How to Make Wool Dryer Balls: Save Money and Control Static

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How to make Wool Dryer Balls

Learn how to make wool dryer balls, then save time, money, and energy by tossing them in with each dryer load. They also reduce static cling!

How to Make Wool Dryer Balls

So about three years ago Matt purchased a set of felted wool dryer balls on Etsy. When he opened the package I laughed and asked why he was purchasing balls of yarn for such a ridiculous price! Then he explained the purpose of the dryer balls and asked if I would experiment with them in our laundry.

While wool dryer balls are not a new concept, I had never heard of them. Nevertheless, people have been making them for years as an eco-friendly alternative to dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners. (Read about our homemade dryer sheets and fabric softener.) But wool dryer balls can do so much more than just eliminate chemicals from your laundry.

Benefits of Using Wool Dryer Balls

You should learn how to make wool dryer balls for all the following reasons:

  • To begin with, wool dryer balls decrease drying time, saving you money on utility bills. Which is especially helpful in the winter months!
  • Commercial fabric softeners and dryer sheets are filled with harmful chemicals and perfumes that coat your clothing, eventually ending up on your skin. These chemicals can be especially harsh on sensitive skin. In contrast, there are no chemicals in wool dryer balls!
  • Commercial dryer sheets are costly and you must throw them away after one use. Conversely, wool dryer balls can be re-used for years, saving you hundreds of dollars.
  • Commercial fabric softeners shouldn’t be used on cloth diapers. Wool dryer balls are perfect for keeping your cloth diapers soft and chemical-free.
  • Wool dryer balls won’t affect the absorbency of your towels, kitchen cloths, or cloth diapers – commercial softeners will.
  • 100% wool dryer balls increase fluffiness and reduce static as dryer loads tumble.
  • Dryer balls help to soften clothes naturally.
  • Dryer balls are made from a renewable resource.

According to Energy.gov:

Wool or rubber dryer balls will help separate your clothes and get more air to them, cutting drying time. They can also reduce static so you don’t need dryer sheets (see #7 below). The wool balls are said to absorb some moisture, further cutting drying time. We use these at my house and have seen a noticeable difference in the time it takes our clothes to dry.[1]

How do Wool Dryer Balls work?

It’s simple. They bounce around in the dryer separating clothes, and allowing more hot air to circulate through all the garments. As they tumble, the wool balls fluff your laundry, reduce wrinkles, and pummel the laundry to make it softer. They do so much more than a dryer sheet by pulling moisture out of your clothes so you don’t have to run the dryer as long. The more dryer balls you have in a load, the shorter the drying time will be.

Maybe you’re using those plastic PVC dryer balls because you don’t want the chemical scents from commercial products coating your laundry. We don’t recommend these, because plastic releases all kinds of nasty chemicals when it’s heated. Ditto for tennis balls. Wool dryer balls are a much more natural, chemical-free alternative to all the other options out there.

Don’t bother paying someone else to wind yarn into a ball for you; learning how to make wool dryer balls is simple. You can do it while watching a movie, helping kids with homework, or waiting for dinner to cook.

How to Make Wool Dryer Balls (Felted Yarn)

Choosing Your Yarn

Finding the right yarn is the most critical part of making these wool balls. Look for 100% wool yarn. Most hobby stores sell it, or you can purchase it online here.

Note: Stay away from any wool labeled “superwash” or “machine washable.” This type will NOT felt.

I have successfully used many types of wool yarn to make felted wool dryer balls, but I prefer the thick, lightly spun roving yarn (pictured in beige below). It felts much better than Fishermen’s Wool or other tightly spun wool yarns.

Wool

Be thrifty and “green” by unraveling an old 100% wool sweater you’re not wearing, or purchase wool sweaters at a second-hand store and use the yarn for this project (or other projects). If you use a yarn with even the slightest bit of acrylic or other blends, your balls won’t felt correct, if at all. If they are not felted, they will unravel in the dryer and you’ll have a stringy mess.

I like to use brightly colored yarn so I can easily separate the dryer balls from my clothes when coming out of the dryer. I haven’t had trouble with colors from the yarn balls bleeding onto fabrics, but you can choose lighter colors of yarn if you’re worried about this.

Supplies for Making Wool Dryer Balls

  • skein of 100% wool yarn (NOT wool labeled “superwash” or “machine washable”) – find my favorite kind here
  • scissors
  • nylons or knee-high stockings
  • blunt-tipped needle or crochet hook
  • string or cotton/acrylic yarn (to secure the wool ball in the pantyhose)

Steps For Making Wool Dryer Balls

What You Will Need

1. Begin wrapping your wool yarn around your first two fingers about 10 times.

Step 1

2. Pinch the bundle of yarn in the middle and pull off your fingers. Wrap more yarn around the middle of this bundle.

Step 2

3. Wrap yarn around the entire bundle until you have the beginnings of a ball.

Step 3

4. Continue wrapping tightly until your ball is the desired size. (I make mine softball-sized to help cut drying time more, but a tennis ball or baseball-sized will help save money on yarn. You can also fill your ball with an old, wadded-up sock or piece of fabric if you don’t want to use so much yarn.)

5. Use a blunt-tipped yarn needle or crochet hook to tuck the end of the thread under several layers of yarn. Pull it through and cut the end.

Wool Dryer Balls 7

Repeat these steps with more yarn until you have 4-6 balls.

Wool Dryer Balls 8

6. Cut the leg off an old pair of nylons, or use knee-high stockings. Put balls into the toe of the nylons, tying tightly in between each one with string, or cotton/acrylic yarn. (Just don’t use wool yarn or it will felt around the nylons.) Tie off the end. Take a few minutes to play with your yarn ball caterpillar if you like.

Wool Dryer Balls 9

How to Felt Them

7. Throw the entire yarn caterpillar into the wash with towels (or a load of jeans if you used brightly colored yarn).

Wool Dryer Balls 10

8. Wash in a hot wash cycle with a cold water rinse cycle. Dry your yarn caterpillar with your laundry using the hottest dryer setting.

Remove balls from nylons and check for felting. When learning how to make wool dryer balls you’ll see that some types of wool yarn will not felt well on the first try. You may need to repeat the washing and drying cycles up to 3 or 4 times. You’ll know felting has occurred when you can gently scrape your fingernail over the ball and strands do not separate.

