Great Balls of Dryer

While surfing the internet one afternoon, I came across a DIY project that piqued my interest. It looked easy, quick, and could save me money--Wool Dryer Balls.  One of the biggest energy hogs in a house is the clothes dryer.  Every month when we look at our utility bill we can tell what days I did laundry by the "extra" amount of energy we consumed.  As mentioned in the Runnin' Lean Field Manual, we do hang dry much of our laundry to cut costs; however, it is a necessary evil for us to use the clothes dryer to dry some items.  After looking at numerous websites and reading lots of reviews, I discovered that wool dryer balls could save me 25 to 50% in drying time.  Wow, I had to try them after reading those statistics!

To make your own wool balls, your need:
1 skein of 100% wool yarn (I used Lion Brand's Fisherman's Wool)
Pantyhose or knee-high hose
String 
Washer
Dryer


Little money-saving gems:  Wool dryer balls

1. Using the skein of yarn make 4 tight balls of yarn about the size of a tennis ball.  Be sure and secure the end of the yarn in each ball by wrapping them under and over several layers of yarn.
2. Place a ball in the toe of the pantyhose. 
3. Tie it off with the string so it does move.
4. Add the other balls and tie them off separately too.
5. Toss the ball-filled pantyhose in your washer and dryer with your next load of laundry.  The hotter the better to speed up the felting process.  
6. After the balls have been washed and dried, remove them from the pantyhose.  The yarn fibers should be fused together and  the ball should be more smooth!

That's it!  You've made  your own wool dryer balls!    Each time you need to dry clothes toss the balls into your dryer, too! 

Have a favorite scent?  Try scenting your wool balls with your favorite essential oils.  I haven't tried this yet but several websites have stated that the scent will last multiple loads.

Give wool dryer balls a try!  Those little gems will save you time and money!
I know because they balls have cut our drying time down by approximately 33%. 


LaRynda