What To Do With Orbeez (water Beads) - Feathers In The Woods

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What to do with Orbeez (water beads)

If you have kids, by now you've been begged for some of these squishy, bouncy water balls. Even if you don't have kids you've probably seen the commercials. Little tiny marbles that grow when you soak them in water and provide hours of creative fun. Yeah right! How to use water balls around the house

My son lasted about 20 minutes before he went "But what do they DO?" Ummmm...nothing. Somewhere a man is flying cross country in his new jet laughing his butt off at all of us, but I digress. Now that you bought the Orbeez and the kids are bored with them, what can you do with water balls?

What are orbeez anyway?

First, let's start with what they are. Orbeez are a superabsorbent polymer that can absorb and retain extremely large amounts of liquid relative to their own mass. These SAPs are then formed into a ball for that waterball look. You're probably more familiar with them though as the stuff inside diapers & sanitary pads or those gel like chunks in the pot of plants that grow in water like the Lucky Bamboo plants. Which brings me to my first 'alternative' use.... How to use Orbeez

You can plant them!

Superabsorbent polymers were originally invented to conserve moisture in soil. The amazing thing is the plants suck the moisture out of the water beads when the soil starts to get dry. The water bead swells back up next time you water the plant, effectively storing moisture for the next time the soil starts to dry out. These are especially helpful for those that don't remember to water their houseplants very often! disclosure

Party decorations:

Orbeez can be used as vase filler for party decorations! I used clear ones in glass vases with Color changing submersible LED light balls for decorations at oldest daughters Graduation Party. I decorated dollar store vases with ribbons and decals in her theme (music) then let the bead filled vases sit there all day. When night came we just clicked the light balls on and dropped them in for a lit up display. So pretty!

Candle holders:

Fill a short glass vase with water beads and add a long taper candle and the orbeez will hold the candle in place. Or use a large vase, add water beads and water then place a floating candle on top.

Flower holder:

Fill a glass vase with water beads and some water then add fresh cut flowers. The beads will help stabilize the flowers so you can arrange them. Use colored orbeez if you don't want to be able to see the flower stems. Graduation party lights

Glow light:

For a fire-less approach, activate a glow stick and place inside a vase full of water beads to illuminate the area. Clear orbeez with give a brighter light, but colored orbeez can be used too.

Make an air freshener:

Add a few drops of essential oil to the water when you hydrate the Orbeez. Drain when full size and place in a shallow bowl for a cool looking air freshener. Here are my simple instructions to make your own air fresheners. use Orbeez as an air freshener

Sensory play:

Young kids love to squish and sort things and what better way to use Orbeez than to play with them? Check out these 8+ Water Bead activities for kids.

Make a stress ball:

I found this tutorial on Good Housekeeping for making a stress ball from Orbeez and a clear balloon. It's a little tricky to get the Orbeez into a balloon, but use their method to make it easier and you have a cheap and colorful squeezy ball!

What to do with water beads after you're done using them

You can store orbeez for use later, you simply have to dry them out first. I dump them in a colander and rinse quickly to remove any dirt or dust. Allow to drain, then place the colander in a dry room and they will naturally dry out in a few days time. In summer I place them outside on a warm, dry day and they shrink pretty fast. As they dry out they will shrink back down to their original size. Once dry they can be stored the container they came in, a ball jar or old Rx bottle. I seriously love the pill bottle storage if you have small children as they probably won't be able to get them back out without your assistance. They are super tiny when dry and can easily get spilled and end up everywhere! Water beads come in many colors, I just happen to use clear for most projects. The colors can be mixed together or even layered for a really cool look. They were originally made by the Maya Company but now are available just about everywhere. Sadly, now that you shelled out the cash....that is about all that water beads AKA Orbeez are good for. I'm not actually sure what the point of orbeez are though, as a parent they just seem like a mess waiting to happen! The upside is, at least they are good for something! Now, what are you gonna do with all that slime the kids just had to have? ~L Want gardening and healthy living information sent right to your email weekly? Click right here to join my list and get new posts sent directly to you the day they're published! (This post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase something through the link, I will get a small payment from Amazon. It will not affect your purchase price. Click for full disclosure.) How to use orbeez

Posted by Lisa Murano

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39 comments:

UnknownAugust 8, 2014 at 4:31 PM
Nice & Informative post on custom color Water beads.Thanks for this blog!!
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1. Lisa MuranoAugust 14, 2014 at 10:06 AM
  Thanks! ...and thanks for stopping by!~L
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UnknownJanuary 11, 2017 at 4:22 PM
They make incredible ice packs for injuries or dental needs aka (wisdom tooth extraction) place orbeez in a sandwhich size ziploc freezer bag with 4 oz of rubbibg alcohol and 2oz of h2o and freeze.
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1. Lisa MuranoMarch 10, 2017 at 9:54 PM
  Waat a great idea! Thanks for the tip!~L
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beatrixApril 1, 2017 at 11:46 AM
my daughter put them in a balloon to make a stress ball.
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candyNovember 8, 2018 at 7:29 AM
I have seen these use to hold fresh cut flowers. Didn't know more of the many ways these beads could be used.
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 8, 2018 at 8:44 PM
  That is a great idea! I'm going to try making a stress ball with orbeez now!Lisa
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AiringMyLaundryNovember 8, 2018 at 8:14 AM
How interesting! I didn't know so much could be done with these. My daughter loves to play with them, I know that. I think the glow light would be cool to have in the house.
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 8, 2018 at 8:59 PM
  I definitely think orbeez are more of a girl toy, my boys got bored quick but my daughter played with them quite a bit more.
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JeannetteNovember 8, 2018 at 8:45 AM
I have seen these used in my sons class when he was in kindergarten. He absolutely love them. There is definitely a lot you can do with these. It looks like you have lotta fun ideas to try.
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Tomi CNovember 8, 2018 at 10:25 AM
I haven't used Orbeez in ages. I never knew they could be used in so many creative ways. Love that air freshener idea.
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 8, 2018 at 9:04 PM
  I love using orbeez in air fresheners because I don't have to worry about harmful chemicals since they're made with essential oils.Lisa
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SimplyTasheenaNovember 8, 2018 at 10:57 AM
I've used water beads in the past for my floral arrangements. I had no idea about these other options as well. Thanks for sharing!
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 9, 2018 at 10:47 AM
  Orbeez are great in fresh floral arrangements and can even be scented with essential oils and used to hold artificial flowers in place too!
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Melanie @ bear rabbit bearNovember 8, 2018 at 1:30 PM
I have heard of these but never really knew what they were for. I don't even know that I have seen them in the store!
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 9, 2018 at 10:45 AM
  When Orbeez first came out they were an "as seen on Tv product". They're in stores now but it's totally possible that you haven't seen them!
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Melanie EdjourianNovember 8, 2018 at 1:53 PM
These are all really lovely ideas. They do make great sensory play toys, my kids love to play with them as they are so soft and squishy!
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 9, 2018 at 10:48 AM
  Yes! Orbeez are very squishy. lol
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Sarah BaileyNovember 8, 2018 at 4:48 PM
It is amazing all the different things you can do with orbeeze, they seem like they could be quite a relaxing thing to play around with at times.
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 9, 2018 at 11:30 PM
  Yes, orbeez are quite fun to play with!
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PamNovember 8, 2018 at 5:12 PM
I have seen Orbeez everywhere lately. Mostly for sensory play. I had no idea there were so many uses.
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Stockpiling MomNovember 8, 2018 at 6:36 PM
I have always wandered what to do with Orbeez water beads! I honestly had to idea. I love the sensory play idea!
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 8, 2018 at 9:03 PM
  Ya know, they come with all these setups like spa's and counting towers...but I think they're best by their own. Their so fun to squish!
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The Super Mom LifeNovember 8, 2018 at 7:20 PM
My kids love these. I refuse to buy them because I know they would be all over the house :)
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 8, 2018 at 9:01 PM
  LOL and that is exactly where they end up!
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Gervin KhanNovember 9, 2018 at 12:43 AM
Very informative post to read. My kids loves playing a water beads but I have never tried to use it as a decor or anything like this. Next time will do these things once we buy another set of water beads.
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 14, 2018 at 7:37 AM
  Try them! It's so nice to actually have a use for the kids toys once they get bored with them!
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Gust si AromaNovember 9, 2018 at 3:37 AM
Wow! I am impressed how many usees orbeez water beads can have. Some of them are really cool. Thank you for sharing!
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MarysaNovember 9, 2018 at 3:17 PM
We have a bunch of bags of orbeez (dry), and it would be fun to use them for one of these projects. I like the idea of planting them!
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 9, 2018 at 11:33 PM
  I currently have orbeez in my bamboo plant and mixed into the dirt of my basil plant. They really work for regulating moisture in houseplants....they're my secret weapon so my plants don't dry out when I'm on vacation.Lisa
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2. Beth PJuly 20, 2019 at 1:43 PM
  These would be great for a water leak to keep your floor from being damaged.
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Natalie Loves BeautyNovember 9, 2018 at 4:22 PM
This is so neat! Who knew there we so many uses for them. I love that they can be used in plants.
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 12, 2018 at 9:42 AM
  I have them in my bamboo plants right now. I also like to use orbeez in my plants so I don't have to worry about them getting watered while I'm on vacation.
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Terri SteffesNovember 9, 2018 at 5:15 PM
I think my oldest niece would love this! She has always loved squishy things plus she's big into science.
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 13, 2018 at 10:06 AM
  She would probably love Orbeez! Waterballs are fascinating because of their ability to retain and then share their moisture. I'm sure they could be used in lots of experiments!
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Debra HawkinsNovember 11, 2018 at 9:15 PM
My kids are obsessed with water beads! We have an entire bucket that they just play with almost daily!
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1. Lisa MuranoNovember 12, 2018 at 9:44 AM
  That is awesome! My kids were over the water beads within an hour. lol
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JoApril 7, 2019 at 10:33 AM
I am making wedding cenerpieces and would like to know how long before the wedding day I can fill my my large wine glasses with water beads before adding the flowers as once the flowers are glued on top there is no way I can get inside. Will the beads stay moist?
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1. Lisa MuranoJune 18, 2019 at 8:58 AM
  They should stay moist for at least a few days. Sounds like a cute idea! Let me know how it turns out.Lisa
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