Wool Dryer Balls 11

Wool Dryer Balls Video Tutorial

Using your Balls

Just throw these babies in the dryer with your freshly washed clothes, and let them do their work! For regular loads, use at least 4-6 balls to notice a decrease in drying time. For large loads, use 6 or more wool balls. The more you use, the more quickly your clothes will dry.

Wool Dryer Balls 12

Store your dryer balls in the dryer between uses or display them in a basket in your laundry room.

If you want to lightly scent your laundry, add 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil to each ball before throwing it in the dryer. If you’re using a good quality, pure essential oil, you will not have trouble with the oils spotting your clothes. (Find 100% pure essential oils here.) Just be sure to use a clear essential oil.

Love the idea, but don’t want to learn how to make wool dryer balls?

Find 100% wool dryer balls here, already made for you! (We recommend purchasing 2 packs.)

Do you know how to make wool dryer balls? Are you using them in your laundry? Share any experience you have with the community!

*******

Sources

  1. Dennis Schroeder. 16 Ways to Save Money in the Laundry Room. February 14, 2018. Energy.gov
Avatar photo

About Betsy Jabs

Betsy holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Counseling, and for nearly a decade worked as an elementary counselor. In 2011 she left her counseling career to pursue healthy living. She loves using DIY Natural as a way to educate people to depend on themselves to nourish their bodies and live happier healthier lives. Connect with Betsy on Facebookand Twitter.

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for us to support our website activities, we may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for our endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this website.

DISCLAIMER: Information on DIY Natural™ is not reviewed or endorsed by the FDA and is NOT intended to be substituted for the advice of your health care professional. If you rely solely upon this advice you do so at your own risk. Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure statements here.

Comments

  1. Avatar photoHairstyles says

    Valuable information. Lucky me I found your web site by accident, and I am shocked why this accident did not happened earlier! I bookmarked it.

  2. Avatar photoLea says

    Hi Betsy & Matt, thank you for these instructions. I’m going to pin this and make some of these wool dryer balls for myself. These would be nice gifts or stocking stuffers.

  3. Avatar photoSonja says

    I’ve bought wool dryer balls at wall Mart, they’re cheap enough and work well. I’d like to make my own after reading this, but live in an apt and can’t adjust the settings to their machines ?

    • Avatar photoShirley says

      If the machine you use doesn’t allow you to wash in hot water, I’m sure you could probably just soak the caterpillar/nylon train of wool balls in a tub of extremely hot water, then throw them into the washer just before spin cycle, so they will spin the water out of them. Then put them in the dryer at the warmest cycle it allows. If you put them through this scenario several times , it would probably felt them as needed.

  4. Avatar photoSue says

    I want to try this but I’m allergic to wool. Has anyone else tried this that was allergic to wool?

    • Avatar photoPatti says

      Hi Sue,

      Highly allergic to wool here and tried these, for us it was a horrible idea. I had to rewash everything not to mention the rash we had. I guess it really depends on how allergic to wool you are.
      I have a cleaning service and the biggest problem people make is over stuffing their dryers. Clothes will take twice as long and wrinkle if you over stuff. I also never use anything but the lowest temp even for towels and everything dries fine. It cuts down on shrinking and fading. The biggest mistake people make is using too much fabric softener, your clothes will take almost twice as long to dry. Using vinegar in the rinse cycle and low heat is really all we need. It’s product build-up that ruins fabrics.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Hi Sue,
      Some of our other readers who are also allergic to wool have used mohair, angora, alpaca, or llama with great success. Of course, if it’s animal fibers in general that you’re allergic to, then I guess these won’t work for you.

    • Avatar photoLaurie says

      I have raised alpacas which do not have lanolin and are said to be hypoallergenic. The micron count (measure of density) on alpaca fleece can be five times less than a human hair, making it finer to the touch. I have used 100% alpaca socks (that have had holes worn in them) that have been tied into a knot and thrown into the dryer. I have enjoyed many years of using them this way. These socks are not dyed, therefore their colors don’t bleed. Every state in the U.S. has alpacas, and every farm has unwanted fleece by the garbage bag full that is gladly given away. You can order it online, too. Felting is easy and it is not necessary to use yarn. You can use an underlayment of old nylons, lightweight scarves, tulle, etc., with warm water and sudsy soap.

      • Avatar photoMiTmite9 says

        Hello, Laurie. I have read the last two sentences of your comment five times now and I still don’t understand what you mean re: ” . . .it’s not necessary to use yarn.” And what do you mean, please, by “underlayment of old nylons, scarves, tulle, etc?” Also—what does one do with the alpaca fleece? Thanks so much.

        MiTmite9

  5. Avatar photoAlhasan says

    This is a nice concept. New to me just as it was to you at the beginner. I’ll need to see if I can partner with someone to make some of these balls. Thanks Betsy.

  6. Avatar photoDenni says

    When felting multiples, I tie bone rings into the knots of nylons (plastic, available in sewing notions dept). This makes it a bit easier to untie the knots when you are finished with the felting process. If you don’t want to reuse the nylons, you can just cut them open.

    For decorative or gifting dryer balls, I have purchased hand dyed wool yarn/roving on e-bay. Many lovely color variations not available on commercial yarn, they felt beautifully, and it doesn’t take much to add a design or a few wraps over a basic commercial yarn.

    Regarding static in your dryer, I’ve not found a reliable method to eliminate it completely on synthetics. Nylon especially. Even line drying nylon and some other synthetics is not enough to completely eliminate static IME. Especially on cold winter days…my hair (regardless of conditioner) and synthetic fabric require extra management.

    When feeling more craftsy, use a felting needle to add designs to your dryer balls. I’ve seen articles on using wool felt yardage to your dryer balls (say a jack-o-lantern face), but I haven’t had enough success with wool felt yet to make any recommendations. I have had lovely success felting swirls and such on dryer balls with a felting needle and pretty hand dyed yarns.

  7. Avatar photocoloradomama says

    I used fisherman’s wool – put a bit of lavender essential oil in the center of each ball and put in the washer on the “sanitize” cycle. Felted up perfectly on the first wash. Giving them out for xmas gifts! Fantastic idea that’s practical and will be helping us avoid the commercialism of the holidays 🙂

  8. Avatar photoMVeigel says

    I am wondering if the dryer balls can be felted too much? I made some and put them through a couple of hot water laundry loads and then made some by agitating in a bucket of hot water. The ones that went through the washing machine are slightly larger and float in water. The ones made in the bucket are smaller, more dense, and sink. Will they absorb water as well as the ones that were run through the washing machine or have they shrunk too much? Thanks in advance for any input.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Hmmm…I don’t know for sure. Maybe someone else has experience with this and can jump in here? If you experiment with the two and find out, please return and let us know!

