21 May How to Make Needle Felted Dryer Balls From a Ball of Wool

I am loving our new handicraft of needle felting! Have you tried it? It’s so rewarding and exciting to see projects come together! Today we are going to show you how to make needle felted dryer balls from a ball of wool. There are so many versions of these DIY dryer balls throughout the internet. Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to show you a couple of the simple ones, and you can choose which one you’d like to do. Why simple? Because no matter how much time, effort, and money you put into these balls, they will all work the same. Be sure to watch our video below for the process.

What are Dryer Balls?

First, what exactly are dryer balls? Dryer balls are typically fist-sized balls made of wool that have been compacted together and then placed in your dryer to help dry your laundry. When you place between 4-8 of these balls in your dryer, along with a load of wet laundry, they will bounce around within the clothing and linens, circulating warm air between the laundry, resulting in many of the benefits listed below.

Why Use Dryer Balls?

• Dryer balls are non-toxic. They are a great alternative to commercial dryer sheet, which are chock-full of toxic chemicals.
• Dryer balls are sustainable. They can be used over and over again, for YEARS.
• Dryer balls help to reduce wrinkles in clothing, thus reducing the time spent in ironing or steaming.
• Dryer balls can help to reduce static electricity.
• Dryer balls can decrease drying times, and thus the cost of electricity.

Materials Needed

The items below are all items that we have ordered and used.

• A ball of wool (50 – 100 grams). We used a 100 gram ball of 100% sheep’s wool. It will be worth it to watch for sales at your local craft store, as wool balls can be expensive, but will occasionally be on sale. We got ours for 50% off.
• Felting needles
• A couple of drops of dish soap
• Water
• A dryer

Happy Handicrafts Video: How to Make Needle Felted Dryer Balls From a Ball of Wool

For this first version of needle felted dryer balls, we are simply taking a ball of wool and felting it into a circle. This first version makes a heavier dryer ball for heavier and larger loads of laundry, such as large linens, towels and jeans. They will bounce around and make noise, so if that bothers you, you may want to refer to our second version which will be our next blog post.

This version will also take longer to felt. You will see in the next project that if you are using wool roving or something similar, you will have a lot less felting to do. I sat down and watched a few videos while felting. It’s actually very relaxing and enjoyable to do. I would estimate about an hour of felting time.

Once the ball of wool is felted into a nice, round ball, you’re going to dribble a small amount of dish soap on it and rub it around under the tap gently to get the soap off. Squeeze out any excess water, and then place the ball in the dryer on high for 30 minutes to an hour. It should come out perfectly felted together. If not, it may need another round of soap, water, and drying.

It’s literally that simple! Next step is to throw them into the dryer with the next load of laundry and enjoy your non-toxic dryer routine. You’ve just taken a big step towards a healthier home for your family! Doesn’t it feel good?!

A Couple of Things to Know About Needle Felted Dryer Balls

• Wool is not a cheap material, so therefore, good quality dryer balls are not going to be cheap either. Although they may cost a little more upfront, they will last for many years.
• Do not attempt to substitute yarn of any sort for wool Yarn does not felt. Wool does.
• Heavy duty loads of laundry require heavy duty dryer balls. These needle-felted dryer balls from a ball of wool are definitely heavy duty.
• If you decide to use a lightly dyed ball of wool, stick to muted colors, and use them only with a dark load of laundry as colors can transfer.
• A few drops of essential oils dropped onto your dryer balls before starting the dryer will add a beautiful, fresh scent.

Thank-you for joining us on our next handicraft adventure! Our goal is to provide a beautiful handicraft curriculum for homeschool families that find crafts to be difficult or challenging. We are here to be your village – jump over to YouTube, where you’ll find our channel, Happy Handicrafts. Follow along with our crafting adventures, and feel free to suggest the next handicraft! We’d love to hear from you!