Thank you so much for this video. I am a soap maker and have so many natural cleaning supplies. These are going to be so fantastic to add to my shop. You did such a great job explaining this. Perfect!
Thankyou for pointing out the details of what to look for, to know if i have properly felted them. Such as firmness or softness, yarn still moving, etc..and how Some may need more washing. This is very helpful video.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching your video on the various ways to make felted dryer balls. You've managed to combine your easy-going nature, with simple directions, to produce a very informative, detailed, & inspiring video. Thank you for sharing.
I purchased some roving a while back but it has just sat in my craft storage because I wasn't sure what to do with it and I didn't have the time to experiment. Since we're all home right now and I have plenty of time, I decided to see what I can make with it! This video was very helpful + informative, thanks 😊💖
Perfect! I don’t like what is happening out there right now but it is really getting everyone to work with what they have and make due with it or become more creative on how to make it work. Glad you have found a project on my channel!
Thank you so so much for this video! I was going to buy some wool dryer balls on amazon but thought to look first to see how hard it was to make them and boom your video popped up! I used the core wool one. Super easy to do!
Thank you for the variety of ways to make the dryer balls. I was looking for a way to use up scrap wool from my various fiber projects and my dog destroyed one of the dryer balls I bought at a fiber fair, one was lost... I was down to a single dryer ball. I made one, much more laborious method because I didn’t look up any tutorials. So helpful!
This is an amazing video and so very informative. The editing was great as well. Your instructions are so clear and thank you for providing a list of everything you used! I cannot wait to make my own thanks to your awesome video!!!!
Great instructions and variety of materials....Love the colored balls. I do already use dryer balls and love 💘 not having to buy dryer sheets! Will make these for gifts!
You absolutely amaze me with your craft and easy to follow video's. I followed, I broke needles, while felting. Dumbass question, should I be concerned about the needles making their way back out? Your quickest response would be so so appreciated...this is a kind of a SOS, or save my butt sort of thing!! Love all your video's and just have to say, you are one of my go to people for anything crafty...always, always tell those who ask, watch Crafty Patti; especially for my favorite, rope bowls. You rock it and I cannot send you enough kudo's for sharing your knowledge!!!
Thanks so much Janis for all your support. Happy to hear you are enjoying my videos. Thanks for promoting me too! For needle felting make sure the needle is going straight in and out without bending at an angle to prevent the breaking of any needles. Definitely find any broken ends and remove them. They are so sharp. Enjoy crafting. Lots of fun things to make. As I always say. Never know what Crafty Patti is up to next. Lol.
Very informative and nice photography. I would like to see needle felted birds: cardinals, goldfinches, robins, chickadees, and blue jays. Felted kittens, foxes, and sheep would be fun, too!
So many things you can do with needle felting. The birds and animals would be lovely indeed! I have so many interests it is hard to do it all. I want to though!
I loved watching your video and especially liked it because you gave a few variations of how to make these beautiful dryer balls. I am planning on making them for Christmas presents and your video inspired me a lot! Great choice of music to go along with your video:-)
Thank you for taking time to write a lovely comment. I appreciate it! Dryer balls will make great gifts for sure. I made my balls on the larger size but if I was going to make another batch I might choose to make them just a bit smaller.
Thank you for the suggestion of making them a little smaller. As I was making my first test dryer ball last night, that thought ran across my mind and I was wondering if I should make them a little smaller. What measurement would you suggest they be instead of what you suggested in the video? Maybe a inch less? I found the process to be a lot of fun and just happened to have all the supplies from a previous project. I am looking forward to using up some of my old woolen yarn for the inside of some. I always hate to throw away leftover yarn and this will be a great way to use it up. Thanks again for such a comprehensive video on making these wonderful dryer balls:-)
Your very welcome. Yes, it’s a great way to use up scraps of wool for the inside of the dryer ball. I love adding the wool roving at the end to make fun patterns and colours. I would make them large enough so when they shrink down they would be just a bit bigger than a tennis ball. But really any size is great.
Thanks again Patti! Yes, I like the idea of the finished dryer ball being about the size of a tennis ball. I'm having so much fun and can't wait to shrink them in the washer to see how they look when finished. It is great craft for a rainy day!
Great video Patti, very informative. I was curious what the actual time it takes to make one. I may try this down the road but will probably purchase on Esty. Thank you for your time
I didn’t track how much time it takes as I am filming, editing and creating all at the same time. So hard to say how long it takes from start to finish.
Hi Amanda, Yes there is a full list of supplies in the description box. Look for the little triangle to the right and just below the video. Click on the triangle and it will open the description box. Scroll down and you will find the supply list. Or it might say the words “show more” click on the words and it will open the description box.
Great instruction! Two questions; doing laundry approx 6x a month, how long will balls last and…can I use regular string to tie around stocking instead of yarn?
They should last quite a few years. Some of mine has some pilling on them and you can just use your shaving razor to remove the pills. Yes, ordinary string is fine to tie off between the balls.
This is quite an interesting tutorial. Thank you for sharing different options to make them. I wonder how would one use essential oil(s) with these balls; pour few drops right onto the balls? Soak them and leave for a bit, then place them in dryer? Won't the oils stain clothing?
I don’t use the essential oils with the dryer balls but yes you just add a few drops right on the dryer balls. I would use non coloured essential oils and I don’t know if they would stain the laundry or not. Good question.