  9. Avatar photoDiane says

    I crocheted my dryer balls after I realized they were shrinking in size after a year or two. Just covered them with single crochet and they have stayed the same size after that-6 years so far. Used what ever colorful 100 % cotton yarn I had on hand, probably Sugar and Cream brand. The colors of the yarn did not come off on the clothes, but one can just use white to be safe.

  10. Avatar photoAmber says

    My clothes are still coming out very static-y. Does this mean I need to felt the wool balls again? Thanks! Any other tips would be great to reduce static as well.

    • Avatar photoPatti says

      Amber, rub a metal coat hanger over your clothes and this should help with the static charge. Try not drying natural fibers with synthetic, check the labels on your clothes if you’re not sure. Try adding a cup of vinegar to your rinse cycle along with reducing the amount of detergent you use. Sounds like you have a build-up of residue on your clothing. I wish I could use the felt balls but my family is allergic to wool.

      • Avatar photoRoxie says

        For people allergic to wool, you can put safety pins on corners of a cotton wash cloth and spray it with the vinegar or a drop of essential oil for static control and nice odor.

        • Avatar photoDenni says

          I’m allergic to wool, but do not find that wool dryer balls leave enough residue to cause a problem.

          • Avatar photoPatti says

            We’re epi-pen allergic to wool so I can’t even bring it into our home. Glad that you don’t have that problem.

          • Avatar photoSonja says

            I’ve bought wool dryer balls at wall Mart, they’re cheap enough and work well. I’d like to make my own after reading this, but live in an apt and can’t adjust the settings to their machines ?

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Thanks for jumping in here, Patti! I agree with everything she said!

      Amber, your balls are probably felted properly, so don’t worry about that. I always spray vinegar directly (and liberally) on the wet clothes after I have thrown them in the dryer to assist with the static issue. Winter is just so dry that the wool balls normally won’t eliminate the static completely. And air-drying your synthetic fabrics seperately (as Patti mentioned) will make a big difference.

        • Avatar photoPatti says

          No vinegar doesn’t leave any odor in your clothing. It’s great at removing detergent build-up which can cause many problems one of them being stiff clothing.

    • Avatar photoShirley says

      I’ve been using wool dryer balls for about six years. Since being diagnosed with Severe Environmental and Chemical Sensitivity, I’ve had to find, or make, products to use that font affect my condition.
      Use of commercial fabric softeners, detergents, cleaning supplies, perfumes, soap, Body wash, shampoo & hair conditioners can cause me to develop a severe case of bronchitis that lasts a minimum of 4-5 weeks and ingesting multiple rounds of antibiotics and steroids.
      Using a “Clear & Free“ detergent and a vinegar/water/essential oil” combination for my fabric softener along with wool dryer balls, has made it possible for me to go my own laundry.
      Another good reason to go this route is that commercial fabric softeners can gum up your washing machine. I was amazed at the “crap” that was released from my machine from using vinegar in it. Vinegar also deodorizes your clothing . I have at times forgotten I had a load of clothes in the washer for more than a day …. and couldn’t believe that the clothes were still fresh smelling. Thanks to vinegar, it not only is good fir clothing, it keeps your washing machine clean!

  11. Avatar photoDS says

    My first efforts are in the washer right now. Some of the balls had yarn come loose as I stuffed them into the pantyhose. I got more yarn on a needle and poked it in and out to try to hold the balls together better. I wondered if crocheting a chain and then rolling THAT would work better.

  12. Avatar photoKristine/Real Food Girl says

    This is AWESOME!!! Thank you for sharing this. We do use green laundry products but if I could save some money each month and eliminate dryer sheets and fabric softener I will! I also love that I can make these. I’m not all that handy with yard related hobbies/crafts, but I can roll some yard into a snazzy ball like nobody’s business! 😉

  13. Avatar photoErin says

    I inherited some skeins of Irish wool from my mother, but I have been unsuccessful learning to knit or crochet anything worth looking at. Ah, but I didn’t have the heart to give away the wool. My newly felted wool dryer balls have given me another connection to my mom that I can use every day, and I will never buy another bottle of fabric softener. I used a syringe to inject a couple drops of my husband’s favorite essential oil into the middle of a couple of the balls, and it gives a very light scent to his clothes

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      How sweet Erin! I love that you have this new “connection” to your mom now. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, and we’re so happy you’re enjoying your new wool dryer balls!

  14. Avatar photoChristine Decarolis says

    I do felted knit projects. You can use pillowcases and those nylon lingerie bags for felting. If you don’t use hot water in your wash, you can felt in a tub of water or your sink but you have to manually agitate the project which may be too labor intensive. A little detergent/dish soap helps to speed things up too.

  15. Avatar photoPBS says

    Hi all,

    These balls are great. My twist is to roll them up around a core made of aluminum foil balls. I’ve been using the aluminum balls for the same purpose but with the added benefit that they reduce static.

  16. Avatar photoWooliez says

    Hi! I just love to use wool dryer balls. They are so beautiful! So beautiful that I made my short video tutorial on how to make wool dryer balls. You can check it out on youtube, here’s the link – http://youtu.be/ItkQVV4Y-34
    Thank you!

  17. Avatar photoDiane says

    I took apart an old 100% wool sweater and got five baseball sized balls. These are amazing. I am now drying things using the damp dry setting and everything comes out dry and soft.

    Thanks so much!

  18. Avatar photoSarah says

    I may sound silly, but what is the difference between the regular wool yarn and the roving yarn? I’ve never heard of roving yarn before…

    I always enjoy reading your posts. I went to make hot cocoa tonight…but alas, we had no cocoa powder and I didn’t want to go out in the “cold” (I live in Central Florida, so my cold now is different than what I grew up with as being cold, even from a more mild climate) to get some. I was so excited to have an excellent reason to try a new cocoa recipe! Sad day.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Not silly at all Sarah! Roving yarn was new to me…I accidentally found it while searching for the perfect felting yarn. It’s just a thicker, more loosely spun yarn. It takes less work to wind, and it felts with less washings compared to regular wool yarns.

