pair of pantyhose in 2 decades? Is there some other “casing” one could use for the felting process?
I would suggest going to the dollar store, or even the cheapo ones at the grocery store. they can be nylon trouser socks, not necessary full tights. the ones I buy (for bulk dryer ball making) come in a little coin machine trinket looking plastic case
This post / reply is ONLY about Hose. Please see my other post about (a) types of roving, (b) the importance of adding something to the wash and dry cycles to promote agitation, (c) why agitation is important when making dryer balls, (d) front loaders vs. top loaders, (e) total out of pocket costs per dryer ball, (f) for how much you can reasonably anticipate to selling sets or selling each ball individually, and finally, (g) how to cleverly make dryer balls for ZERO out of pocket expenses.
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NYLONS / HOSE:
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Any drug store will carry decent and even brand name full hose or thigh-highs for no more than $3-$4.00 a pair. If you are a clever shopper, you’ll be able to do much better than $3-$4 bucks and one pair.
A “hot deal” is finding hose for $0.99 a pair or less (either on sale or by just getting lucky–like I did).
From Walgreens, I bought 3 pairs of thigh-highs for a buck and 8 cents, tax included–one white pair, one nude pair, and one black pair, total of 18 separate stockings.
~~~~~~~~
BONUS!!!
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Each came in a neat MINI plastic roundish case with a partial flat pop-top.
My “luck” wasn’t in finding 3 pairs of hose for a buck; rather, it was those mini plastic bubbles.
While hose trypically comes packaged in a plastic bubble/egg thingy, the ones I found were (1) in mini versions and (2) FABULOUS!!!
In other words: I would have purchased these even without the bonus of hose, as the three plastic pop-tops are PERFECT for keeping / organizing small things. One I use solely in the car for my spare change.
When I’m at a parking meter (ok ok more often it’s a fast food drive through… You’ve got me), I don’t have to dig for coins. Instead, I can quickly grab my coin ball and take it to the meter with me. As well, I no longer have to make at least two trips back to the car for more change–something that should at ALL costs be avoided if you live in a place where the weather is… Let’s say “less than ideal” (to keep it clean), whether you live where it gets really cold or hot or you live in a place that rains more than it doesn’t (and ok, I’ll toss in one less than PC scenario: no matter where you live, perhaps it isn’t safe to keep yourself and your car open and exposed long enough for two additional trips to your open car for more change, making you and your vehicle appealing to those nefarious types, and parking elsewhere is not an option…).
And, my super rad mini pop top change keeper keeps my car interior free of (more) clutter in places that are quite convenient for dropping spare change into but awful for retrieving–like cup holders!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(BONUS USE FOR HOSE)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Originally, I bought the set of 3 thigh-highs to store garlic, onions, or citrus in a crafty hanging style, knotting between each item. It cleared off a LOT of counter space and looks quite chic as hanging kitchen decor. It solved two problems at once: freeing up my counter while also cleverly adding decoration to a white, “naked” wall in my otherwise modern and chic kitchen.
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HOSE, CONT’D
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But back on task: you can get hose on the cheap. Since I got 3 pairs (6 legs of hose) for a buck, and I could fit 3 large balls in each stocking (more if you use full hose and cut the legs off where your lady parts go), I was able to make 18 balls, or 3 sets of 6 (or 6 sets of 3, etc).
Likely, will keep my sets at 6 so my family and friends can use all 6 for larger loads. But you go on and gift or sell as you see fit!!
And… I apologize in advance for my exceptionally excessive superfluous verbosity above.
(Did you get it?? Ok, the nerdist grammarian/linguist in me thought that was hilarious. Kind of like how a physicist would have a laugh riot over this joke: Why is carbon the party animal of the universe? Answer: Because it can hang with everything!)
Static question: I noticed a few comments mentionning to add a metal safety pin to ball for extra static guard. I’m wondering if I add a pin “inside” the ball while making it, would it work or does the metal need to be exposed to work? I’m worried about it opening and tearing into the clothes 🙁
I use a ball of old aluminum foil. Works great for the static.
Quick question – what about lint??? Do these leave lint on clothing? My hubbie wears black t-shirts and such a lot and we can’t afford to have lint all over them. Plus I tend to be allergic to wool if it touches my skin. . . . .hives. Bad. LOL I look pretty funny when it happens. 🙂
I find wool dryer balls very helpful with cutting down on the dog and cat hair that stick to my clothes. They’re great lint removers.
Thanks for the instructions on making dryer balls. I used an old pair of socks and a bunch of scraps of wool yarn as the stuffing and then wound them with various bits of wool yarn. I used some super-washed wool in the stuffing but only regular wool for the outside wrapping. I washed and dried them twice in hot water and regular dryer (knotted into some old stockings as you suggested) and they came out great! I’d love to send you a photo but can’t figure out how.
My husband thinks dryer sheets are like coating your clothes with teflon. So today I’m on a mission to find an alternative or to debunk his theory. But I do not understand this paragraph since some of the statements seem mutually exclusive:
“The wool soaks up some of the moisture in your laundry as it dries, but then evenly distributes it into the air – helping your dryer stay humid longer, which exponentially reduces static cling. In addition, this “soaking and releasing” action makes your clothes dry faster. And all of these things together mean fewer wrinkles.”
-> Any dry fabric will soak up moisture from wet clothes in an enclosed space. No?
-> Not sure how one can evenly distribute moisture in the air when clothes are tumble-dried, and when moisture on average is anyways already evenly distributed mostly due to the tumbling?
-> As far as the purpose of drying goes, I did not think it is beneficial to keep a drier humid longer since the purpose is to dry the clothes (maybe this has to do with another blogger’s suggestion to use the low-temp setting)?
-> Why is the reduction of static cling exponential (and not linear, for example), and to begin with, how does keeping clothes moist longer reduce static cling?
-> If the dryer stays humid longer how can any other action counteract this and make clothes dry faster?
-> I agree that drying longer and slower means fewer wrinkles, yes.
Thank you. Just trying to clarify before I embark on a wool-ball-making adventure. 🙂
I have used dryer balls for quite some time, I use 6 a little larger than tennis balls. The purpose of the dryer balls is to decrease static cling, soften laundry without softener liquid or sheets and I do put some essential oil drops on my balls (ha,ha). The dryer balls bounce around in the dryer and fluff up and soften your laundry without chemicals. The more you use the better they work and they do cut down on dryer time. I sincerely believe they live up to their reputation. My balls were made by wool roving and the roving does feld much better.
