28 May How to Make Needle Felted Dryer Balls From Wool Roving

Did you try our needle felted dryers balls with a ball of wool last week? These were a game changer for us, using them in the dryer with big, heavy loads of laundry. Today we are going to show you how to make smaller needle felted dryer balls, from wool roving. We like the smaller balls for smaller loads of laundry or for delicates. These are even easier and quicker to make than our dryer balls with a ball of wool. Be sure to watch our video below for the process.

What are Dryer Balls?

First, what exactly are dryer balls? We covered this in the last blog post, but if you missed it, here it is! 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, 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 can 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.

• Approximately 50 – 100 grams of undyed Corriedale wool roving
• Needle Felting Mat (6″ x 6″), you may want to add a cover (optional)
• Felting needles
• Dish soap
• Water
• A dryer

Happy Handicrafts Video: How to Make Needle Felted Dryer Balls From Wool Roving

For this second version of needle felted dryer balls, we are measuring out approximately 50-100 grams of our wool roving and forming it into a ball. It would make sense to make several of these at a time. I suggest between 4-8 balls per load, depending on size.

Once you’ve formed a ball, as smooth and uniform as possible, you can start felting. The needle felting for this version takes a lot less time than our previous project, maybe only about 15 minutes or so per ball.

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 of any sort 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 the wool roving with other synthetic yarns. It will not come together like wool roving, and it will probably not have the same benefits when using it in your laundry routine.
• This version of the dryer ball will be much lighter that the needle felted dryer balls made from a ball of wool. I like to use the heavy-duty dryer balls for heavy duty loads of laundry, such as towels and jeans. Although these dryer balls with wool roving can be used in any load, they are especially great for delicates and other lighter loads.
• 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!