DIY Dryer Balls

Ever wondered what's in dryer sheets? I sure have. Don't get me wrong, they smell awesome. Who wouldn't love a fresh, hot pile of laundry with a sweet scent?

Anyways, I got to thinking, and thinking led to noodling around the Internet, and noodling around the Internet led to...

DIY Dryer Balls! Apparently you can buy these for a pretty penny over on Etsy, but I've got buckets of wool yarn stashed away. Honestly - the hardest part of this whole project was admitting to myself that I was never going to knit a hat with the leftovers from that sweater, or make a pair of mittens with the leftovers from a blanket I made five years ago.  So, I mustered up the courage to weed out my wool stash, and got going, with this as a guide.

The process was simple - wind the yarn into balls, tie the balls inside some holey pantyhose (you could also tie them into a pillowcase or old rags - anything to help them keep their shape), wash with my clothes on a hot cycle, then toss in the dryer. And - dryer balls.

I'm not into strong, perfumey scents in my laundry these days, but if you're feeling like the laundry is missing that special something, you could definitely put a few drops of pure essential oils on your dryer balls for a nice, fresh laundry smell.

And, even if you're not a crazy knitter/yarn stasher like me, you can pick up supplies at a craft store. Most places now sell 100% wool yarn, including Michael's and JoAnn's.

What crazy DIY projects are you cooking up? I'd love to hear about them!