The water in my machine is not very hot so I put my balls in their panty hose and boiled them for awhile then washed with a load of towels, it only took one time.
Sorry for the long post, I do not explain things well without a lot of words.
Wool holds 3x’s the moisture of normal fabric without feeling it. So, yes, any material will soak up ambient moisture (which is how the clothes dry faster), but wool will do more so without relinquishing said moisture to other clothes. Instead, they steam as the drier works, releasing that moisture slowly, hence keeping a beneficial amount of humidity in the drier. They do not release so much as to keep the clothes from drying, but just enough to reach an optimal balance to heat and humidity, keeping your clothes wrinkle and static free. I hope this helps. Can’t wait to make my own!!!
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Hi-I do not use hot water to wash (not even hooked up for hot) do you think I could get the same effect if I boiled them for a bit and then did the dryer process?
I bet it would. Clever clogs! I’m going to try this method too.
You can get the same effect by washing them by hand in hot water. They won’t felt without some agitation, so you will have to knead them quite a bit, but with some elbow grease they will felt. Just boiling them is unlikely to agitate the fibers enough to to felt them.
What if you boil them, then add to a wash, then dry. And repeat the process? My water doesn’t seem to get hot enough. It took 6-8 washes to felt wool yarn dryers balls and how they are falling apart. Also, possible re-felting of older balls? (Hehe)
There might be a problem with the wool you used. Some wool does not want to felt as well as other varieties.
If it is Superwas or an equivalent treatment will prevent it from shrinking/felting. Boiling works well but more labor than in your washer. You can just boil a ppt/s water in your kettle and pour it into the wash-cycle. Works to heat up the water if machine temp not hot enough.
I do know that white/natural wool doesn’t felt well (in general.) The dying process roughens the cuticle fibers a bit (like hair colour ladies!,) which makes it catch and felt more easily (or matt and split with hair.) Also, be careful you aren’t trying to felt “superwash” wool. It has been treated to resist felting- so that would be a real battle you’d have to win!
Thanks for this tutorial! Very helpful and I love your writing and humor. Going to make some dryer babies. 🙂
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I just stumbled on this article while trying to lessen single use stuff in our house. I am entirely amused and enthralled. Love this tutorial and your humor. Thanks for the giggles this morning.
i’M SUPER excited to start making these. but i’m searching for wool roving. I did find some online (then someone told me that they tried w. wool yarn & they fell apart). is there something specific i should be looking for in the roving?
I saw one it said it was ideal for wet felting (which i was guessing was what this was considered since it’s washed to felt)???
it says this “The fibers are a wider diameter than our other rovings, making it the fastest fiber for wet felting. It compacts easily and quickly with soap and water and is our easiest wool to work with. ” does that sound like what you purchased? I’d hate to pay shipping & the cost of the roving & it didn’t work (i don’t have any other projects to use roving for if this fails).
Thanks so much!!!
Hi there mates, good paragraph and good arguments commented here, I
am in fact enjoying by these.
I was just cutting the seams out of sweaters I felted for another project. Do you think I could start with those strips and run them through the wash again as balls?
These look really cool! I’m not very crafty though so I ended up not making my own and just went with these cheap Smart Sheep ones on amazon.
http://amzn.to/2alEUdu
They seem to do the trick fine, but I think making my own would look more original. Love the colors you used.
Hi there,
I purchased my alpaca dryer balls instead of making them (yes, I cheated, but I had not heard of such a thing until shopping with my wife in Hood River, OR!). Anyway, we paid way too much for them, but really like the concept.
They do everything they promise, cut down on wrinkles, dry clothes faster, etc, HOWEVER, they do not fix the static cling situation. I have not tried using essential oils on them either. Has anyone else had any experience with the static issue and perhaps, could the essential oils help this?
Thanks!
John
John~
What a surprise to see you mention Hood River, OR, as I grew up in The Dalles! I’ve been in Missouri for the past 40 years and still miss that beautiful country! Sorry I don’t have an answer for the essential oil question, other than using vinegar in the rinse water or on a cloth in the dryer, with safety pins attached. Good luck!
I made the dryer balls with roving, and they are super light …not very firm and heavy like I had hoped.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make a more firm dryer ball?
I start with a core made from wool yarn that a wrap into a ball, I felt that once (a bit bigger than a golf ball). I then cover that with wool roving and do the felting process again!
Great tip (yes, I know more than one person said this, but your comment was the last one I saw) I will remember this if I eventually get around to a dryer ball project!
I too have made felted balls with this technique – I LOVE TO FELT! Keep the core tight – I have used old UGLY stuff like Crunchy Betty, then used 100% wool yarn to make it TIGHT, then put my pretty roving on it, then I SHOVE those babies in the panty hose! The hose help tighten them too. FUN!
wouldn’t never. awesome.
Oh my god, I am crying! I googled for a dryer ball tutorial and yours came up first so I clicked, and I’m so glad I did! I have a few of these, and a shit ton of wool yarn to use(new year’s resolution stash busting anyone?) so here I am. So glad I checked out a tutorial because I wouldn’t never have thought about the panty hose step. woopsie! Ah, covering their stupid laughs and turning their dumb heads…that’s the line that got me started.
Great tutorial, making them now! If you use a pure essential oil it will not leave residue and IS NOT flammable. I tried lighting a number of my oils (purchased through a very reputable, not the health food store) on fire. Pure essential oil is not any oil you usually think of. They are not greasy at all and dry clean because they evaporate so quickly. Happy drying!!
o.k. we have gone to hobby lobby, joann fabrics and michael’s crafts stores. where in the world can i find wool roving? employee’s at the stores have never even heard of it.
Did you get an answer? If you have a knitting shop near that also caters to spinners, they will have it. Otherwise, you may be stuck buying on-line. Yes, Etsy and eBay, but also any retailer that sells to handspinners: Woolery, Paradise Fibers, Village Spin & Weave, Susan’s Fiber Shop, etc. If you do not want dyed roving, you might try one of the stores…oh, and Amazon appears to sell roving as well. Be aware “top” and “batts” are also common terms for spinning fibers and will also felt if made from an appropriate wool but they may be prepared differently and thus be more or less “organized” within the preparation. Be sure NOT to buy superwash. Also, wools made from certain BREEDS of sheep do not felt well – namely those in the “down” category (do not confuse a down BREED with underdown, such as some dogs have, the term “down” means something entirely different in the fleece world)like Suffolk, Southdown, Dorset, as well as some longwool breeds. Merino, Corriedale, Bond, Romeldale/CVM will all felt well.