Hi there, I have enjoyed watching your video. I'm having trouble though when I finish my dryer balls. And I put them into the stockings and put them in the washerr to wash them and then put them in the dryer. They are pilling and look terrible. Any suggestions to prevent this? Thank you in advance for your help.
My guess is that they are not felted enough. Try and remove some of the pilling with a razor and then use your felting needles to do more felting on the balls.
Made my dryer balls with 100% wool yarn from Joanns. One skein cost of $3 with coupon about 210 length gave me 3 balls. Made them super tight and put in zipped bra bag from dollar tree and washed it hot heavy soiled extra rinse white cycle which takes 2 hours. One cycle was all it took for complete felted wool balls.
So I knew that dryer balls like these were felted wool but I didn't exactly know how it was done other than to just go add a huge bunch of it with some felting needles. From what I can see here, it sounds like you can also still felt some additional wool on the plain ones to create patterns and other things, is this correct?
Great video. I just made some wool dryer balls with coloured roving on top. They ended up quite large which is fine I guess. How did you get yours to be so nice and round? Mine came out a little misshaped tho I did everything you did. They were round to start in the nylon.
Perhaps more needle felting would help the balls to keep their shape better and a good firm inner ball that is shaped well. The needle felting really helps to make a good round shape.
Crafty Patti It was just one big ball out of core Wool and then I just added a little colour. I thought I needle felted a lot but will do more next time. Thanks
A few years ago I used the exact same brown/white tweed style wool yarn and not only did it not felt well, it ended up unravelling. I was very disappointed in it. If one does come unravelled, regardless of the type, is it possible to try to fix it by refelting it?
Hi Rebecca. Out of all the dryer balls I did on the video, the wool yarn was my least favourite. I really made sure the end was well sewn in and I did have to re-wash them a few times to get them to felt. Although mine have not unravelled I do find them heavier and more noisy in the dryer. If you can find the loose end and rewind the ball so it's a round shape would be good. If you can't do that I would take some wool roving and wrap around the ball to make a round shaping and use a felting needle to hold it all together. Put it back in the nylon stocking and re-felt it. Should be good to go then.
I agree the all-yarn balls are heavy and make too much noise in the dryer. Could I also make a wool fluff inner ball and only wrap a small amount of knitting wool yarn over the inner core ball? Thanks
Yes, many ways to make dryer balls. The core wool may shrink more than the wool yarn so make sure you have a fairly tight inner round ball before adding your wool yarn.
Crafty Patti that is a great idea to wrap wool ball tight. Could I also wash and dry felt the wool roving inner ball first to tighten, then add the wool yarn later?
As far as efficiency is the all yarn ball or yarn core ball best? It seems like with its heavy weight it cuts through clothes more and is a more effective dryer ball
I think I will buy them...certainly not so cheap to make them, it takes quite a lot of wool. ;) never mind...the time... this video is slow..it looks, like it takes quite a lot of time to make them... still, thank you so much for sharing !
Yes, home made items do take time. The fun of course is decorating them on the outside with the different wool colours and making any design you want or personalize them for gifts.
Strange but every time I use hot or warm water in my washer, it leaks underneath. I've lived with that for 6 years and have adjusted to washing everything in cold. I wonder if I can just soak these balls in hot water to make them felt up.
Oh my. Sounds like you need to have a maintenance check on your machine. You really do need to have hot water and a washing machine. I haven’t tried this but you could try and bring some water to a simmer in a big pot and place your prepared dryer balls in the stocking into the hot water and stir now and then. Just a suggestion. No guarantees.
First off great tutorial. Never thought of making my own dryer balls but hey why not. Just curious. Which method did you find was the closest to the bought dryer balls or did they all come out to be about the same? And one last thing, can the balls be felted by just soaking them maybe in boiling water? The reason I ask is that I have don't have a washer in my apartment and would have to go to a laundry mat. Thank you in advance.
I really enjoyed making the dryer balls! However, the nylon knee highs I ordered from Amazon completely melted to several of the wool balls & won't peel off no matter how hard we try. They are completely melted on. Was my water too hot or are the nylons defective? Any solutions ? About half of the balls came out ok.
That would be very hot water to melt nylon. I haven’t heard of that happening before but sometimes the nylon can stick a bit to the wool but you should be able to pull it off. I used panty hose and not knee highs. Maybe a different type of nylon. Hopefully you can cut most of it off and then re felt around the balls and do it again to save them.
If you buy your dyed roving wool from a good source it should not get dye on your clothes. Should retain the dye just like any store bought yarn that you wood make sweaters or slippers with.
Thank for the wonderful tutorial. I tried making some yesterday, had some challenges, and was wondering if you might comment on what I might do differently. My problem: After washing/drying, the panty hose stuck to the balls A LOT - I really had to work hard to get the panty hose off. I almost gave up! I washed in a hot wash (I don't think I have the ability to specify a cold rinse in the cycle), then dried in a hot dryer. Would the cold rinse make that much of a difference? Would using a thicker stocking help? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
The panty hose might stick a bit, but not to the point of almost impossible to get off. My one thought is that you might not have done enough felting on the dryer balls. The water needs to be as hot as possible in order for the felting process to work. And another thought. Look to see if the nylon stocking is just nylon material and not other added material like spandex.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts Thanks for your insights. I don't think the problem was not enough felting. The cycle ran quite long and the balls came out very firm. The material for the pantyhose could be an issue. They were an old pair. I didn't have the packaging & they could very well have had some other material other than nylon. Thanks again. I'll try this again and let you know how it goes.
