{DIY} Felted Dryer Balls

 Felted dryer balls are all the rage in {DIY} circles and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why.  Now I know what the big fuss was about…. and after I spill you will never have to buy over-scented dryer sheets or bulky bottles of fabric softener again.   These nifty little felted gems reduce static cling and cut your clothes drying time,reduce wrinkles and save you money.

A week ago what I threw into my dryer would be the last thing on my mind.  Stuff wet clothes into the dryer, pull dry clothes out.  Fold, repeat. Completely mind numbing and, I was ok with that.  As long as it works who cares right?  Wrong. What started out as a simple Facebook  rant a few days ago has taken me down a path I had never in a million years though I would ever take but looking back on it now I can’t believe I waited so long to “jump on board”.

I love my fabric softener but when I realized how much I was paying and how often I had to replenish my supply I knew that something had to change. Why was I so comfortable with spending $7.00 every other week for a product that you throw away after each use.  I guess because that’s how it’s always been done around here.  When I was a kid my mom would rip one in half or re-use the one we had in the dryer to get more “bang for your buck”.  Did you known that you can  make your own dryer balls for the price of one bottle of fabric softener but your dryer balls will last for years. Yes, you read that right.  YEARS. 

I can’t believe I waited so long to try felted dryer balls in my dryer that can easily be scented with essential oils to leave your fabrics soft and smelling fabulous.  

{DIY} Felted Dryer Balls  in four steps:

What you need: 

100% Wool yarn or other 100% animal yarn

Pantyhose 

Four easy steps!

1.Take the end of the yarn and wrap it around your middle and index fingers 10 times.  Remove it from the fingers and then wrap 2-3 times around the middle ( it should look like a bow)  This will be the start of your ball.

2.  Keep tightly wrapping the yarn around the start, working toward making a round shape.  Once your ball is roughly the size of a tennis ball, cut the yarn and tuck the ends into the sides of the ball.  Repeat this process until you have created four or more balls of yarn.

3. Cut one leg off of the pantyhose.  Place one ball into the bottom of the leg and tie a knot right above the ball with the pantyhose to secure it in place.  Repeat until all the balls have been added and secured. 

4. Once the balls are tightly secured in the pantyhose, put them in the washer and wash on the hottest setting.  This will allow the yarn to felt ( Felting will make the yarn fuse together, resulting in a solid ball.) Dry  thoroughly in the dryer at the highest heat setting. After the balls are completely dry, remove them from the pantyhose and they’re ready for use.  

Before drying your next load of laundry, add your favourite essential oil to 4-6 felted dryer balls, toss them in the dryer, and enjoy the soft, fluffy wonderful-smelling laundry!  

I use about 5-10  drops of essential oil per ball should last a few loads. 

The scent is more noticeable with smaller loads and with the more balls that you use, so you can play around with it a bit to find your preference.

Here are some ideas for scents:

Lavender & Citrus Bliss

 peppermint and lavender 

Grapefruit & Lemon

Cinnamon& orange 

When it starts to smell dull, then add a few more drops of essential oils.  IF you want to change the scent, then continue to use the felted dryer balls until the scent wears off and start the process all over again.  

Easy Peasy, right?  

Looking for Essential oils?