We have alpacas and make alpaca dryer balls for the clothes dryer. They remove static, soften clothes, knock out the wrinkles and reduce drying time. This also reduces your carbon footprint. We started using ours over a year ago and they are still quietly tumbling in the dryer! Alpaca fiber does not contain lanolin; wool does. So for individuals that have skin/allergy issues, the alpaca option is a very good one. You can also add essential oil to them to make your clothes and laundry room smell terrific. If you are interested, go to etsy.com and then go to our store, shear bliss alpacas. Thank you for the chance to spread the word on this forum. Sincerely, Mike
You can also use alpaca fiber. Alpaca fiber does not have any lanolin in it.
I had the same problem with pantyhose sticking to the balls; also, its hard to find many pantyhose these days, and I was mass producing. I tucked each raw ball into the corner of a plastic bread bag, knotted it tightly, poked holes all over, and ran them in mass (25-30)through several cycles with hot water; I set the timer, when 14 minutes were up, I ran down and set it for another 14 minutes. I find a bit of Fels Naptha shredded into the water helps the felting process. My biggest problem was that my balls are smaller than I was hoping, but very tight!! I don’t like pills, so I use a disposable razor to shave them when dry. Thanks, Betty!
Hi! I’ve just found these beautiful wool dryer balls on someone’s etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/listing/163612481/eco-friendly-wool-dryer-balls-laundry?ref=shop_home_active I really liked this picture 😀
Followed your instructions to make Christmas gifts for family and friends. I got several wools sweaters from Goodwill for the core and ordered wool roving from Amazon. It worked great though my hands were sorenby the 24th oone. I ran out of nylons midway through and found that the type of nylons do make a difference. The second set were made with cheap (read thicker) hose and those balls came out easier and smoother. Great instructioms, looking forward to giving these as gifts this year.
Thanks
I am making my own dryer balls and experimenting with Roving vs. spun yarn. The roving are MUCH lighter then the wool yarn… Does the weight of the balls matter at all? if so, I was thinking about making a small core of wool yarn and then covering it with roving… Thoughts? Thanks
Did you get this answered?
That is the same problem I have! That the roving is super light and squishy..
I also wanted to make a core out of wool or something and cover it with roving.
What did you end up doing?
Thanks!
I do think the weight matters so I have been doing a core (bigger than a golf ball) of wool yarn and then felting that once and then covering with the roving and doing a second and/or third cycle of felting. Seems to be the trick for me 🙂
I made my first set of balls using this post 6 months ago. They are awesome and now friends, family asking for them. I use roving wool at first then switch to regular wool spun yarn. With 6 balls, I am cutting drying time in half. For extra static guard, add metal safety pin to ball.
Will it work to use 80% Wool, 20% Nylon? I searched two thrift stores for a 100% wool sweater and could not find any! I bought this jacket that is 80/20. I have my wool roving, and am anxious to try it, but don’t want to mess it up with my part wool if it won’t work.
Did you by chance get this answered? I am in the same boat, plenty of 80%, no 100% wool!
I found a 100% lambs wool sweater and tried it, but it did not felt. Also some other 100% wool, but they too did not work. The last roving I bought from WalMart which was advertised at 100% wool, did not felt as well as the Clover brand I bought from there. I’m not sure what to try next. A 100% wool skirt I found at Goodwill worked the best, and I had the Clover brand roving with it. I can’t seem to find any 100% wool yarn. I like the ones that did work. Some of the others I made, I’m not sure if they will hold up.
You may very well have purchased a sweater that was made with superwash wool, which is made to be washed without felting. It does need to be 100% wool to felt.
I make alpaca felted dryer balls with the fleece from our alpaca herd. They really do shorten drying time. I recommend that if you are using essential oil to scent your dryer balls that after putting a few drops of oil on the ball place it in a pillowcase or a sock and run it through your dryer for about 15 minutes on medium or low heat. This will help set the oil and keep it from getting any oil residue on your clothes.
Do you use raw fleece? (unscoured and uncarded)
I was hoping to try doing it with raw fleece, I haven’t tried that yet.
I was told just to wad the raw fleece into a ball and stuff it into a nylon and through it in the washer. That’s it. Done deal.
Would you suggest something else?
Were your balls squishy? or quite firm?
The other problem I’m having is that my dryer balls are very squishy..
I just started making my own wool balls. I have a small flock of sheep and needed to find uses for some of the fleeces. I have Suffolk and Targhee. The Suffolk fleece I scoured and made into roving before making the balls. Being impatient, I tried making balls with the Targhee unscoured and uncarded wool; it came out a bit lumpy but they worked. The Suffolk wool balls were loftier than the Targhee. The balls made from roving just look prettier. I washed mine in hot water (with laundry) twice and dried them with the laundry twice before using them solely in the dryer. Using 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar in the wash rinse works well.
Hope this helps. Good luck. =)
There is a tool for needle felting that is another step in making the dryer balls that I found helpful. It made the balls tighter and more compact. I have made several “dryer balls” that I use for pin cushions. The natural lanolin in the wool keeps the pins sharp. I love my dryer balls!!!!
I just tried making these and they literally felted to the panty hose. I can’t pull it off – any ideas?
I run in to this all the time depending on the type of pantyhose I’m using at the moment (I prefer using regular hose, not the really thin ones). If you can get some scissors underneath the hose and snip it off, it will leave the ball frazzled. This will sound weird but I use a nose-hair trimmer and shave the pantyhose off of the ball when necessary!
So…I already felted an old wool sweater. I was going to sew a fabulous diaper cover out of it. Or a puddle pad. Or something. Until my baby was born prematurely, and all creativity was funneled into HER rather than stuff for her! (She is healthy and wonder-full, by the way.) Think I could I make these dryer fuzzballs with cut-up strips of the already-felted sweater?
P.S. Thanks for your website. It has been a fun asset in my own creative, natural homemaking!
I love the way you write! Great tutorial here, and I laughed through the whole thing.
Thanks!!!
Wendy
Is remembering to add vinegar to the wash the only way to cut the static? I had so much static the last load (with about 8 of these cute little balls) that it sounded like I was popping bubble wrap. Any other suggestions?