URGENT AND IMPORTANT: take care be sure that the roving and colored wool that you buy to make these balls, the dye is permanent and won’t transfer onto your fabric. I wouldn’t use any medium to dark colors - so no navy, red, green, purple, etc. I ruined a $249 twin organic super fine cotton sheet set and a $300 washable wool blanket. I have to keep using, it’s too expensive to throw out. Maybe it will eventually get better. First time I did this expensive set but figured at my advanced age, I deserved some pampering. I wanted to use wool laundry balls because the manufacturer of the bedding said to use them instead of dryer sheets thus I decided to make my own because of this video so I could make them as big or small as desired and to make them really tight. Some of ones I had prior purchased were a little loose and wobbly. The cost to buy the pre made ones isn’t that much really, I just wanted them to be custom sized etc. This was a huge mistake on my part. Now I wish I had even thought of making them custom. The dyed wool and the roving packaging said it was permanent. And unfortunately they’ll replace their their product but not my bedding, it said they didn’t indicate it was made for making laundry balls. So I’m stuck and out $550. This is what you get for trying to be nice to achy bones. PS - you might want to pull out any sticks and dirt etc in the organic wool- getting damp over and over in the dryer causing the dirt, feces, and sticks to begin to compost - it will anyway after a while but using for this purpose will hasten it. For this purpose I would buy regular wool not organic unless you have your own sheep. Non-organic wool is bleached and more strenuously chemically cleaned than organic wool. Just saying. Sheep are very dirty critters and get dirt, mud, grass on their body. Particularly around their backsides, there are just tags and tags of poop. The heavy chemicals in non organic breaks down and bleaches the color out and they get really worked over to get sticks, burrs, etc out. It’s not easy to get them out until it’s really combed well and you have to pull each bit out by hand. And once it gets scoured and is wet, it’s even harder even if small portions. If you have ever worked with fleeces on your own, it’s hard work.
I am really sorry to hear that has happened. My roving must have all been good as I had no issue with the colour bleeding. And yes it is best to buy pre washed core wool so there is no dirt and it is nice and clean.
I wanted to add onto your comment because it is super important to watch out for dye transfer: if your wool bleeds color when you're felting it, it will *likely* bleed again when placed into other hot scenarios (e.g. a dryer). When in doubt try washing the wool balls alone in a cold setting with a color catcher sheet a few times before using it with other laundry. Sorry to hear about your bedding 😥
I have made the wool yarn dryer balls before and was irritated that they all attracted fuzz-pilling, from the clothing, onto them. They were now ugly! I resorted to putting short thin tennis socks over them. Why did that happen? Does the pilling happen to your balls too?
I have some piling. You can try and take a bic razor and go around your ball with it and that will take away the piling for a newer looking dryer ball!
Just saw your video ( I am a bit behind the dryer ball craze ) but where did you find your core wool ? Also does it matter the color of your nylon hose Thank you
I’m guessing your referring to the first part of the video when I was showing supplies. I honestly can’t say. I had stuffed a bunch of left over wool in another bag of wool. As a guesstimate maybe 20oz.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts Ok, so I can expect to get that much wool if I ordered roughly a pound? It's so hard to gauge how much your getting when ordering by weight if you have never used it before!
I Googled core wool and came up with lots of options. Is one core wool as good as another or should I look for something specific? Do you have a brand that you would recommend? This video was very helpful. I was looking for an alternative to yarn dryer balls and this is perfect.
I can buy my core wool from a local wool shop so can’t really recommend one core wool over another. Raw core wool will be cheaper as it hasn’t been cleaned very well and you may find bits of dirt, straw or foreign matter. It’s fine for using in the inside of dryer balls. For the outer layer I would use wool roving which has been combed and cleaned and comes in pretty colours too.
Hello! I have a question, two of my 11 wool balls stuck to the panty hose, I had a tough time separating. Now they (the two of them) have spots on them that aren't all nice and smooth which is a bit fuzzy. Can you tell me if it's okay to just leave them as they are (they still are in a nice tight ball, just a bit fuzzy) or do I need to rewash/dry them?
Sometimes the wool will stick to the stocking more than other times. The more you wash them in the hot water the more they will felt. If they are really fuzzy on the outside then I would put them back in a nylon and tie them off separately as before and wash them once more.
Hi Sheila, I like to use raw wool or core wool for the centre of the ball as it is less expensive. If you want to use needle felting wool for the whole ball that will work as well. I would choose Corriedale wool rather than merino for needle felted dryer balls as it felts better.
Not that I know off. The process of washing the balls in hot water is what causes the wool to felt because wool shrinks when washed. I dont know off any other product that will do that besides wool.
Raw wool is wool that hasn’t been cleaned so you may find when you are working with it you will see dirt and maybe pieces of straw fall out of it. Core wool is wool that hasn’t been carded or combed but has been cleaned to get some dirt out. Raw wool is cheaper then core wool so a good option for the middle of the dryer balls.
It isn't necessary to put the balls into nylon stockings. I put mine in lingerie/laundry bags and it works well --no pulling or tugging to get the balls out and laundry bags can be used over and over again. Once washed I reshape to a ball and put them in the dryer in the bags. They won't lose their shape in the dryer. The balls are in individual laundry bags, not all in one bag.
I only made the ones you see in the video and use them for my own use. I'm so busy and having fun making lots of videos that I don't have much time left to make dryer balls to sell. Sorry about that.
