Oh balls - dryer balls that is

My second make of the year, and I'm currently still on the sustainable makings bandwagon.

Don't need much for balls!

In my search for eco friendly makes, I came across handmade dryer balls. What are dryer balls you ask? Supposedly they help reduce drying time, by 30 - 50%, reduce static, and help to soften items, so no fabric softener required. This is done by the balls absorbing the moisture, moving the clothes about and providing better air circulation. You can read more behind the science on the David Suzuki website.

Okay, I know using a dryer in itself isn't exactly environmentally friendly, (unless you're off grid) however we have three children and the weather in Melbourne is changeable to say the least. Often times I have items strung all over the house to dry them in wet weather, however sometimes you need to dry sheets and there's just nowhere to hang them inside.

To make mine, I followed this tutorial from The Seasoned Homemaker. 

Pre felted

I made three out of 100% pure wool. One out of alpaca and one out of 100% felting wool. I put some tea tree oil on one, then gave up trying to scent them. I ended up washing them in a eucalyptus wool wash and figured that'd be enough. Mine are also a little smaller than recommended as I couldn't locate a tennis ball.

There's more than a run in my stocking

To tie the stocking together, the tutorial recommends dental floss. Instead, I used some reusable cotton jersey tie. You could use anything that you know will come out the other side of a hot wash.

I found that the alpaca and the felting wool felted the best, however they destroyed the stocking when I removed them after washing.

After I washed them, I popped them in the sun until they were completely dry, and they came out great. They are now hanging out in the dryer, waiting for their first tumble. As soon as I've given them a go, I'll give a full report on my findings.

They'd make a pretty neat and very easy gift for a keen juggler too!

The finished product, they're quite friendly!

Have you ever made dryer balls? Did you find they made a difference?