      And wow, yes, a sad day for sure when you don’t have cocoa on a chilly day!!! 🙂

  19. Avatar photoSarah-Mae says

    I was super excited when I saw this article the other day. I have a huge problem with static because I don’t use any fabric softener at the moment. (My husband and I are still making the lifestyle switch.) Once I read this article I went out and got the supplies right away. Yesterday I felted them and today I used 3 balls with a small load of tee-shirts. When I pulled out my clothes, there was no static and they were significantly softer. I’m flipping out like a geek over these things and trying to convert my mom now. Thanks so much!

  20. Avatar photoVaGirl2 says

    Ok, I did not anticipate the pain in my fingers when trying to make these wool balls! I hold the beginning of the ball in my left hand and wind with my right. The pain in the left thumb and next 2 fingers is terrible…am I missing something? Is there some trick to getting the ball started and big enough quickly so that it’s not so tedious in the beginning? Thanks!

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      It’s tedious work for sure in the beginning! That is one of the reasons I like the roving yarn over the regular width yarn…the winding goes much faster and starts to become a ball quickly. Take breaks if your fingers are aching or maybe even pass it off to a family member to do some winding. 🙂

      • Avatar photoChristine Decarolis says

        If your fingers hurt, you might be holding the yarn too tight. As a knitter I manually wind hanks into center-pull balls often and the yarn will wind itself tight enough without a lot of effort. I also wind the balls around my thumb so I’m not grasping the growing ball.

  21. Avatar photoJMBailey says

    For those that want wool outer yarn and want to save money I have a suggestion. I bought 4 skeins of Sugar’n Cream 100% cotton yarn and 1 skein of Paton’s Classic Wool. I made 2 balls with each of the Sugar’n Cream and then covered each of the balls with about 2 layers of the Paton’s wool. I was lucky and got the cotton for 1 dollar each and the wool for 4 dollars so a total of 8 dollars for 8 balls. Each ball comes weighs near 2 oz which is the same as one of the plastic dryer balls that I was using.

  22. Avatar photoVicky says

    I just finished “trying” my new dryer balls. After the first try, I opened the dryer to find a bunch of yarn. My water doesn’t get hot enough and my dryer doesn’t have a hot setting. After 3 hours of untangling the yarn, I am going to hand felt them with roving. THE trick I think is HOT water and aggaitate.
    I do have one that survived and I really like the results. Thanks much for the suggestion on it.

  23. Avatar photoWanda says

    I am of the opinion any type of ball would work. I see folks on here using tennis ball, felt, cotton, paper. You name it just so you have something keeping the cloths separated is all that counts regardless of the method

  24. Avatar photoAlii says

    I think the cotton works as well as the wool would, as natural fibers don’t seem to create static like synthetics do, but I avoid synthetics anyway. I have one aluminum foil ball in my dryer with the five cotton balls, seems to work well enough to avoid static.

  25. Avatar photoJeanette says

    I have a couple of questions:
    1) I’m allergic to wool, so the actual making of these may pose a problem, however, do you think using these will cause any trouble on my clothing? I’m unsure, I may try one load just to see if it will affect my clothing/skin.

    2) do you think cotton balls would work the same as wool?

    3) do these balls stop static cling? that is the main reason I use dryers sheets is to stop the static cling. I did not see anything that mentioned that.

    Thanks.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Hi Jeanette,

      1) Check the above comments for suggestions on alternatives to wool. You can use alpaca, angora, bamboo, mohair, or llama.
      2) One reader commented her cotton balls work well. 100% wool balls will be more dense and absorbent, but you could try cotton.
      3) These balls help with static. You must be careful not to over-dry though, or you’ll end up with static even when using the balls.

      Hope this helps!

  26. Avatar photojanice says

    My son just discovered another use for them last night. They are great balls for your dog. We have a mini dachshund and she loves to play fetch with them. They are soft on her teeth and they actually bounce. I think the best part is that they are all natural unlike tennis balls!

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      How cool Janice! I saw an article somewhere about lead in tennis balls…specifically the ones made to be a dog toy. Sounds like yarn balls are a much better alternative.

  27. Avatar photoBetsey says

    I have a lot of old scraps of wool yarn, none of which is large enough to do a project. Would it work to tie them together and make a ball, or would the knots get in the way of the felting? I have never felted wool before.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Definitely! Just be sure to use one of your longer scraps to finish the outside and cover the knotted ends so you don’t have strings sticking through the ball. It should work just fine.

      • Avatar photoJess says

        I’ve made my own using wool sweaters from a second hand store (about $5 each). Ran the sweaters through the washer and dryer with a load of wash, exactly how you would have done if you accidentally shrunk a sweater. 😉 Cut them into strips, wound them up, and finished by wrapping with roving instead of yarn. Spending $5 on a sweater got me about 6 or 7 tennis sized balls, and if you use a $5 or $6 skein of wool yarn you’d not need to use much. I’m guessing a skein would do it? All told, it’s about $2 a ball. They’ve lasted me 3 years so far.

  28. Avatar photoBarb says

    How about recycling old wood sweaters? Just unravel and follow the instructions for making the wool ball with purchased yarn. Practically free!

  29. Avatar photoAlii says

    The wool dryer balls were not in my budget, and I didn’t have the time to take apart (or find) a wool sweater to make them, so I did the next best thing, googled and found a pattern online to make balls the correct size with scraps of cotton fabric. I made up five of them, and they seem to work just fine.

  30. Avatar photoMari says

    Wow balls of real wool must be cheaper on your side of the world, they certainly aren’t here.

    I have been an advocate for using scrunched up tinfoil for years but went Male of the species require new socks, despite his protestations that holes in the toes and heals were fine, I decided it was time they had to go. Having previously read about using felted wool and the reason, I had an idea when knotting his socks beyond redemption to throw out. I then stuffed it in the toe of another sock and did a combination fold, twist, fold action until I had a reasonable sized ball. I then wrapped it in tinfoil and another sock and stitched it closed. I have two of them in my dryer and they worked wonderfully. Am eyeing up other socks now hehe.

    Because a lot of our winter clothing (I line dry as much as possible) is what we call polar fleece, it really attracts the static .M of S refuses to kiss me because I zap him. I have found the sock balls, plus an old flannel I spray with white vinegar and throw in with the clothes, seem to prevent this static.

