If you love simple DIYs that have a big payoff, put these DIY Dryer Balls at the top of your project list! They’re made from wool yarn which helps save money on energy costs by shortening your laundry’s drying time. Go ahead and ditch those costly dryer sheets because these will help soften your fabrics and reduce wrinkles. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to give your laundry a fresh scent!
To make these DIY Dryer Balls, head out to your local fabric store and find your favorite color of 100% wool yarn. If you’ve got an old 100% wool sweater, that will work too! Natural animal hairs will shrink, or felt, when exposed to hot water. Also, the barbs in natural hair will help lock the material together into a dense ball.
Related: 6 Eco-Friendly Laundry Tips
Materials for DIY Dryer Balls:
- 100% Wool yarn or material (1 ball uses a 3.5 oz. skein) *Buy 3 for 3 balls*
- Pantyhose or socks
- Scissors
Assembly Directions:
- Wind yarn or fabric into a ball. Begin with winding the material around 2 or 3 fingers until the beginnings of a small ball are formed. Continue winding, switching directions often, in order to get a well-rounded ball. Wind tightly. Stop when you have a ball about the size of a tennis ball. Cut the end of the yarn and tuck it into the ball.
- Put wool balls into the leg of a pair of pantyhose or nylon socks. If using more than one wool ball to the pantyhose leg, knot the space in between each ball.
- Put the yarn balls in a pot of hot water and bring to a boil. After the water comes to a boil, shut off the stove. Let yarn balls soak in the water until it cools.
- Squeeze excess water from yarn balls and put it in the dryer on high heat.
- When dry, remove balls from the dryer and cut away pantyhose. The balls will be smaller and fuzzy.
- Rewrap the balls with more yarn until they are a diameter of about 3 1/4 inches.
- Repeat the process of boiling, soaking, and drying the yarn balls.
Related: Bleach-Free Stain Remover for White Clothes
The great thing about these DIY Dryer Balls is that they help keep the dryer’s contents separated so that the hot air inside will circulate better and let those contents dry quicker. Use 3 balls for small to regular-sized loads and double that amount for extra-large loads. The more of these DIY Dryer Balls you use, the faster you can cross laundry off your to-do list!
Related: Quick and Easy DIY Laundry Pods
Do you use dryer balls or sheets? If you’ve tried these DIY Dryer Balls and you like them, please pin and share!
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Lisa is a mother of three lovely young women and is a new grandmother to a baby boy! She has been married to her high school sweetheart for more than thirty years. Lisa is originally from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, but has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1984. Running a small business for over 25 years and raising a family has made for a busy, busy life with many ups and downs; it’s definitely been an adventure.
Lisa’s always involved in one project or another whether it’s work related or serving her community. She also recently went back to school to finish her bachelor’s degree in American Studies. Lisa tries to make every day a good day—that means learning something new, practicing kindness, and enjoying the present moment.
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