Adding vinegar to your wash accomplishes two things…it reduces static and helps all of the detergent rinse out fully. I use it and my clothes do not smell like vinager.
Quick question–made these this evening with wool yarn wrapped tight and covered with roving. Before washing they felt firm like a tennis ball. They just came out of the dryer and feel very squishy soft. I haven’t taken them out of the pantyhose yet but think they aren’t felted enough or are they squishy normally? I just ran some very hot water over them and squeezed the water out a few times and they are back in the dryer again. How many washes before you are really able to use them?
Mine feel the same way!
Were you ever able to resolve your problem?
If so, how?
They seems to come out fine the second time.
For static, use 1/4 c vinegar (white) in rinse cycle. If you want to use EO’s, add them to your wash rather than dryer. I make my detergent at home and add EO’s this way.
I love your tutes (been helping me go more crunchy). I caught this one after trying to find out what to do with the leftover felt balls from felted soap. If the balls are not staying together after your first tumbleor two, you can dribble water on the balls and add a little liquid soap. Then rub and massage in pantyhose. Rinse in cold. Dribble more warm water and soap. Keep rubbing/massaging and applying slight pressure until balls are nice and hard. It will be sudsy and slippery, but easy rinses in cold water. Then dry in dryer.
OMG. After reading what I wrote, I didn’t realize how dirty it sounds. Happy balls, y’all!
It just dawned on me as I read your directions that my husband has been whispering felting “how to” instructions to me in the shower for years. Who would have guess he knew anything about dryer balls, or wool felting for that matter?
OMG! I laughed outloud!
OMG. Your post is so flippin’ funny! Thanks for the laugh!
Hi ya! Just wondering how much wool I should order? How much roving wool (approx grams) did you use? TIA xxxx
sorry cLoves!
There are comments about using oil in them and being flammable in a hot dryer. Perhaps try some coves or a piece of cinnamon stick inside.
Oh, lordie. If I’d known there was something this entertaining floating around, I’d have looked up wool dryer balls ages ago. Well, OK, maybe not, since I’d never heard of the notion until recently. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia not to long ago, though, and while there’s not much science about it, to me it seems logical that it would be bad to overload your system with all sorts of chemicals, so I’ve been looking for options.
Anyway, I’m now trying my damnedest to get my balls to felt (my balls – heh heh heh), although they seem to be getting only vaguely fuzzy. A few more rounds of hot water, maybe. Would they still work if I leave them in their little pantyhose homes?
Did you use 100% wool, NOT machine washable wool (it will not felt)?
I was afraid that even after double-checking I’d still managed to get the wrong type of wool, but I ran them through another hot wash & that seems to have done the trick. And now I *love* them. 🙂
So, I set out in search of a tutorial for how to make wool dryer balls, and instead I ended up laughing until I cried at your descriptions. Thank you for being both instructive and hilarious! Now I’m going to go make some balls… hahaha!
First of all, allow me to say, I LOVE your blog and your sense of humor! I laughed all the way through this post! I was laughing so hard (“my balls”), sometimes, that my husband looked at me like I was on fire, so…..I read it to him, too. He didn’t find it as funny as I did, but I think it’s because he already has balls……. just sayin’…… Have a great day!
Pinstrosity sent me! This is a really cool idea. I hate the way wool feels personally, but if this works, I may have a friend make these for me. Thanks!
silly question but do the felted balls have to be dried in the dryer? I want to make them for my sil and mil but do not have a dryer myself- by choice actually.
I hand made some a few years back… I forgot I had them til I read this post, though come to think of it- I may have seen one in the boys’ toybox a few months back…hmm…off to locate my balls lol.
Btw – this post is hilarious! I freaking adore your sense of humor and writing style! Thank YOU for making crunchy fun!
I made these and love them, but since winter and dry air have moved in, my laundry is REALLY full of static. Any suggestions?
I made dryer balls they turned out beautiful. Used them today and I never had so much static in all my laundry days. What should I do?
Just made these last week and they’re great! I used a 50% off coupon at Michaels to get wool roving for $3.79, but only used 1/4 of it for 3 balls, a $1.99 sweater from the thrift store and a pair of pantyhose from the 99 cent store for a total of $6.77. Already planning on using the rest of the roving to make more for a friend. Although it did take me more than 10 minutes(several episodes of Frasier on Netflix) to wrap them all tightly enough! Thanks for the tutorial! Quick question: if I put essential oil on the balls, do I need to wash them periodically? Don’t want oil stains on my squeaky clean clothes…
I would suggest using Young Living essential oils. They are the world leader in essential oils. Please be picky about which oils you use because although they won’t tell you, when you buy oils from health stores & other online companies, they can have ADDITIVES, (waxes for 1 example) therefore they are not as safe as they claim! Please use only therapeutic grade oils. Since YL goes through such thorough testing for each & every oil, they surpass any other oils available. I’m NOT trying to throw a sales pitch, I truly want to get out the awareness of how unhealthy & potentially dangerous most of these other oils can be. The clothes absorb the oils thus entering our bloodstream! This is one thing it’s NOT ok to buy ‘generic’. I’d be happy to send some info to anyone who wants the purest of oils. They’re so safe I use them on my precious 93 yr young grandma!
SPAM. Very inappropriate for this wonderful blog.
Laura, I don’t know if you got an answer, but here’s how I do the essential oil thing: I put like 8-10 drops on my dryer ball/s, throw them in the dryer by themselves and drys them for 10 min so they absorb the oils. Then I just throw them in with my clothes and they make everything smell lovely!
When I tried this, I had trouble getting my wool to felt. I tried “stripping” it, since it was from a thrift store sweater and I wasn’t sure if the wool was superwash or not. The balls would stay together for a few loads, then start to fall apart. Finally, I wrapped them up tight again, and used a big embroidery needle to push some thick thread through. I pushed it through and tied it off in three different directions. Now the balls stay together and have probably been through 50 loads.
Great Tutorial, and you are Funny! I really enhjoyed the read!
P.S. I bought mine from http://allurewool.com/
Hi, girls! I just love wool dryer balls 🙂 They are an excellent way of greening your laundry!
I absolutely love these! Made them a couple of months ago and have been using them exclusively. Yeah, no more dryer sheets and the stinky smell! Although I have to admit the dryer sheets are really good for cleaning your barbeque grills.