    As an aside – my step daughter brought me a top she wanted altered. I put it in my room by my sewing machine while I was busy doing some other repairs. My eye started to itch and my throat felt irritated and I started to sniff. I noticed a fragrance in the room and when I picked up her top, I really started to feel blah. Why? Well she is heavily into smellies in her washing, saying’ its all about the smell, darling’. I have had to wash the top using my home made detergent before I could handle it. Even after washing once the smell is still there. No wonder she suffers so badly from sinus issues.

  31. Avatar photoRebecca says

    I have a washer/dryer combo. Would these work for that too. It basically washes, then dries the clothes all in the same machine. The wool balls would then get wet and have to be dried too, so I figure the answer is no, but thought I would see if anyone out there might know.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Can you stop the machine before the drying cycle begins? If so, you can throw the balls in at that point so they could do their work during the drying cycle. But yes, they need to be dry to begin with if you want to reap the benefits.

  32. Avatar photoEthel says

    I also have a severe allergy to wool as does my husband. Neither of us can use any of the alternative animal fibers either. I guess we would have to use the cotton “sheets” of perhaps I can use some of my old cotton yarn and make the balls but leave them in the panty hose, separate by tying both ends and then sewing them shut to keep them from fraying in the dryer. I also like the idea of using old mismatched socks. We always seem to have a few laying around that have no mates and those would make good balls as well. We also have the need to replace my husbands diabetic socks about every 12 – 18 months and those too would make great balls.
    I hang clothes on the lines out back whenever weather permits. We also have to use the laundromat at present and being on a fixed income (my husband was disabled from a stroke about 3 years ago and I retired early to take care of him) we need to save every penny we can. I do a lot of crafts and DIY so this will give me another winter pastime to work on this year. When weather permits though I am outside working on different projects for the gardens, including making more raised beds. Now that I have retired I have the time to invest in these things that I didn’t have before, just not always the money to invest when I want it. I love working in my greenhouse and even turning the compost bins (set of 4 for now with 1 more in the works) isn’t really a chore as I can see the improvement in the decomposition process with each turning.

    Thank you so much for this article. I have also been trying to get my husband to let me try making our own soaps – bath, dish, laundry – but so far to no avail. He has allowed me to start using borax in the laundry with my regular detergent and it has allowed me to cut back the amount I need by about 1/2 so it’s a start. I have also started using vinegar for cleaning as well as in the laundry which has really helped with his smelly socks LMAO. I would like to make some glycerine based soaps as the ones I’ve been able to buy have not given my any problems. Again though, money to begin is the problem.

    I have to be very careful what detergents, bath soaps etc I use as I am highly allergic to some of the ingredients, especially anything that smells, such as the added perfumes and some of the other chemicals in them. I haven’t tried any of the essential oils for things, yet, but would like to. I have been a bit reticent to use them as one of my problems is with things that smell strongly. I do use some homemade herb infusions and liquid from boiled citrus peels in making our own air fresheners as I cannot breathe using the commercial ones. We have to use something as we have a son who has intestinal problems that cause extremely smelly bowel movements that will permeate the entire house if something isn’t used. I also keep a bowl of baking soda in the bathroom to help absorb some of it but that doesn’t keep it all down.

    I just love this site and have gotten many ideas that I am either currently trying for myself or have plans to try in the future as I can talk my husband into letting me buy the ingredients I need.

    • Avatar photoLeanna Stupperich says

      Vinegar, water and baking soda (mix carefully) works well as laundry softener. If you use quality oils they also work well without being overpowering. All of us in my family have breathing and chemical sensitivities, and switching to homemade cleaners has been well worth it for us. I wonder if the balls would work for you if you sewed them into a cover, like sections of cotton sock so that the wool can’t actually touch anything but would still be absorbent? I guess there would still be the problem of having to touch them to roll them though…

  33. Avatar photoJMBailey says

    Any idea if these would be as effective if I used any old yarn to make a tennis ball sized “starter” ball and then added a half inch or so layer of wool (or other yarn that will felt) on top of that before tying them in the pantyhose? I can usually find skeins of yarn in thrift shops for a good price so that would cut the cost.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      You can definitely do it that way (or even put a tightly rolled up piece of an old wool sweater in the middle). However, the wool is much more absorbent than other types of yarn, so your absorbency will be cut a little if using a different material for the core. Still effective, but it might not reduce drying time as much as having a 100% wool ball. You should definitely try it though!

      • Avatar photoJMBailey says

        I decided to check the prices on cotton yarn (so that I could stay with an all natural product). I purchased Lily Sugar ‘n Cream 4 ounce skeins for under $4 each. I used half of each to make a ball that is about the size of a tennis ball and then used about 1/3 of a skein of 100% wool yarn to complete the soft ball sized final ball. They felted just like the 100% wool balls and work just as well. It did help lower the cost of each and did not add to the amount of time needed to make each ball.

  34. Avatar photoTeri Gelseth says

    I love how colorful they are and the layout of your post! It all comes together in an easy to understand and memorable way.

    I have heard of them before and recently saw another post so it must be meant to be.

    I look forward to trying them over my homemade stuff in the near future 🙂

    Teri
    terigelseth.com

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Thanks so much Teri! They were such agreeable subjects to photograph, so I had fun snapping pics of them. 😉 I really hope you’ll give them a shot soon!

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      They will last several years if they are made well. Make sure you’re winding tightly and they are fully felted before using. This will ensure they don’t start unraveling prematurely.

    • Avatar photoDenni says

      If they do start to come a bit undone, throw them back in the washer for a cycle. But this shouldn’t happen if you are using 100% wool yarn. I’ve been using mine for almost a year now. Showing some wear, but lots of use in them yet…at this point I’m estimating at least a 3 year life span.

  35. Avatar photoWanda says

    I made 10 wool drier balls and I’m lucky if I have 3 when its time to dry again. Too funny but the only ones I can find on a regular bases are the three I left in the panty hose I felted them in. If I can find all of them I’m going to put then in panty hose 3 in each knitting them between each. But, I love them. I make my own laundry soap and use white distilled vinegar in the rinse cycle and never have stactic cling. I’ll never use store bought dryer sheets or detergents again.

  36. Avatar photoFrance Geek says

    Thanks a bunch for the great tutorial and info. I had been using the plastic ball. Will switch over.

  37. Avatar photojanice says

    I was able to obtain a big ball of roving from a local sheep farmer. I was able to make about 15 tennis ball sized balls out of it! I love them and they work great. I also took a couple back to the sheep farmer, she was skeptical, and she loves them! They are definitely worth the effort!
    Chemicals BOO!
    Natural YEAH!

