04 Jun Be a Little Extra by Decorating Your Dryer Balls

Years ago, we were a part of a Charlotte Mason co-op group that I absolutely loved. One of my responsibilities was to teach brushwork. It was challenging and messy, with watercolor paints all over not just the paper but the tables, and clothes, and even the floor and faces. Being new to this, I really struggled with the mess. I felt that the children weren’t engaged and didn’t really care. Surely if they cared, they would be more careful, right?!

A Lesson of Beauty

Then one day, one of the experienced Moms showed up with pretty little ceramic dishes in which to mix their paints, and crocheted doilies for each of the kids. She set each of them up and we began the class. Suddenly, these kids were taking brush work seriously! They were more careful about how they mixed the paint with water, trying hard to get the right consistency. I watched as they used the techniques we had shown them to create lovely little brush stroke patterns. As I cleaned up the room at the end of the class, I noticed that the mess was minimal. The only thing that had changed was the pretty little ceramic dishes and doilies.

Simply by creating a little beauty in their environment, the behavior or the students changed. Because this Mom created a space and environment that showed we valued it, the students began to perceive it as such, and behave as such. I’ll never forget this beautiful lesson.

Laundry is maybe one of my family’s least favorite jobs. So wouldn’t it be a great idea to apply the lesson of beauty here? Today we are going to show you how you can be a little extra by decorating your dryer balls. And maybe – just maybe, it will make this undesirable task just a little more pleasant.

As it happens, a dryer ball makes a fantastic canvas on which to practice needle felting. It doesn’t matter if it is a needle felted dryer ball from a ball of wool, or a needle felted dryer ball from wool roving.

Materials Needed

The items below are all items that we have ordered and that we use. I recommend choosing from the list – just be sure to get the wool roving colors that you want and felting needles. You won’t need a needle felting mat for this project. We like to use the bulk wool roving as a base for our projects as it is a cheaper option and nice to work with.

• Small Needle Felting Kit (includes needles and finger cots, does not include a felting mat)
• Needle Felting Kit (includes needles, finger guards, felting mat)
• Wool Roving for Felting (50 colors)
• Bulk Wool Roving (1 lb, undyed)

Happy Handicrafts Video: Decorate Your Dryer Balls

This project is part of our Needle Felting Handicraft series, so you may want to start at the beginning. Each video and blog post builds on the previous one, teaching even our youngest students the ins and outs of needle felting.

Be sure to watch the above video, as it contains several tips and tricks for decorating your dryer balls. Hopefully, you can learn from our mistakes, and thereby avoid so many broken felting needles.

I absolutely LOVE how our needle felted dryer balls turned out. It’s inspiring to see how a little imagination and art can completely transform something so mundane into something of beauty. These dryer balls are bright and beautiful and are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Even when doing the laundry!

The most important thing to remember when decorating your dryer balls, is that this is YOUR canvas! You get to create whatever your heart desires. Let your creativity run wild and brighten up your home with these dryer balls.

They would also make a beautiful gift, especially to someone who is interested in creating a toxin-free home.

If you enjoyed this handicraft, be sure to head over to our YouTube channel, Happy Handicrafts, where we share videos of useful arts, crafts and skills.