Step-By-Step DIY Homemade Wool Dryer Ball Tutorial

Do you use store bought dryer sheets? I used to. I thought they were great because they made everything smell so good.

Those little sheets that you place in your dryer are literally one of the most harmful products you can you. They dramatically affect your health in a negative way.

Why are Dryer Sheets Dangerous to Your Health and Well Being?

Two ingredients in storebought dryer sheet are quite volatile and can have long-lasting repercussion if used.

I am sure you have heard the term fragrance before. Fragrance is actually one of the top five worst allergens in the world! That ingredient label can contain more than 100 different chemicals combined all of which are harmful to your health. One of the names you have heard before is Phthalates. Fragrance can have phthalates in it as well. Phthalates are banned in children’s toys yet they are allowed in the fabric softener sheets that most people use to dry their children’s clothes in. Seems contradictory to me. This one ingredient that can be in fabric softener sheets has been linked to Asthma, ADHD, Obesity, Type II Diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavior issues, Autism spectrum disorder, reproductive issues and male fertility problems. Fragrance is a known endocrine disruptor as well. Should we really be coating our clothes with fragrance and Phthalates?

Dryer sheets also have Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QUAT’s) in them. Do a little research on these and you’ll find that these are skin irritants, endocrine disruptors and can cause Asthma.

When you put an innocent looking dryer sheet in your dryer to swish around with your clothes as they dry you are actually coating your clean clothes with toxic chemicals.

There is a Safer Way!

It is completely unnecessary to put a fabric softener sheet in your dryer with your clothes. You can get the same effect of fresh scent and even reduction in static cling with essential oils and wool dryer balls.

Wool Dryer Balls are quite simple to make and contain no ingredients that will harm your body. They usually come in sets of three and can be used over and over again in your dryer cycle with your laundry. Homemade Wool Dryer Balls make awesome gifts too!

DIY Tutorial

I have created a DIY tutorial video for you and also put step by step instructions in this post. At the bottom of this post, you can also download free dryer ball labels to use when you give a set as a gift.

Supplies You’ll Need

To make 5 dryer balls you will need:

• 2 skeins of 100% wool yarn. {I say 5 dryer balls because each skein makes 2.5 dryer balls.}
• 1 pair of cheap pantyhose that it’s ok to cut up {I get mine at the dollar store}
• 1 pair of scissors
• 1 blunt object like a popsicle stick or a pen with the tip not out

Steps

Take the end of your yarn and wrap it around your index and middle finger ten times.

Then, slip the yarn off your fingers.

Next, tightly wrap the yarn one to three times around the middle of the ten loops of yarn you just made.

Continue wrapping yarn around itself to enclose all loose loops and start forming a ball.

Keep wrapping the yarn while rotating the ball to ensure even coverage and a smooth, round sphere.

The size of ball you should end up with will be the size a little smaller than a tennis ball. Wool shrinks so it may feel big at first but after washing and drying the ball will shrink. Be sure to wrap your yarn tightly. Do not let it wrap too loose as in the picture below. That will cause problems in the end.

When you have gotten the yarn ball to the size it needs to be then you will use your scissors to cut the end of your yarn. Then, you’ll want to tuck that piece of yarn underneath the strands of yarn wrapped around the ball. Tuck it in tightly and quite deep into the ball if you can. Use your blunt object to help push the end of the yarn into the ball.

Once you have several balls wound and ready to go you’ll want to load them into a pantyhose leg. One at a time, place each ball into the stocking and tie each end tightly so the ball can’t move around inside the pantyhose. Cut the very end of the pantyhose off. This pantyhose “sausage” will be what you will be placed in the washer and dryer.

At this point place your yarn sausage in the washing machine on hot for a full cycle. You don’t need to add soap. Once the wash cycle is finished then place the sausage in the dryer on the hottest setting for 30 to 40 minutes. This completes the felting process and your dryer balls are ready to use!

To Use Your Dryer Balls

Now that your dryer balls are complete you can use them in every load of clothes that need to be dried. Before you dry your clothes place two drops of doTERRA essential oil on each ball. Throw them in your load of laundry in the dryer and start the dryer. Your clothes will come out with a fresh scent of your choosing!

My Favorite Essential Oils to Use:

• doTERRA Elevation
• doTERRA OnGuard
• doTERRA Balance
• doTERRA Lavender
• doTERRA Wild Orange
• doTERRA Citrus Bliss

Free Dryer Ball Label Set for Gift Giving!