Hi Gricelda, I bought my wool from local wool shops. You can also find it at Micheal's Craft Store and also online. Here are some Amazon links if you cant find it locally. colored wool roving amzn.to/2YL6Yva white wool roving amzn.to/2Kmr9Mc
Hi Kristine, The core wool dryer balls can be a little more fuzzy. The front loading washing machines (which I have) do not felt as well as top loading. The top loading machine can agitate the balls and enhance the felting process. I could have put them in the wash a couple more times to insure they were felted really well. The more they are felted the better they will be and less stray wool coming off. So yes, the first couple of drying sessions I did noticed some stray strands of wool on my darker clothes. The more I used them though there were not as many stray strands of wool.
I don’t add the closed captioning as I find it doesn’t translate my spoken words properly. The best I can offer is to use ear plugs and raise the volume.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts Fair enough. You can spell check the auto closed captioning and correct errors manually if you decide to go that route in future.
I have since learned how to adjust the level of my voice and lower the music. I agree. The music is a bit too loud on this video. Most of the video could be muted if desired.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts, practise makes perfect, I learned a lot from it. I just made 70:balls with a variety of pure wool for a fundraiser in the fall. I hope they sell, they are not as pretty as yours. 💖
So it is cruel to shear sheep (Shortcuts, G2, 26 November), according to Peta. On the contrary, for the majority of modern sheep it is cruel not to shear them. Domestic sheep do not naturally shed their winter coats. ... Shearing has to be done. But I understand your concern. I have seen it done and the sheep are handled very roughly. But at least we are making use of the wool that has been sheared.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts Well said Patti... people like sometimes have no problems buying things made in China , made of polyester...the dye they often used is so toxic, I practically have to wash everything made in China as the dye comes off...and the dye is toxic to our skin...but wool is such a wonderful fiber, and yes, its a plus for the sheep. Thank u !
Thank you so much for this video. I am a soap maker and have so many natural cleaning supplies. These are going to be so fantastic to add to my shop. You did such a great job explaining this. Perfect!
Thanks so much for the supportive comment. Much appreciated. Yes a great addition for you!
Thankyou for pointing out the details of what to look for, to know if i have properly felted them. Such as firmness or softness, yarn still moving, etc..and how Some may need more washing. This is very helpful video.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching your video on the various ways to make felted dryer balls. You've managed to combine your easy-going nature, with simple directions, to produce a very informative, detailed, & inspiring video.
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for the beautiful comment! I really appreciate it. It encourages me to continue to publish more videos. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Love the variety of ways to do the same thing! You made it look so easy!
I’ve been doing this for over 5 years and everyone I know is skeptical at first then loves them!
And it makes doing laundry a lot more fun!
I purchased some roving a while back but it has just sat in my craft storage because I wasn't sure what to do with it and I didn't have the time to experiment. Since we're all home right now and I have plenty of time, I decided to see what I can make with it! This video was very helpful + informative, thanks 😊💖
Perfect! I don’t like what is happening out there right now but it is really getting everyone to work with what they have and make due with it or become more creative on how to make it work. Glad you have found a project on my channel!
Thank you for sharing your way to make dryer balls
Your very welcome!
Really thorough and love that you did all the different types. Great vid
Thanks Liz. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thank you so so much for this video! I was going to buy some wool dryer balls on amazon but thought to look first to see how hard it was to make them and boom your video popped up! I used the core wool one. Super easy to do!
Yeah! Glad you watched my video and found them easy to make!
Only tutorial I've watched all the way through without getting annoyed at the presenter. Love her! Thanks for the straw trick.
Well thank you for watching the whole tutorial. Glad you liked the coffee stir stick idea for holding two needles
Best tutorial I’ve seen.
Thanks so much!
Thank you for the variety of ways to make the dryer balls. I was looking for a way to use up scrap wool from my various fiber projects and my dog destroyed one of the dryer balls I bought at a fiber fair, one was lost... I was down to a single dryer ball. I made one, much more laborious method because I didn’t look up any tutorials. So helpful!
Loved your comment. Cute story. Glad you found me. Hope you now have some easier methods to make some more dryer balls!
Crafty Patti I now have several fun dryer balls. They’re practical and cute.
Woohoo!
This is an amazing video and so very informative. The editing was great as well. Your instructions are so clear and thank you for providing a list of everything you used! I cannot wait to make my own thanks to your awesome video!!!!
Thanks so much Teri for the great comment. Enjoy making the dryer balls!
Wow what an extensive nice video. Thanks for showing different kinds.
Love how unique these are
That’s the fun part to put any design you want on them!
Great instructions and variety of materials....Love the colored balls. I do already use dryer balls and love 💘 not having to buy dryer sheets! Will make these for gifts!
Enjoy making your dim colourful dryer balls for lots of gifts.
Love love love it. Easy to understand, included detailed information, just great video. Thank you
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this great comment. Good to know that my video was informative and easy to understand.
never saw you add the f/o there very pretty and look super easy thankyou
Thanks for watching!
Best video on the topic! I will have to get some felting needles. Once in a while I find 100% wool skeins at the thrift store.
Glad it was helpful!
this video is the best so far!!
Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks for making this excellent tutorial.
I have never seen these made before now want I try this
They are fun to make. Enjoy!
Very Cool, I watched many of these and see where pure wool works so much better. Very cool how you felted these !
Thks Kelly! The felting is the fun part for me!
