Felted Wool Dryer Balls

I love seeing Good Garbage (GG) through the eyes of others. Some folks visit the shop looking for something specific; others browse and wait for inspiration. Some are looking for things to make their work easier; for example teachers or parents, providing more/new materials for their students/children. Others are finding what they need to make their lives easier - inexpensive home improvement, a money saving life hack, or an idea for stretching their resources.

Last week, Amanda, a GG supporter, posted on our Facebook page about the felted wool dryer balls she made out of some of the fabulous wool yarn remnants donated to the shop. As devoted as I am to upcycling and recycling, this was a reminder there's always more to learn. How had I never heard of felted wool dryer balls?

These little gems are simple to make and replace the pricey, chemical-laced dryer sheets most of us rely on to keep our clothes static free. Even better, they reduce the amount of time it takes to dry a load of laundry, as the wool pulls the moisture out of your laundry and the movement of the balls helps separate your clothes, allowing more hot air to circulate.

If you Google "felted wool dryer balls" you'll find dozens of tutorials on how to make them, some more complicated than others. But here's the process, in a nutshell.

First, choose your yarn. Look for 100% wool (no "wool blends") and enough yarn to make a ball the size of a tennis ball. To avoid the risk of any color bleeding, go with white or cream or some incredibly pale color.

Next, create your yarn ball, leaving a rather long tail (1-2 feet), then use a blunt-tipped yarn needle to sew the tail through the ball of yarn several times. When you feel like the yarn is secure in all directions, cut the tail.

Then simply toss your wool balls into the washer the next time you wash a load on hot/cold, and dry it on the hottest dryer setting. Plan to repeat this step and send it through the laundry cycle several times to thoroughly felt it (you should see a difference after each load). The yarn ball is completely felted when the strands are no longer separate or at risk of unraveling.

That's it! To dry a regular-size load of laundry, you'll need 4-6 felted wool dryer balls; large loads need balls 6 or more.

If you miss the "fresh scent" your dryer sheets added to your laundry, you can add a few drops of an essential oil to each dryer ball, but be careful not to add too much so the oil doesn't spot your clothes.


It doesn't get much easier (or more earth-friendly) than this.



Good Garbage is Louisville's one and only creative reuse center, where you'll find all the components for this project and a gazillion others. Visit GoodGarbage.org for store hours, info on upcoming events, a link to our Etsy store and more!