Haven’t used them; but now am going to try them. I wonder if my rougher buffalo will work. The close-to-body down doesn’t felt, but the outer rougher coat does. I have some of this that was going to become a felted rug. Wonder if it can be ball centers too.
I have my dryer balls in the wash as we speak! crossing my fingers they work! I used a 100% Merino wool sweater i picked up from the thrift store and wool roving over top to make them pretty! I can’t wait to see how they look! I will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the great tutorial!
Personally I never run the dryer hot with essential oils due to their flammable nature. You could always keep one wool ball on the shelf to run through the dryer on a cool cycle. I find a small piece of cloth works just fine for this as well. Here’s a newspiece from last year on fires breaking out in the U.K. linked to both synthetic fragrance oils and essential oils: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8683740/Women-buying-essential-oils-blamed-for-rise-in-house-fires.html.
You can, however, use floral waters in a dryer. A splash of rosewater or lavender water will work just fine.
I had read a couple of other tutorials about making woolies and I kind of got your idea too b/c I only had one skein of wool yarn. My friend suggested buying a small wooden ball to put in the middle, but 1) I figured that would eventually start to mold and rot. and 2) I didn’t want to spend any more money. I too had some already felted wool sweaters I had tried to make into shorties for my son…..miserable failure, but at least I’m able to use the scraps to make my dryer balls. My first 2 are in the wash right now. I still have some yarn left, but I wasn’t sure if this was going to work. Great minds think alike.
This is one of the best blogs I have ever read! I love your sarcasm and ideas 🙂
I just posted about the nasty chemicals in dryer sheets and some flowers I made out of used ones. I’m searching for an alternative and think I’ll give this a go! The idea makes sense and decreasing both dryer time and chemical use is a win-win. My SIL has shee – maybe I can do something with all the wool she has or just use thrifted sweaters. Thanks for the idea and instructions!
This is great! We’re about to move into an apartment with a dryer (that’s new to us!), and I will so make these dryer balls. I even have random pantyhoses no longer useful for my legs that are just begging to be part of a craft project.
P.S. I pinned this to pinterest – I hope that’s ok!
Over drying clothes in the dryer causes static electricity. If you don’t over dry your clothes you won’t need fabric softner sheets, wool balls or whatever else people use to prevent static electricity.
How much roving did you use for the three balls – given that you used your lovely poncho for the center? Just trying to figure out how much roving to purchase to make a lot of these. I think they will make great Christmas gifts and my 3 year old can help.
I just finished reading this blog, I happened on accident to find it while searching the internets about dryer balls. I think I love you, let’s get married – but you have to keep it a secret from my husband. That is all.
I made these with an ugly 100% wool sweater from the thrift store. I got clearance roving from my local craft store to make them colorful. Very cheap to make that way.
I wasn’t sure about using essential oils in the dryer, didn’t want oil spots on my clothes so I made a hole in one of my balls with a knitting needle and use a dropper to put a couple of drops of essential oil inside the ball. It scents the load of clothes nicely without worry about spots.
I love this. I am going to make mine this weekend. SOmeone posted on my blog that you had a cool alternative to dryer sheets that you made with fabric scraps. I am so glad they directed me here. This is amazing. I may even make some for others.
I bought a set of 4 dryer balls from a seller on Etsy almost 2 years ago. They were yarn and within a few months they all started to unravel and I couldn’t get them to stay together. They didn’t look very “felted” either, just looked like a ball of yarn, so I think that has something to do with it. So I think I’m going to try making my own with roving. As for scenting them, do you think you could put a tiny satchel of herbs in the center while making them? I would think the heat from the dryer would bring out the scent, but I don’t know if the run through the washer would ruin it, or how long the scent would last. Thoughts anyone?
This process would only work on the superwash wool that is chemically treated to be superwash. There is another way of treating wool to be superwash which actually strips the barbs off the wool fiber, rendering it completely smooth and impossible to felt, no matter how much dawn/hot water you put to it….
First, Thanks for this. I was just about to do the very same thing but with a wool yarn core instead of hideous poncho 🙂 ALL the cool kids have the felted looking ones for sale for like $10 EACH. I have a ton of wool roving around from my “I am so going to felt gnomes and dolls and things” days, and I was thinking that if I needle felted or something, the roving onto the yarn ball, I was bound to come up with SOMETHING. Right? You proved me correct, and encouraged me. I am so happy. Thanks so much! I have wool dryer balls that I got from another crunchy mama in a cloth diaper trade, but they were unwrapping and unraveling as soon as I turned my back which makes me a bit cranky. I think the felting would also help against most of the unravel problem. And now, In addition to adoring you, I just plain love your blogging style 🙂
I just made these today for my Mom.. She was saying she wanted to get some of those awful rubber ones, and I remembered seeing this on your site. Luckily my Goodwill merino wool sweater made two sets, one for each of us. Thanks so much for the awesome instructions.
This is a great post, and so funny! I’m gonna make these.
http://mymerrymessylife.com
They look like baby tribbles! Awesome 🙂
Oh my gosh, I adore this tutorial. So witty, so brilliant. Thank you SO much for saving me thousands of dollars on carcinogens! 😉
where can i buy this wool s in a low price?
is anybody knows please write 🙂
I just sheared my Icelandics and would be happy to part with some for you to play with….mbenedette at gmail 🙂
Do you have to use wool for the core or could you use an acrylic (to use up scraps) and then cover in wool?
This looks very complicated.
eI merelyly want to know what is wool roving and how does one use it.
I wil read up on it; and thank you for your lnk to hep makeme understand it.
Thansks, mary Ann, Woolen Crow
I am wondering if there is some other way to get the felting done as apartment washers never give you a HOT wash… we are lucky to get somewhat warm. Can I boil these in a pot on the stove?
Yes you can!! We made felted gnomes (or something… can’t quite remember what) in grade school and we used a pot. However, I don’t remember what we used to hold them together. I would think putting nylons in a pot of boiling water would be a bad idea (carcinogens!!), but you might be able to use a sock, as another poster mentioned, or possibly wrap gently around it with a non-wool yarn. Just a thought… Not tested or proven. 🙂
Can anyone recommend more etsy sellers?
🙂
[email protected]
I made some a while ago and they never completely felted, even after several washes and dozens of dries. I even tried using an electric hand mixer to bang them up while boiling them, which got them to stick together better but they still don’t look like felt. Any ideas? I just left them in the pantyhose bags (I tied them all separately) and am using them like that.