  38. Avatar photoSue says

    The dryer sheets make me break out so I have been using vinegar for about a year now. We are a casual dressing family so no dresses or fancy clothes, just jeans and tshirts, so the amount of static we have is pretty low and the vinegar is fine. I do notice a small amount of static cling when I wear nylon workout pants though, so I am going to try this in addition to the vinegar in every load and see if it helps. I used those blue plastic balls for awhile but they just fell apart and really did very little. Thanks for the tip.
    PS I don’t have any pantyhose either, I would suggest that you buy the cheapest ones at the dollar store.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Thanks for reading Sue! You really can get away without the pantyhose…a thin sock, leg from an old pair of tights, or other thin knee-high will also work.

    • Avatar photoLaura says

      I’m not sure how true this is or not, but I read recently that to extend the life of your workout clothes, you should wash them in a natural detergent with no commercial fabric softener and hang dry them. Hang drying in your house increases the humidity in the house slightly too, which is great if you are like me getting electrocuted and dehydrated from the central heart running all winter long. 🙂 Hope this helps!

    • Avatar photoDenni says

      I recently received a handful of knee-hi nylons from a retired relative. Funky colors, but working great for felting my dryer balls. Can also watch yard sales and thrift stores. Ask friends and relatives for their panty hose before they discard for runs…any holes too big, you can cut that part off or just use the other leg.

  39. Avatar photoEmily says

    Too funny that you posted this! I bought the stuff to make these months ago but haven’t found the time to do it. This should give me inspiration 🙂

  40. Avatar photoMichael says

    I had better success using natural wool roving (bought directly from a sheep farm). It wraps easier, for sure. My first attempt left me with towels mummy-wrapped in yarn.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Ha! That gave me a great visual! 🙂 Yes, the roving definitely looks much easier and felts better. The reason I chose to use yarn is that it absorbs more moisture from the laundry, and the resulting balls are heavier, so they tumble harder and soften/fluff clothes better.

  41. Avatar photoHeather B. says

    I made these previously. I used the Paton’s and my balls worked great for about 2 months, then one day I opened the drier and it was just a ball of yarn. It took forever to get out. Any tips on making more, but better? I probably ran it through the washer about twice the first time.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Yeah, this is why I prefer the wool roving yarn. It just felts better than the other Paton yarns. When I used the Paton’s regular wool yarn and the Paton’s worsted weight wool yarn, I had to run them through a hot wash 4 or 5 times until it looked like the fibers were really felted. I found the Paton’s roving yarn at JoAnn’s, and it felts well on the first try, but looks even better after a second wash.

  42. Avatar photoCheryl says

    If you are allergic to wool, can you use crochet cotton, like Sugar N Cream? I have been using a dry cotton towel in my dryer, so it would stand to reason that cotton yarn balls would do the same? What do you think?

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      The problem with cotton is that it won’t felt, and cotton yarn balls will start to unravel in the dryer. If allergic to wool, try another animal fiber that felts, such as angora, mohair, alpaca, or llama. They will be trickier to get your hands on, but I’m guessing you could find them online or maybe even from a local farmer.

  43. Avatar photoTwinkle says

    I made some wool dryer balls a couple of years ago and love them. I just read on Pinterest about making them with old stray cotton socks too! You just sew them closed. Genius! Thanks for the tip about using more per load. We use a commercial laundromat and using more dryer balls will definitely lower our cost even more. To the sock drawer and yarn stash!
    Happy 2013!

  44. Avatar photoShannon says

    I am highly allergic to wool, but am tired of using those plastic dryer balls for the reasons mentioned in this article. If i use these wool ones, does any wool transfer onto the clothing? i would be a hot mess if that happened!
    thank you.

    • Avatar photoCheryl says

      I hear you on the allergy. I was thinking about using crochet cotton, like Sugar N Cream and experiment. Or maybe some balled up old cotton socks??

      • Avatar photoTeresa says

        At the time I learned about “wool” dryer balls I did not have any wool yarn laying around but I did have “a lot” of old 100% cotton t-shirts. Since the point of the dryer balls is to absorb moisture and move around to help clothes dry faster I figured cotton could do the same. I used a method to create t-shirt yarn and rolled it into several large balls. To reduce static I placed several safety pins in each. They work fine. Keep in mind that since cotton won’t felt the balls can unravel if not well wrapped and tied off. I’ve handled this by tying and then placing a safety pin in the appropriate end spot. I’ve since made my first wool balls, so far both work equally well.

    • Avatar photoTerrie says

      I don’t know if the wool would transfer, but I wouldn’t want to risk it. An alternative would be to use aluminum foil balls as dryer balls. They will function the same as the wool balls, and last about 6 months.

    • Avatar photoMelissa says

      I am VERY allergic to wool as well, and I don’t know whether or not the wool would transfer onto the clothing or not, but I wasn’t brave enough to find out. Instead, we make our dryer balls out of alpaca fleece. They work the same way as the wool and have been wonderful!

      • Avatar photoDenni says

        I’m also allergic to wool and haven’t had any issues with wool dryer balls, they don’t leave enough residue to trigger my allergy.

        Any natural wool should felt. Although IIRC there may be 1 or 2 varieties that don’t have the tiny ‘hooks’ on the fiber that make the felting happen…but those would be rare and not easily available to the casual crafter.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Oh geeez…please don’t experiment with these wool balls to find out! That would be awful! There are other animal fibers that will felt, so maybe you could try to get your hands on mohair, angora, alpaca, or llama. I haven’t tried them myself, but they should work in theory.

      • Avatar photoPatti says

        I’m also allergic to wool and found out the hard way! Thank God for the epi-pen. I also can’t have mohair, angora or any animal hair/fibers, hate having allergies. Does anyone know if there’s something else that will work? Thank You for any helpful suggestions! Betsy love the work you and Matt do!

          • Avatar photoSusan says

            or, i’ve heard of cutting a sock and sewing pouches with either small beans or lavender (for scent) and flaxseeds for weight. should be similar as they would be heavy enough to bounce the clothes around, but would not get the benefit of helping dry clothes faster like the wool does. chemical/toxin free though.

        • Avatar photoDenni says

          I’m allergic to wool, but find the wool balls to not leave enough residue wool on my clothing to trigger my allergy.