Great tutorial!
Thanks Peggy.
Thank you! Verry helpful! Beautiful work!
Your very welcome! Thanks for watching!
You absolutely amaze me with your craft and easy to follow video's. I followed, I broke needles, while felting. Dumbass question, should I be concerned about the needles making their way back out? Your quickest response would be so so appreciated...this is a kind of a SOS, or save my butt sort of thing!!
Love all your video's and just have to say, you are one of my go to people for anything crafty...always, always tell those who ask, watch Crafty Patti; especially for my favorite, rope bowls. You rock it and I cannot send you enough kudo's for sharing your knowledge!!!
Thanks so much Janis for all your support. Happy to hear you are enjoying my videos. Thanks for promoting me too!
For needle felting make sure the needle is going straight in and out without bending at an angle to prevent the breaking of any needles. Definitely find any broken ends and remove them. They are so sharp. Enjoy crafting. Lots of fun things to make. As I always say. Never know what Crafty Patti is up to next. Lol.
Very informative and nice photography. I would like to see needle felted birds: cardinals, goldfinches, robins, chickadees, and blue jays. Felted kittens, foxes, and sheep would be fun, too!
So many things you can do with needle felting. The birds and animals would be lovely indeed! I have so many interests it is hard to do it all. I want to though!
Great video! Thank you!
Thank you and thanks for watching!
My favorite wool supplier is Waldorf Supplies “Paper Scissors Stone”
Nice to know.
Thank you! Love your channel.
Thanks for watching!
I loved watching your video and especially liked it because you gave a few variations of how to make these beautiful dryer balls. I am planning on making them for Christmas presents and your video inspired me a lot! Great choice of music to go along with your video:-)
Thank you for taking time to write a lovely comment. I appreciate it! Dryer balls will make great gifts for sure. I made my balls on the larger size but if I was going to make another batch I might choose to make them just a bit smaller.
Thank you for the suggestion of making them a little smaller. As I was making my first test dryer ball last night, that thought ran across my mind and I was wondering if I should make them a little smaller. What measurement would you suggest they be instead of what you suggested in the video? Maybe a inch less? I found the process to be a lot of fun and just happened to have all the supplies from a previous project. I am looking forward to using up some of my old woolen yarn for the inside of some. I always hate to throw away leftover yarn and this will be a great way to use it up. Thanks again for such a comprehensive video on making these wonderful dryer balls:-)
Your very welcome. Yes, it’s a great way to use up scraps of wool for the inside of the dryer ball. I love adding the wool roving at the end to make fun patterns and colours.
I would make them large enough so when they shrink down they would be just a bit bigger than a tennis ball. But really any size is great.
Thanks again Patti! Yes, I like the idea of the finished dryer ball being about the size of a tennis ball. I'm having so much fun and can't wait to shrink them in the washer to see how they look when finished. It is great craft for a rainy day!
Great video!!
Thanks for the visit
Great video Patti, very informative. I was curious what the actual time it takes to make one. I may try this down the road but will probably purchase on Esty. Thank you for your time
I didn’t track how much time it takes as I am filming, editing and creating all at the same time. So hard to say how long it takes from start to finish.
Wonderful video, thank you!
Your welcome!
Is there a list of supplies needed? Great video!
Hi Amanda,
Yes there is a full list of supplies in the description box.
Look for the little triangle to the right and just below the video. Click on the triangle and it will open the description box. Scroll down and you will find the supply list. Or it might say the words “show more” click on the words and it will open the description box.
Great video Patti...I shall watch more. (I’m the gal who was behind you in line in Michaels the other day) 🙂
Hi Dorothy. So nice to chat with you in the line up. Thks for watching my videos and thanks for subscribing too!
Great instruction! Two questions; doing laundry approx 6x a month, how long will balls last and…can I use regular string to tie around stocking instead of yarn?
They should last quite a few years. Some of mine has some pilling on them and you can just use your shaving razor to remove the pills. Yes, ordinary string is fine to tie off between the balls.
This is a great video! Where do you buy the core wool? It looks like it's sold in sheets
The sheet of core wool you saw in the video was bought from a local wool shop.
Wow you rock thank you
Thank you and thanks for watching!
This is quite an interesting tutorial. Thank you for sharing different options to make them.
I wonder how would one use essential oil(s) with these balls; pour few drops right onto the balls? Soak them and leave for a bit, then place them in dryer? Won't the oils stain clothing?
I don’t use the essential oils with the dryer balls but yes you just add a few drops right on the dryer balls. I would use non coloured essential oils and I don’t know if they would stain the laundry or not. Good question.
Hi there, I have enjoyed watching your video. I'm having trouble though when I finish my dryer balls. And I put them into the stockings and put them in the washerr to wash them and then put them in the dryer. They are pilling and look terrible. Any suggestions to prevent this? Thank you in advance for your help.
My guess is that they are not felted enough. Try and remove some of the pilling with a razor and then use your felting needles to do more felting on the balls.
Great tutorial, thanks. Why not just tie a knot in the tights between each ball instead of using yarn?
You can use the stocking more than once if it does not tear and a knot will be really hard to untie after being washed etc.
Great video 💕so when washing the balls can wash it with load of clothes or must it be wash seperate
You could but they will felt better with hottest water possible. I don’t use hot water for washing my clothes.
Can you explain to me at what temperature to put them in the laundry, because mine shrinked and I don't know what to do. Thank you.