Likely not 100% wool or you have a washable type that is intended not to felt when washed.
I forgot what it was that I was going to look up, because now I must go to my closet and find something wool to turn into dryer balls. Maybe while I’m in there I’ll remember why I turned on the computer in the first place.
and soo funny!
All that I can say is “Gee your house is clean!”
Just made 7 more the last couple days after seeing your posts, again using old wool garments, which I had already felted. One more use, good to release tight muscles. JUst press the ball into the tight muscle. Ahhh
This is fantastic! I can’t wait to pull out my wool scraps. Just to clarify, do you use all of them for each dry?
We also make these as toys for the babies. Toss in a jingle bell for fun!
xoxo
naw, if anything unraveled, then you’d have long yarns that can entangle babies . not something i’d ever recommend.
Ok–the whole “my balls” thing didn’t really even register with me until you mentioned it. Then I giggled my way through the rest of the post!
But in all seriousness, this is a fantastic idea! I never would have thought to make these.
I am so excited to make these!!! Thank you so much for the tutorial. How much wool roving do you need to make 3 balls? I am not sure if I have any old wool sweaters I could use for the middle so how much do you think it would take if I used the roving for the whole ball? Thanks again!!
I knit, spin and needle felt so we have 8 feed bags full of fleeces and many colours of hand dyed roving so I know what I’ll be making when I get home from holiday.
If anyone has a hard time getting the wool to felt properly or tight enough you can use a strong felting needle. One of the lower numbers.
And with needle felting you have a fair bit of control over what the balls end up looking like. I like the marbled roving ones but I may end up doing some with patterns on. Smiley faces, a Dalek, a tree. Wonder if I can do ones with owls on them. Excited to try it out now.
Just got my trial pack of soap nuts and have started using vinegar instead of fabric softener. I’ve been spraying it in the tumble dryer when I have to use it but it’s also worked if I just spray the clothes when they’re hanging on the line.
I had been using fabric softener in both the washing machine and the dryer as our water is ridiculously hard and was making the towels and clothes like sand paper.
I can’t say how happy it has made me to be able to reduce the chemicals in the wash. Both my partner and I have stupidly sensitive skin and I have chemical sensitivities and added fragrance gives me migraines. The amount I was having to pay to get soft, unscented clothes was ridiculous.
So thankyou so much for helping to improve my health and save us lots of money. More money for wool and yarn is always a good thing *g*
I use vinegar too. I put it in the washing machine though. I actually fill up a downy ball & throw it in the washer since it is supposed to be added in the rinse cycle. My family has ridiculously sensitive skin also so I’ve had to figure out ways to help with that. I’ve made my own laundry soap and used vinegar for the past 5 years. I’d love to make these dryer balls to cut down drying time but I don’t know if I’ll stop using vinegar.
P.S. You’re clothes don’t smell like vinegar either.
I love love LOVE my dryer balls. I have eleven total (six made of yarn and five made of roving). If you look online at various DIY or reviews, people always say whichever one they use works better than the other so I figured I’d try them both.
Dryer balls made of roving are much quieter than the ones made of yarn, which are denser. As to which dries clothes faster, I’m still not sure. Ideally I would do two washes of the exact same items (say, bedding or towels) and compare the time. Normally I’m a big enough nerd to do that but right now I just throw all eleven in the dryer at once. From what I’ve read online, 3-5 is the recommended minimum.
If you have a smaller load, you can use less dryer balls. Just be aware that if you have a very small load in the dryer, you’ll definitely hear the dryer balls a lot more than when you have a full load in there.
The more you use, the more quickly your clothes will dry. The dryer balls reduce static cling by (1) keeping your clothes separated (2) getting your clothes dry more quickly but they do not eliminate static cling completely. If you overdry your clothes, they will be staticy even with the dryer balls.
One of my crunchy things is switching my clothing almost completely to wool. I know it sounds crazy, but wool doesn’t have to be itchy. Many people who think they are allergic to wool (as I did for most of my life) are either wearing wool that has been treated with tons of chemicals (which is what’s actually irritating your skin) or low quality wool (imagine a piece of rope with lots of short thick fibers sticking out versus a rope made of longer thinner fibers that aren’t poking out as much). It’s naturally antimicrobial (which means it won’t stink even if you sweat like crazy), wicks moisture (so you don’t feel soaking wet when you sweat), and helps regular temperature (so you’ll feel cool when it’s hot out and you’ll feel warm when it’s cold out).
I can’t dry my clothes outside (partly because of the weather, partly because of my pollen allergies) so I cheat and throw my wool clothes in the dryer. Yes, IN THE DRYER, as everyone tells you not to do! I’ve had things shrink on occasion when I had the heat up too high or left the dryer on too long, but in the three years that I’ve been wearing wool, it’s a rare occurrence. Now almost everything I wear is wool. Aside from the usual suspects (sweaters, socks, scarves, gloves) I also have tank tops, t-shirts, pants (yoga pants, dress pants), and even underwear. Everything I’m wearing right now from the skin out is wool. It can be woven so that it feels like soft cotton or jersey. It can also stretch beautifully, just like cotton (and without all the pesticides/chemicals used to grow and process cotton).
The reason I love dryer balls so much is that they greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to dry my clothes, and less time in the dryer means the less likely I am to accidentally shrink any of my precious wool items.
You can get local organic wool, totally untreated by chemicals if you look online. There’s really no need to buy expensive wool from New Zealand that has to be flown all the way across the ocean. You can also find people who sell organic wool from the sheep in their own yards at places like etsy.
One thing that seems to make the dryer balls more effective is felting them in layers two or three times. Start with the center and some roving or yarn, then throw them into pantyhose/socks and felt them in the washer/dryer. Add more roving/yarn and felt again. You can do it a third time, which is the the most I’ve seen recommended. I am sure there’s some scientific reason why building the layers and felting them separately makes them more effective.
I wouldn’t recommend using the plastic dryer balls because plastic releases all kinds of nasty chemicals when it’s heated. Ditto for tennis balls.
Hee, like Betsy, talking about wool gets me all excited!
Wow, I love the idea of having all wool clothing! Where do you buy from? Did it cost a fortune?