  45. Avatar photoJen B. says

    This may be a silly question, but how long do they last? Do they need to be replaced and how would we know when to replace them?

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Great question, actually! They will last for several YEARS if done correctly. You may need to replace if they start unraveling, but again, if wound tightly and felted correctly, you shouldn’t have trouble with this for years. They don’t ever “go bad,” so you don’t have to worry about them losing their effectiveness.

      • Avatar photoMichelle says

        Betsy, When I made my wool balls (several years ago) the article said to felt them twice. First you roll each ball to 2 1/2 to 3″, felt them by throwing in hot water (in the sock), dry, and then add more yarn to the small ball until the full size and felt one more time. They also said if your ball starts to unravel to re-wind the loose end, tuck it, put in the sockand just re-felt it. I got the impression they don’t “wear” out because you can “update” them so to speak.

    • Avatar photoLaura says

      I’ve been told by wool ball makers that you don’t have to replace them, potentially ever. Some of them have been using them for like a decade. Like Betsy said, if they unravel, that’s when they need to be replaced. Otherwise they work forever.

  46. Avatar photoLaura says

    I would be interested too in alternatives to panty hose and an idea of how much wool I would need. I want to have about ten tennis ball sized ones.

    I don’t use panty hose (would it even be green or economical to buy them just for this?), and don’t really know anyone who does… Maybe I have old pairs at my mom’s from when I was a kid if there’s no alternative…

    • Avatar photoTwinkle says

      Laura- You can use old cotton socks to separate them. Just cut the dryer balls out the same way you cut pantyhose.

      HTH.

      • Avatar photoJenni says

        You can also use old tights, or knee high sock, anything light in weight. this is basically to keep the ball together instead of falling apart while “felting” together.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      If you use any of the Paton’s brand yarns, you can get about 2 tennis-ball sized balls from these skeins (they’re typically sold in 210 yard skeins). If using a larger skein, like the fisherman’s wool (465 yds.), you can get about 4 tennis-ball sized balls from this.

      Definitely don’t rush out and buy pantyhose…see Twinkle and Jenni’s comments for ideas! 🙂

    • Avatar photoLaura says

      Thanks for the ideas. I give all my clothes to the Goodwill before they get worn out, so I really don’t have any old sleeves per se, and I have no knee highs or tights… Would using a still wearable shirt work, or would that ruin the shirt?

      • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

        I don’t think it would ruin it, but you may want to try it out first with a shirt that’s not your favorite. 🙂 However, like someone mentioned above, you can also use a sock. You won’t have to cut the sock either, just tie it off before throwing it in the washer/dryer, and cut the string (not the sock) to release the ball when you’re all finished.

  47. Avatar photoDawn Parks says

    I do have a problem with static on some of the fleece robes and blankets I have and also some of the more satiny undergarments…any ideas on how to eliminate the staic? I don’t have room to hang all these items up either as I have done that with a few things and it doesn’t help much. I make my own laundry detergent and have added the purex softener crystals, but would like to eliminate that if there is a way around the static. We don’t have any allergies to the softener, so I thought it might help a little. Would be grateful for any ideas! 🙂 I am slowly getting all my household cleaners switched over and have been enjoying trying new things!! Thanks for all your info!!

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      One really cool static-reducing trick is to throw a ball of tin foil in the dryer with your clothes. It will turn into a nice, smooth ball after one load, and you’ll need to change it out every few weeks when you notice static coming back. I’m not sure how “natural” this is, but it definitely works.

  48. Avatar photoVicky says

    I raise Shetland Sheep and have my own wool yarn. I loved the idea of dryer yarn balls. One problem I see is my cat would LOVE these.:>). I guess that is a good problem. If you want to do only one you can buy some cheap nylon pants socks which at the dollar store you can get for 50 cents a pair. Thanks for the idea
    Vicky

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      How cool Vicky! When I was running all over town looking for the perfect yarn to make these, I was DYING to know someone who was raising their own sheep! And yes, your cat will love these, so perhaps you should make a few just for the kitty. 🙂

  49. Avatar photoCandace Craw-Goldman says

    Great article I have been wanting to make these. I did have to laugh about the pantyhose…I cannot even recall the last time I bothered to buy PANTYHOSE, the word itself gives me shivers and not in any good kind of way. Ha. Any alternative idea? a small sock? cheesecloth? I am not going to go out and buy pantyhose for any reason. Hee hee. Friends? Nope. I don’t even KNOW anyone who wears pantyhose now!
    🙂

    • Avatar photoDawn Parks says

      I didn’t have any either, but I did go to Walmart and buy 3 pair for 1.00 each. So now I have 6 “legs” to use for felting my dryer balls…lol. This works great!!!!

      • Avatar photoJenni says

        You can also use old tights, or knee high stock, anything light in weight. this is basically to keep the ball together instead of falling apart while “felting” together.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Hahaha! I know…I was actually surprised to find some old pairs of pantyhose in the back of my sock drawer! (They must have been given to me by my grandma.) You can certainly use a sock…do not run out and buy pantyhose! 🙂

    • Avatar photoSarah says

      I do not wear the full pantyhose, but I wear knee-high nylons still…it’s required for certain outfits at work, under our dress code. (Actually the dress code still says the hose, but I cheat and use the knee-highs.) My old almost worn out pairs have come in handy often in the last few weeks. I fill them with a shoe deodorizer as well because my work shoes tend to smell. 🙂 They are fairly cheap to replace and can be useful…but I like the ideas of everyone else below if you do not have them…or see if friends have old pairs of nylons that they are just tossing out anyway.

    • Avatar photomrscireland says

      I am planning on making these and since I don’t use pantyhose either I am going to use some of my daughter’s outgrown dance tights. They are made from the same material just slightly thicker. So I hope it works.

      • Avatar photoMandy says

        I bought a bunch of panty hose at a garage sale, (cleaned them) and use them for hanging Onions for storage, great to keep around. and now I have another use for them, 🙂

    • Avatar photolynn says

      a family sells these at our farmers market.

      he starts with wool ‘roving’ not yarn and he puts the balls in socks, not pantyhose. he says that the balls will stick a little to the socks (they ‘felt’ to the socks).

      i can’t remember if he said to detach them each washing? maybe turn the sock inside out the next time, then right side, then inside out…

  50. Avatar photoYvonne says

    I love this. I am fighting an uphill battle in my house eliminating all the nasty chemicals. My fiancee loves those bounce dryer sheets. I finally got him to stop buying them but now our clothes are full of static. We live in an apartment and have to take our clothes to a laundromat, this should reduce the amount of money we spend drying the clothes. This is going to be my weekend project this weekend.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Awesome, I’m glad you’ll be trying these out! Also keep in mind that much of the reason static occurs is due to over-drying clothes. So even if you use these balls you’ll notice static if the dryer is allowed to run too long. Another cause of static is synthetic materials. Try to separate synthetics and try hang drying those to keep the rest of your laundry static-free. Have fun making your dryer balls!