The hottest water temperature you have in order for the felting process to work.
Made my dryer balls with 100% wool yarn from Joanns. One skein cost of $3 with coupon about 210 length gave me 3 balls. Made them super tight and put in zipped bra bag from dollar tree and washed it hot heavy soiled extra rinse white cycle which takes 2 hours. One cycle was all it took for complete felted wool balls.
Thks for sharing your results. Sounds like you have the perfect washing machine for making dryer balls! Excellent.
So I knew that dryer balls like these were felted wool but I didn't exactly know how it was done other than to just go add a huge bunch of it with some felting needles. From what I can see here, it sounds like you can also still felt some additional wool on the plain ones to create patterns and other things, is this correct?
Yes you sure can. That’s the fun part! Adding more wool to create colourful patterns.
Great video. I just made some wool dryer balls with coloured roving on top. They ended up quite large which is fine I guess. How did you get yours to be so nice and round? Mine came out a little misshaped tho I did everything you did. They were round to start in the nylon.
Perhaps more needle felting would help the balls to keep their shape better and a good firm inner ball that is shaped well. The needle felting really helps to make a good round shape.
Crafty Patti It was just one big ball out of core Wool and then I just added a little colour. I thought I needle felted a lot but will do more next time. Thanks
A few years ago I used the exact same brown/white tweed style wool yarn and not only did it not felt well, it ended up unravelling. I was very disappointed in it. If one does come unravelled, regardless of the type, is it possible to try to fix it by refelting it?
Hi Rebecca. Out of all the dryer balls I did on the video, the wool yarn was my least favourite. I really made sure the end was well sewn in and I did have to re-wash them a few times to get them to felt. Although mine have not unravelled I do find them heavier and more noisy in the dryer.
If you can find the loose end and rewind the ball so it's a round shape would be good. If you can't do that I would take some wool roving and wrap around the ball to make a round shaping and use a felting needle to hold it all together. Put it back in the nylon stocking and re-felt it. Should be good to go then.
Thank you beautiful
Your very welcome!
I agree the all-yarn balls are heavy and make too much noise in the dryer. Could I also make a wool fluff inner ball and only wrap a small amount of knitting wool yarn over the inner core ball? Thanks
Yes, many ways to make dryer balls. The core wool may shrink more than the wool yarn so make sure you have a fairly tight inner round ball before adding your wool yarn.
Crafty Patti that is a great idea to wrap wool ball tight. Could I also wash and dry felt the wool roving inner ball first to tighten, then add the wool yarn later?
Sally carroll
Yes, that would work. Lots of ways to make the dryer balls.
As far as efficiency is the all yarn ball or yarn core ball best? It seems like with its heavy weight it cuts through clothes more and is a more effective dryer ball
I think I will buy them...certainly not so cheap to make them, it takes quite a lot of wool. ;) never mind...the time... this video is slow..it looks, like it takes quite a lot of time to make them... still, thank you so much for sharing !
Yes, home made items do take time. The fun of course is decorating them on the outside with the different wool colours and making any design you want or personalize them for gifts.
Strange but every time I use hot or warm water in my washer, it leaks underneath. I've lived with that for 6 years and have adjusted to washing everything in cold. I wonder if I can just soak these balls in hot water to make them felt up.
Oh my. Sounds like you need to have a maintenance check on your machine. You really do need to have hot water and a washing machine. I haven’t tried this but you could try and bring some water to a simmer in a big pot and place your prepared dryer balls in the stocking into the hot water and stir now and then. Just a suggestion. No guarantees.
Thank you 😊
First off great tutorial. Never thought of making my own dryer balls but hey why not. Just curious. Which method did you find was the closest to the bought dryer balls or did they all come out to be about the same? And one last thing, can the balls be felted by just soaking them maybe in boiling water? The reason I ask is that I have don't have a washer in my apartment and would have to go to a laundry mat. Thank you in advance.
Thanks for watching! I have not used this method of boiling water but I have heard that it works.
I really enjoyed making the dryer balls! However, the nylon knee highs I ordered from Amazon completely melted to several of the wool balls & won't peel off no matter how hard we try. They are completely melted on. Was my water too hot or are the nylons defective? Any solutions ? About half of the balls came out ok.
That would be very hot water to melt nylon. I haven’t heard of that happening before but sometimes the nylon can stick a bit to the wool but you should be able to pull it off. I used panty hose and not knee highs. Maybe a different type of nylon. Hopefully you can cut most of it off and then re felt around the balls and do it again to save them.
What keeps that dyed roving from fading on clothes in dryer
If you buy your dyed roving wool from a good source it should not get dye on your clothes. Should retain the dye just like any store bought yarn that you wood make sweaters or slippers with.
Thank for the wonderful tutorial. I tried making some yesterday, had some challenges, and was wondering if you might comment on what I might do differently. My problem: After washing/drying, the panty hose stuck to the balls A LOT - I really had to work hard to get the panty hose off. I almost gave up! I washed in a hot wash (I don't think I have the ability to specify a cold rinse in the cycle), then dried in a hot dryer. Would the cold rinse make that much of a difference? Would using a thicker stocking help? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
The panty hose might stick a bit, but not to the point of almost impossible to get off. My one thought is that you might not have done enough felting on the dryer balls. The water needs to be as hot as possible in order for the felting process to work. And another thought. Look to see if the nylon stocking is just nylon material and not other added material like spandex.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts Thanks for your insights. I don't think the problem was not enough felting. The cycle ran quite long and the balls came out very firm. The material for the pantyhose could be an issue. They were an old pair. I didn't have the packaging & they could very well have had some other material other than nylon. Thanks again. I'll try this again and let you know how it goes.
