How to Make Needle-Felted Dryer Balls

You can use animal fiber like wool and mohair to make ecofriendly and functional needle-felted dryer balls. Dryer balls are easy to create and can be used for years to reduce wrinkles and drying time in your laundry. This simple felting project is perfect for beginners interested in fiber arts.

Three needle-felted dryer balls with hearts on them sitting on a towel

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I raise Angora goats and process their mohair on my farm. When I finish combing a fleece with my wool combs, I have a considerable amount of fiber left over that is not ideal for spinning. Instead of throwing it out or using it as mulch, I make it into needle-felted dryer balls.

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Benefits of Natural Fiber Dryer Balls

Dryer balls are amazing! Dryer balls absorb some of the moisture from your load of wet laundry and reduce drying time. They are pretty heavy and as they roll around in the dryer, they help reduce wrinkles and static in your clothing. Not only that, but they can be infused with essential oils to provide a fresh scent to your clean laundry.

Ditch the chemically-laden fabric softeners and dryer sheets and go the non-toxic route with dryer balls! Natural fiber dryer balls are eco-friendly and sustainable. You can save on energy costs and reduce waste in your home by using dryer balls in your laundry routine. An added bonus is that when you are done with them, they are compostable and biodegrade.

Types of Fiber to Use to Make Needle-Felted Dryer Balls

You can make needle-felted dryer balls with any kind of animal-sourced natural fiber. I use mohair, but you can use wool, alpaca, or a blend of different fibers. You can use roving, combing waste, or even yarn to make needle-felted dryer balls.

Materials Needed for Making Needle-Felted Dryer Balls

One hand with finger protection holding a dryer ball and the other hand using a multi-needle felting tool

You will want to make your needle-felted dryer balls from a fleece that has been washed and dried. For instructions on scouring fleece with Dawn dish soap or Power Scour wool wash, click here. Your fiber will felt better if it is somewhat processed, with the lock structure open, for directions on using wool combs on your fiber, click here.

I made three large dryer balls with about six ounces of mohair combing waste. Depending on how many and how big you want your needle-felted dryer balls, you may use more or less fiber.

You can use any size of felting needle to make your dryer balls. I have small, medium, and large felting needles and I have used all of them to make a dryer ball without any issues.

A felting tool works great to secure the needles and make them easier to handle. I have a single needle tool and a multi-needle tool and use them both for making dryer balls.

A felting mat will give you something to rest your ball on while you felt and prevent you from poking yourself.

I recommend using felting finger protectors while you are making the needle-felted dryer balls. Felting needles are extremely sharp and it is easy to stab yourself! I wear them on the thumb and index finger of my non-dominant hand while I am felting. Mine are made of leather and they work well and are comfortable.

If you want to make a design on the surface of your dryer ball a template is helpful. I made the heart shapes on my dryer balls with a template. You can freehand your own design or omit the design altogether, the choice is yours.

A flexible fabric ruler can be used to check the size of your needle-felted dryer balls and help ensure uniformity. I felted my dryer balls until they were about 10 inches in circumference.

Once you are done needle felting your fiber, you will use a pantihose to run the dryer balls through the washing machine and dryer. When they come out, you can cut the pantihose with scissors, admire your work, and start using your dryer balls.

If you want to add scent to your dryer balls, a couple drops of essential oil will do the trick. The dryer balls can be “recharged” with essential oils periodically.

This tutorial will walk you through the steps that I use to needle felt dryer balls, but they can also be created with wet-felting techniques. For more information on wet felting dryer balls, click here to read my other article!

Directions for Making Needle-Felted Dryer Balls

I use about an ounce and a half of scoured mohair for the core of my dryer balls. I use portions of the fleece that may have become matted in the scouring process, have a shorter staple length, or poor crimp and curl. For the very center of the ball, I use about an ounce of intact locks.
Then I open about a half ounce of locks by hand to make a fluffy mass that I use to surround the intact locks.
I make a ball shape with all of the mohair and then wrap it in wool yarn to keep it from coming apart.
Next you will cover your ball with an outer layer of nice clean fiber. I use mohair combed top or core wool roving for a smooth finish. Make sure the clean fiber covers up the core completely and is uniform in thickness.
Now, put on your finger protection and place your felting mat on a flat surface.
Using the felting tool in your dominant hand, start felting the ball so that it holds its shape. You will poke into the ball and remove the needle all over the surface. Rotate the ball so that all surfaces are covered, and it maintains its circular shape. If your ball becomes misshapen, felt the areas that stick out with increased pressure.
Continue needle-felting the ball until it is dense and firm.
Using the flexible fabric ruler, check the circumference of your ball. If you want it larger, just add another layer of fiber and needle-felt it in place. Remember, the balls will shrink in the washing and drying step.
Now you are ready to complete the felting process by washing your dryer balls. Prepare the balls for washing by placing them into a pantihose.
Separate the dryer balls in the pantihose by tying a knot in between them.

Three handmade dryer balls inside a pantihose ready to go into the washing machine.

Wash your dryer balls (inside the pantihose) in your washing machine. I wash my new dryer balls with a load of towels on the hot water setting. The hot water and agitation of the washing machine cycle will help to completely felt your dryer balls so that they do not come apart. I wash my dryer balls twice before putting them in the dryer.
Dry your dryer balls (still inside the pantihose) in your clothes dryer with the load of clean laundry. I run my dryer on the hottest setting twice to help finish felting and drying them.
Remove your dryer balls by cutting the pantihose with scissors and popping them out. They should be dense, round, and fully felted. If for some reason yours are not staying together, another trip through the washer and dryer should help.
You can decorate your dryer balls with a needle-felted design before or after washing and drying them. I used colored wool roving and a template to make the hearts on my dryer balls. I placed the template on the desired location of my dryer ball and felted the colored roving into the space with my single needle felting tool.
If you want to scent your dryer balls, put a drop of essential oil on the ball surface in a few spots. I use lavender essential oil on mine and they smell heavenly!
Use your dryer balls in the next load of laundry that you do.

How to Use Needle-Felted Dryer Balls

Using your natural fiber felted dryer balls couldn’t be easier! All you need to do is add three or more dryer balls to your clean, wet laundry and run your dryer as usual. Make sure to store your dryer balls in a well-ventilated area when not in use.

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