Four Creative Ways to Use Orbeez (Water Beads)
Today I am showing you four creative ways to use Orbeez that you may never have thought of before. Have you heard of them? My kids are crazy about them…. they’ve seen all sorts of You Tube videos about them– people who fill their bathtub or their swimming pool with them. By the way, DO NOT do that!
Orbeez are tiny little plastic balls that swell when soaked in water. So you can imagine how that might clog your drains! So, I have seen these in the “kid world,” but I hadn’t seen them used in the “craft world.” I hope you like my ideas! [I found out recently that the brand name seems to not be for sale anymore. So they are called “water beads” instead.]
Go ahead and watch the video below, where my son explains his concerns about my project. (Click on the sound icon in the top right corner of the video so that you can hear it.) You can tap on the video to speed through the sections if you wish. I will include a summary of my ideas afterwards.
You can purchase 1,000 Orbeez in little packets, like my kids do.
My kids love Orbeez, so you should have seen their faces when I showed them what was sent to me for the blog!
Baby orbee seeds are so cute! But don’t let these go in your sink or bathtub drains!
Soak 1 Tablespoon Orbeez to 1 quart of water. They will begin to soak up the water and grow immediately, but it takes several hours to get to full size.
My kids love to just run their hands through them. They are soothing. Oh! That’s a bonus use! Just use as sensory play.
I tried freezing some to see what they would do. There is a lot of frost because of the high water content.
They’re so pretty!
I decided to add another TBLSP of Orbeez to soak up excess water.
“Seeds” on top of full grown Orbeez.
I think Orbeez make a great ice cooler for parties. I kept my Orbeez in the fridge so they were cold. They won’t melt like ice does; they will just dry up.
What a colorful party idea!
Besides drinks, they can also keep meat, cheese, or veggies cool.
Whether you refrigerate or freeze them, Orbeez make a great ice pack for headaches or migraines.
Next, I put some Orbeez in a vase. Later I added more water to the vase so the flowers would have plenty to drink.
What a colorful and cheerful way to create a flower arrangement!
You can put some Orbeez in a sheet pan to dry them out, or just throw them away. They will shrink back to their normal size if you wait long enough.
(We also copied a friend’s idea to make our own stress balls with Orbeez by filling a balloon with them!)
Isn’t it amazing how much they shrink/ grow?! I hope you have enjoyed my ideas! 🙂
So, to recap, here are my ideas:
- Refrigerate them in a large container. Then use the Orbeez like a cooler to keep drinks cold.
- Use them as a serving bar for meat and cheese appetizers.
- Refrigerate them and use them as an ice pack. (You can freeze them, too, but they will disintegrate.)
- Put them in a clear vase for a pretty vase filler, that also holds your flower stems in place. Add extra water.