Hope you get it worked out!
Which king of tights do you on ordre that they don't stick to the wool?
I don’t wear nylons so I just bought whatever they had at the dollar store.
Do these dryer balls help soften the clothes?
I wouldn’t say that it does. It helps with static sling and drying time.
Love love love!!!
Yeah!
Crafty Patti you made a new subscriber outta me!
Oh good ! Thks for subscribing. I'm always doing something crafty!
I bought some dryer balls and they dont work that well. Could I use them as a base and cover them in some roving?
Sure. As long as they are wool dryer balls then the roving can be needle felted into them.
URGENT AND IMPORTANT: take care be sure that the roving and colored wool that you buy to make these balls, the dye is permanent and won’t transfer onto your fabric. I wouldn’t use any medium to dark colors - so no navy, red, green, purple, etc.
I ruined a $249 twin organic super fine cotton sheet set and a $300 washable wool blanket. I have to keep using, it’s too expensive to throw out. Maybe it will eventually get better. First time I did this expensive set but figured at my advanced age, I deserved some pampering. I wanted to use wool laundry balls because the manufacturer of the bedding said to use them instead of dryer sheets thus I decided to make my own because of this video so I could make them as big or small as desired and to make them really tight. Some of ones I had prior purchased were a little loose and wobbly. The cost to buy the pre made ones isn’t that much really, I just wanted them to be custom sized etc. This was a huge mistake on my part. Now I wish I had even thought of making them custom.
The dyed wool and the roving packaging said it was permanent. And unfortunately they’ll replace their their product but not my bedding, it said they didn’t indicate it was made for making laundry balls. So I’m stuck and out $550. This is what you get for trying to be nice to achy bones.
PS - you might want to pull out any sticks and dirt etc in the organic wool- getting damp over and over in the dryer causing the dirt, feces, and sticks to begin to compost - it will anyway after a while but using for this purpose will hasten it. For this purpose I would buy regular wool not organic unless you have your own sheep. Non-organic wool is bleached and more strenuously chemically cleaned than organic wool. Just saying. Sheep are very dirty critters and get dirt, mud, grass on their body. Particularly around their backsides, there are just tags and tags of poop. The heavy chemicals in non organic breaks down and bleaches the color out and they get really worked over to get sticks, burrs, etc out. It’s not easy to get them out until it’s really combed well and you have to pull each bit out by hand. And once it gets scoured and is wet, it’s even harder even if small portions. If you have ever worked with fleeces on your own, it’s hard work.
I am really sorry to hear that has happened. My roving must have all been good as I had no issue with the colour bleeding. And yes it is best to buy pre washed core wool so there is no dirt and it is nice and clean.
I wanted to add onto your comment because it is super important to watch out for dye transfer: if your wool bleeds color when you're felting it, it will *likely* bleed again when placed into other hot scenarios (e.g. a dryer). When in doubt try washing the wool balls alone in a cold setting with a color catcher sheet a few times before using it with other laundry.
Sorry to hear about your bedding 😥
I have made the wool yarn dryer balls before and was irritated that they all attracted fuzz-pilling, from the clothing, onto them. They were now ugly! I resorted to putting short thin tennis socks over them. Why did that happen? Does the pilling happen to your balls too?
I have some piling. You can try and take a bic razor and go around your ball with it and that will take away the piling for a newer looking dryer ball!
Crafty Patti I just made a cream roving wool ball with teal roving yarn scroll-work. How can I show you a pic? In fb messenger ?
Yes, I would love to see it! You can send the photo to my email if that’s easier. Craftypatti60@gmail.com
Just saw your video ( I am a bit behind the dryer ball craze ) but where did you find your core wool ? Also does it matter the color of your nylon hose
Thank you
I bought some from my local wool shop, some from Michael’s or Amazon. Doesn’t matter the colour of your nylon.
@Crafty Patti Thank you the local Michael's here doesnt have core wool found a shop called the Woolery but wasn't sure if I should try them or Amazon
WoW wanna make these ones tooo 😍
Thanx for the tutorial 💋
Lots of fun projects!
Does the type of soap you use matter?
You mean laundry soap? It’s the hot water that does the felting so whatever laundry soap you use should be fine.
How much did this big bag of wool weigh?
I’m guessing your referring to the first part of the video when I was showing supplies. I honestly can’t say. I had stuffed a bunch of left over wool in another bag of wool. As a guesstimate maybe 20oz.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts Ok, so I can expect to get that much wool if I ordered roughly a pound? It's so hard to gauge how much your getting when ordering by weight if you have never used it before!
Yes, I get it. 1 Ib of wool will make lots of dryer balls.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts Thank you!
Wonderful video! Subbed & shared. Thank you!!
Thanks for watching, subscribing and sharing. Yeah!
Anyone do an analysis of the cost per ball?
Dryer balls are expensive to purchase. I didn’t break down the total cost but much cheaper to make than buy.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts ok, thanks. I found them anywhere between $2-5 per ball.
I Googled core wool and came up with lots of options. Is one core wool as good as another or should I look for something specific? Do you have a brand that you would recommend? This video was very helpful. I was looking for an alternative to yarn dryer balls and this is perfect.