A lot of high quality merino clothing is pricy, but I have found really good bargains at various websites like http://www.steepandcheap.com, http://www.sierratradingpost.com, and ebay. If you don’t need the newest stuff as soon it comes out, you can find these items at ridiculously discounted prices (sometimes as much as 90% off). I have bought some shirts from those sites for less than I could have bought a crappy polyster shirt at the mall.
I would start with a few basic pieces from different companies to see what you like and then start building slowly. Most of the companies have big sales on their own websites at the end of each season so you can get up to 50% even when buying directly from them.
Some of my favorite companies are Ibex, SmartWool, Icebreaker, Io Bio, and the now defunct Luna (as in Luna Bars, by the same people who made Clif Bars). Some of them have simpler pieces while others have more contemporary/trendy designs. Since wool lasts a really long time (especially if you take good care of it), I end to find a shirt I like and then buy it in several different colors.
One other thing I highly recommend is a wool comforter. There are several companies that theirs with wool that is treated very gently (little to no chemicals) and just like wool clothes, they are perfect for keeping you at the right temperature. My old down comforter sometimes got too hot so I’d throw part of it off and then I’d get cold and pull it back on. Now that I have a comforter filled with wool fluff, I don’t kick off the blankets anymore!
The companies that use premium eco-wool or organic wool can be pricey, but I found a super cheap one at Cost Co, of all places. I wasn’t even looking for one, but had been contemplating a $300 (!) wool comforter for over a year and then I happened to see one (not organic or anything fancy) for about $50 so I decided to give it a try and see if I liked it (my logic being that you can return anything to Cost Co!). When I went home for the holidays, I bought another wool comforter at the Cost Co by my parents’ house. As I was walking to the cash register, a random guy stopped me to tell me that I would love that comforter and I had to admit it was my second one 🙂
This is one of the companies I was looking at. Even if you aren’t looking for a comforter, they have some great info about how wool is processed. In addition to what’s on their website, you can scroll down to the “premium eco-wool” link for a really informative PDF about the entire process from shearing to cleaning and carding. There’s also some good basic info about processes that typical wool goes through (carbonization, chemical crimping, bleaching, etc), the benefits of wool, how the wool fiber looks compared to cotton and other material.
http://www.holylamborganics.com/premium_eco_wool.html
I don’t know why scientifically felting them in layers is best but it would definitely make them more dense.
I was one of the unfortunate to be allergic to wool what ever was done to it. I’d get red, blotchy, swollen and itchy from touching sheep and from wool I’d washed the lanolin out of myself without without using harsh chemicals.
Thankfully this is one of those allergies that got better with exposure rather than worse. (unlike my ant bite allergy) I now process my own fleese, spin and knit as well as needle felt. I still get itchy and a bit red at times. Usually with coarser wools or on hot days but I can enjoy my hobbies now.
It looks like the yarn separating doesn’t seem to be bothering you but if you wanted to make it attach more permanently you could get a coarse felting needle (lower number) and stab the second colour yarn in and it should attach quite firmly. The needles can be bought cheaply from places like etsy. I get mine from a doll making shop for around Aus$0.80 each.
Yikes, that sounds terrible! I’m glad you’ve mostly outgrown your wool allergy. My friend found that her dog allergy became better after repeated exposure. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with my cheese allergy so no more Parmesan for me (which is terrible because I LOVE Italian food!).
I would also love to know where you get all your wool clothes.
This looks like a great way to use up the wool scraps left over from some of my other projects (I can’t throw anything out that might be useful!). And I though I haven’t used dryer sheets for nearly a decade, I love the idea of adding essential oils.
I love crunchy balls! I mean crunchy dryer balls. Yes, that’s what I meant.
awesome. I have wanted to try these for a while now. Seems super easy-thanks for sharing!
This is awesome, what a great idea! I cant wait to make some. Now I just need to figure out a way to repel the dog & cat hair.
Thanks 🙂
As a spinner & knitter of yarn, I love seeing cool new uses for wool 🙂 I don’t have a dryer myself, though (I live in the subtropics, so there’s more than enough sunshine… except weeks like this one that are all torrential rain all the time and I’m running out of clean clothes quickly but never mind).
I’d just like to say a couple things about fibres. I’m assuming here that you’re not a spinneror felter, but as you do have fibre there I could totally be wrong.
Firstly, ‘wool’ is generally used only for fibre that comes from sheep, so ‘alpaca wool’ doesn’t really make sense to a fibre person. Your shawl is 100% alpaca, made from alpaca fleece. Alpaca and wool have different properties… but not too different, so I don’t think it would significantly affect the properties of your dryer balls. Some kinds of alpaca may not felt as well as others. That goes for wool, too, but the not-felty kinds of wool are much less common!
That said, anyone trying to make felted balls out of wool yarn or recyling wool garments needs to look out for superwash wool. Any wool labelled superwash or machine washable will not felt into balls, no matter what you do to it. I’m not entirely sure what the process used to make wool superwash is, but I believe it involves chemicals and possibly stretching of the fibres. I will spare you the explanation of why wool felts in the first place, but look it up if you’re interested, it’s pretty fascinating stuff! Also, the more tightly twisted the yarn (or the yarn/threads in the garment) is, the more difficult it will be to felt into a ball that holds its shape. The fibres will felt into the other fibres in their own bit of yarn first, and the bits of yarn will felt together, but not as well.
Also, everyone should double or triple check that they’re using fibre that’s pure [sheep] wool (or alpaca) and doesn’t contain any nylon or plant fibre or glitz or everything, which many rovings intended for spinning for sale online will have. They’ll all be clearly labelled, but trust me, it’s easy to go browsing through fibre and go ‘ooh pretty!!!’ and be too distracted by the gorgeous colours to notice that this doesn’t have the same fibre composition as the last one you were looking at…
Um, long comment is long. Wool makes me chatty 🙂
ah. Was going to say the same thing about watching what wool content something had and the super wash
I was just trying to figure out how to mention the alpaca/wool thing. Thanks *g*
I also live somewhere with plenty of sunshine but due to my health issues I can’t always use the Hill’s Hoist so we do have a dryer.