  51. Avatar photoLisa Quenon says

    Dear Matt,

    I’ve always just kept tennis balls (2 or 3) in my dryer…is there an advantage using these wool balls? They seem labor-intensive to me as opposed to just throwing in someone’s used tennis balls.

      • Avatar photoLisa Quenon says

        Hum. I have never known this in years and years of usage…maybe my old tennis balls are so old that it doesn’t occur anymore. They were old when I first tossed them in several years ago and have used the same ones since. Dunno. Thanks for the information though. 🙂

        • Avatar photoLaura says

          I’m pretty sure plastic, rubber, etc. continues to leach out toxic chemicals forever until the material breaks down.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Since these balls are 100% wool, right down to the core, they do much more than a tennis ball. They absorb moisture from your laundry, therefore decreasing dryer time, saving you money, and being completely natural (unlike the synthetic fibers and rubbers used in making tennis balls). Hope this helps!

    • Avatar photoCarol says

      Tennis balls will unbalance your dryer after awhile. They have weight to them.
      The wool yarn balls are very light and will not damage your dryers weight.

  52. Avatar photoLinda Ursin says

    I definitely have to try this. I just got a dryer, and I want to get rid of the softener. I do have quite a bit of bright wool yarn at home, so as soon as I get the time, I will 🙂 Thanks

  53. Avatar photoHeather says

    How many skeins should I expect to need to make each dryer ball softball- sized? I’m trying to plan how much yarn to buy! Thanks!

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Great question Heather! It kind of depends on the yarn you’re using. Most of the Paton’s wool comes in skeins of about 210 yards for their classic or worsted, and I have made one ball from each of these skeins. The Paton’s roving yarn I used in the tutorial comes in skeins of 120 yards, and made one perfect softball-sized ball (even though it’s a shorter length, the yarn is much chunkier so it can’t be wound as tightly). The fisherman’s wool (Lion Brand) comes in 465 yd. skeins, and you can get 2-3 balls out of this. Hope this is helpful!

      • Avatar photoLaura says

        Is $10 about the price of a skein(?) of Patron yarn? That’s how much Amazon wants for it. If that only makes one ball, that makes making them yourself way more expensive than buying them. 10 wool balls with shipping from CleanSypria (a seller featured in Parenting mags) is $55 including the shipping.
        A tip from her: She says they make excellent dog/cat toys and a tool to teach babies colors. 🙂 I thought that was neat.
        I want to make them, but if that is a normal price, I’ll pass. 🙁

        • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

          NO! Don’t spend $10 per skein! Michael’s and JoAnn’s sell a skein of Paton’s wool yarn for $5 or $6. Print off your 40% off coupon before going, and you’ll spend even less! One reader mentioned here in the comments that she buys a skein of yarn with her coupon each time she’s at the craft store, and she builds up a nice collection of good yarn for just a few dollars a piece. Sometimes I’ll print off 2 coupons and make my hubby go through another checkout with a coupon. This might be cheating. 🙂

          • Avatar photoLaura says

            Phew! That makes more sense! I make the bf go through the Michaels lane with a coupon if I need frames. It is cheating, but it feels oh so good! 🙂

          • Avatar photoEve says

            Betsy, I made 6 dryer balls from 4oz of real roving wool. Not yarn. I forgot to wash them in hot water but I ran them through the dryer a few times in the panty hose. They are working very well, not falling apart since I took them out of the pantyhose. I’m going to try putting lavender essential oil on before the next load. Thanks for all the good info! I love it.

  54. Avatar photoJanet says

    A couple of question.
    1) Why not just soak you dryer balls in hot water in a bucket instead of putting though a wash load – I never use hot for my wash? I would assume you don’t need to use detergent to get them to felt but do they definitely need the hot water to felt?

    2) Why not just leave in the nylon stocking? Forever or just until they felt.

    Thanks so much! Love this site!

    • Avatar photoShameaka says

      1) In addition to hot water, you also need agitation or friction which is provided by the washing machine to felt the yarn.

      2) You wouldn’t want to leave them in the stocking for regular use b/c the individual balls need to be free to tumble around the dryer. The purposes of the stocking are to hold the yarn balls together until they felt and to keep the balls separate so that they do not felt together.

        • Avatar photoRebecca says

          Just seems like a waste of hot water..If they are in the nylon tied off, they will still be able to move freely in the dryer and wouldn’t they get the agitation from the dryer if they were still wet from the hot water? That seems logical to me..

          • Avatar photoPam says

            Wool needs heat, moisture, and pressure to ‘felt’. One of my friends just uses the dryer. Have to try it and see…

  55. Avatar photoBarbara Werner says

    Thank you so much. I have looked at many tutorials for dryer balls online, but yours is by far the best and most straighforward one. I shall definitely be making some now.

  56. Avatar photoJena says

    Look for 50% off coupons at JoAnn’s and Hobby Lobby. I buy one skein at a time that way, it makes it very economical. I give them as wedding gifts with a set of towels and instructions.

    • Avatar photoLaura says

      I was looking for a cheaper option too. I ended up buying a 100% dry clean only wool sweater at a thrift store, one that had already started felting. I cut it up into chunks. Once I had a fist-sized “ball” of chunks, I wrapped the sweater bits with the nice wool I bought at a craft store. Depending on whether or not you want any sweater to show through your wrapping, I got up to FIVE dryer balls from one skein of Paxton’s. It’s cheaper than just using new skeins without all of the bother of unraveling an old sweater.

    • Avatar photoLiz says

      This is a great tutorial. I used some pure wool worsted yarn and I used roving. In the end I liked the worsted better. The roving felted nice but pills after a couple of loads. The worsted had some heft to them, more like a tennis ball.
      I use cheap nylon knee highs from Walmart…10 pairs for $5 and can fit 4 balls with a knot tied in between. Works out great when making a lot of them