I can buy my core wool from a local wool shop so can’t really recommend one core wool over another. Raw core wool will be cheaper as it hasn’t been cleaned very well and you may find bits of dirt, straw or foreign matter. It’s fine for using in the inside of dryer balls. For the outer layer I would use wool roving which has been combed and cleaned and comes in pretty colours too.
Hello! I have a question, two of my 11 wool balls stuck to the panty hose, I had a tough time separating. Now they (the two of them) have spots on them that aren't all nice and smooth which is a bit fuzzy. Can you tell me if it's okay to just leave them as they are (they still are in a nice tight ball, just a bit fuzzy) or do I need to rewash/dry them?
Sometimes the wool will stick to the stocking more than other times. The more you wash them in the hot water the more they will felt. If they are really fuzzy on the outside then I would put them back in a nylon and tie them off separately as before and wash them once more.
Crafty Patti thank you so much for getting back to me, I will do that. Have a wonderful day.
I was thinking you could also wrap your ball with a bit more roving wool and needle felt it to smooth it out
what if I used regular needle felting wool instead of the core wool
Hi Sheila,
I like to use raw wool or core wool for the centre of the ball as it is less expensive.
If you want to use needle felting wool for the whole ball that will work as well. I would choose Corriedale wool rather than merino for needle felted dryer balls as it felts better.
I'm allergic to wool , can I use anything else ?
Not that I know off. The process of washing the balls in hot water is what causes the wool to felt because wool shrinks when washed. I dont know off any other product that will do that besides wool.
Alpaca!
Why did you make yours so large? Most I see online are about tennis ball size. Is the bigger size better? How much would you price yours as?
I really thought they would shrink up more than they did. Haha. They both work the same. I price them the same as the ones you can buy online.
Great Video! Question...Is Raw Wool preferred over Core Wool or is it the same thing? Sorry I am super new to this. Thank you in Advance!
Raw wool is wool that hasn’t been cleaned so you may find when you are working with it you will see dirt and maybe pieces of straw fall out of it. Core wool is wool that hasn’t been carded or combed but has been cleaned to get some dirt out. Raw wool is cheaper then core wool so a good option for the middle of the dryer balls.
Great video I will be trying this real soon. By the way you are Beautiful.
Thank you!
It isn't necessary to put the balls into nylon stockings. I put mine in lingerie/laundry bags and it works well --no pulling or tugging to get the balls out and laundry bags can be used over and over again. Once washed I reshape to a ball and put them in the dryer in the bags. They won't lose their shape in the dryer. The balls are in individual laundry bags, not all in one bag.
Thank you for sharing your method. Good to know.
Do you sell any of the balls you make?
I only made the ones you see in the video and use them for my own use. I'm so busy and having fun making lots of videos that I don't have much time left to make dryer balls to sell. Sorry about that.
Hello! Where can I buy the wool?
Hi Gricelda,
I bought my wool from local wool shops. You can also find it at Micheal's Craft Store and also online. Here are some Amazon links if you cant find it locally.
colored wool roving
amzn.to/2YL6Yva
white wool roving
amzn.to/2Kmr9Mc
The balls made from the core wool look really fuzzy. Will they leave lint or fuzz on dark clothes?
Hi Kristine,
The core wool dryer balls can be a little more fuzzy. The front loading washing machines (which I have) do not felt as well as top loading. The top loading machine can agitate the balls and enhance the felting process. I could have put them in the wash a couple more times to insure they were felted really well. The more they are felted the better they will be and less stray wool coming off. So yes, the first couple of drying sessions I did noticed some stray strands of wool on my darker clothes. The more I used them though there were not as many stray strands of wool.
👏🥰
Thanks!
Not looking at the camera & it's distracting.
Okay. Thanks for your opinion.
Wanted to watch your video but you don't have closed captioning and I'm hard of hearing.
I don’t add the closed captioning as I find it doesn’t translate my spoken words properly. The best I can offer is to use ear plugs and raise the volume.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts Fair enough. You can spell check the auto closed captioning and correct errors manually if you decide to go that route in future.
It would be great for you but it would create a lot more work to correct all the text. I’m so busy now, I can barely keep up.
I am a toatal beigenner. #CluelessGirl
Just have some fun with it! Watch the felting needles though. They are sharp. The step by step instructions will guide you.
A good tutorial but found the music too loud for your voice, annoying!
I have since learned how to adjust the level of my voice and lower the music. I agree. The music is a bit too loud on this video. Most of the video could be muted if desired.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts, practise makes perfect, I learned a lot from it. I just made 70:balls with a variety of pure wool for a fundraiser in the fall. I hope they sell, they are not as pretty as yours. 💖
You go girl. You were on a mission! Good luck with your sales!
how about a humane option. the process of getting wool is definitely not humane.
So it is cruel to shear sheep (Shortcuts, G2, 26 November), according to Peta. On the contrary, for the majority of modern sheep it is cruel not to shear them. Domestic sheep do not naturally shed their winter coats. ... Shearing has to be done.
But I understand your concern. I have seen it done and the sheep are handled very roughly.
But at least we are making use of the wool that has been sheared.
@@CraftyPattiArtsCrafts Well said Patti... people like sometimes have no problems buying things made in China , made of polyester...the dye they often used is so toxic, I practically have to wash everything made in China as the dye comes off...and the dye is toxic to our skin...but wool is such a wonderful fiber, and yes, its a plus for the sheep. Thank u !
Thanks for your support!