Not necessarily true, the whole “superwash” thing. I bought a sweater to make diaper covers out of from the thrift store that ended up superwashed, so I put it through a process similar to stripping diapers and voila! It pulled the chemicals out and felted:
http://www.bumpnestandbabypatterns.com/cheap-craft-supplies-tips/how-to-felt-superwash-treated-wool
Made 3 of them about 3 years ago. Gave away 2 so I only use 1…love it and don’t use fabric softener. Made mine out of felted wool sweaters, base was like yours, then I cut strips of the sweater and wound it around tightly. On the last layer, I sewed some of the strips to the ball base to secure it. Works great, uses some old sweaters, cost next to nothing, and a good tv watching project. Did love the idea of the essential oils. Perhaps I could put some oil in the next to last layer. What is your favorite scent?
I’m considering making some of these, but don’t have any panty hose. Could I use some of my husbands old socks with holes in them (I’d use the part that doesn’t have a hole, obviously…)?
…and by “husbands” I of course mean “husband’s” as I am in fact not a polygamist or something.
Random vocab fact: “Polyandry” is actually the term for the arrangement where a woman has multiple husbands, “polygamy” is only for men having multiple wives. 🙂
Yep you can use socks or stockings. Those actually have less problem with the wool felting through the stockings so you shouldn’t have to cut them to get them out.
Instead of tying the knots in the stockings you can use thin strips of fabric to tie between each ball.
I’ve seen people use rubber bands, bag ties etc but if you’re chucking them in a hot wash and dry to felt it then you’d be heating them up and they’re probably not great chemical wise. Fabric strips should work well and be easier to untie so you can reuse them.
I make little felted balls to use as accents to felted bags I make. Your instructions are the EXACT way I make mine! I can’t wait to make some BIG BALLS!!
becky, south central & COLD PA.
I have been disconcerted for some time about all the many dryer sheets filling up landfills. Do those things even decompose? I have some extra wool, thanks to my brief stint as a hooker (rugs, that is). I’m definately going to make some dryer balls. Thanks for the post!
I bought a set of 3 a year ago. I’m not really sure that my clothes dry any faster. With our HE washer, it seems to wring the water out well so most clothes dry very fast. I did finally convice my husband to quit using dryer sheets! I could see myself making some of these because I love a good DIY project.
I have plastic dryer balls…horror…but this tutuorial looks really easy. I’ll give it a try sometime 😉 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
I did this with wool yarn a few years back and mine are still going. Although, for those who play tennis and don’t know what to do with old balls (ha!) I used mine for the dryer and I actually like them better. They’re heavier and seem to do a better job with static- just not as pretty! Also, to make the balls more effective, more than 3 should be used. I use 5-8, depending on how many I can find (small children make this more of a challenge). While I’m at it, I found your blog while searching for a chai recipe and loved yours! I love your humor. Thanks again:)
I wouldn’t recommend using tennis balls, from what I have read they release chemicals when heated. This may not be true, I can’t find the article I read but I would be cautious!
I can’t swear to it but I want to say they contain lead? All I know is whatever it was, it was bad enough to cause me to throw away all my dog’s tennis balls!
I am on my second set of spiked rubber dryer balls (since they first appeared in catalogs – what, more than 10 years ago now?). Yes, they will eventually split (and life is too short to have (too many) ratty-tatty items in it. If I get antsy waiting for them to wear out (’cause I really love the idea of being able to add essential oil!), I’ll just give them away or sell them at a yard sale. Maybe we could make some as teacher Christmas gifts next year (our small private parent cooperative school denizens tend to be crunchier than your average midwesterner),
You can difinitely make these with wool yarn! Having made felted balls (on a smaller scale) and felted purses with salvaged wool yarn, I say this with complete confidence. Just make a nice, tight yarn ball and felt.
Now, if you use yarn, you may need to do some extra felting. When I made my balls out of yarn, they looked as if I’d made them out of roving wool. But I felted them the old fashioned way until I was happy with how they looked. Just be aware that different salvaged wools felt differently from each other – some felt more, some felt less and some require multiple washes before they even think about felting.
I’m with Lissa. 🙂
do you throw all 3 in every time or do you just use one at a time?
I have been using dryer balls for a few months now. They do a great job, though I have had some static with fleece items such as my robe and some blankets. Other than that, they do great. I would highly recommend them!
We wash and dry a lot of fleece here (love to be cozy!) I put about a half cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle, and I don’t struggle with static!
Ditto on the vinegar, it makes a big difference. I recently heard to put 2 safety pins attached to separate garments in the dryer eliminates static. I wonder if using safety pins on these dryer balls along with the vinegar would be a triple whammy? Imma try!
I cloth diaper and use dryer balls and LOVE them! I’ve been told using safety pins in them can help with the static but kept forgetting to try it when home with the ability. Thanks for the reminer!
I always make sure I check the clothes when they’re short of dry and take the faster drying stuff such as fleece out, and then the rest goes for another 10 minutes or so. Works like a charm and actually gets the jeans dry without making everything else crazy staticky.
I’ve been reading this for a few months, and now have to dive into commentating. 🙂 I made my dryer balls over a year ago, using just wool yarn, wound up into a ball. I washed them in two stages, to help them compact and felt more–which is probably necessary if the balls are yarn. I tried to make play balls for my nephews the same way, but only felted at the end, and they are not as dense and tend to unravel easily.
Speaking of unraveling, I made some of mine dual-colored, and in the last few loads, the secondary colored yarn has unraveled some in the dryer. When it does, I just pop it back in a sock for the next several dryer-loads, and it comes out good as new. I also think using a sock rather than nylons might help with the wool-sticking-to-the-nylon problem you had. Maybe. In any case, I didn’t have stickage problems.
These sound fantastic. I currenly use dryer balls from Norwex. They are sort of rubber or plastic, soft, and have poky spikes coming off of them. They work fantastic. If/when they ever wear out, I will be trying this though.
While you’re at it make a couple for your cats too, they will love you for it 🙂
Looks fun! Now, if I only had a dryer to try them in…. I’ve air-dryed laundry forever…
Oh! I wish I had made my dryer balls myself! I bought mine almost a year ago and love them. I find that I still sometimes have static, and I can never smell the essential oil that I add to them after the dry. But I love them anyway. They pretty much do their job, and I feel like I am doing a good thing for myself and the earth when I use them. And even though I wish I’d made my own, it also felt good to support the small farm that produced them. =)
You know, there’s a three-year-old inside me that jumps up and down whenever I make something cool out of something else, particularly if the way it happens is interesting. Not every time I make something, but sometimes. I am vibrating right now, and plotting to get my hands on some wool.
And also giggling, as the twelve-year-old babysitter of the three-year-old is extremely amused.