DIY Flower Vase Filler with Aroma Beads

Decorating with silk flowers might seem like an obsolete hobby straight out of the 90s, but silk flowers have come a long way since then. Today there are so many beautiful silk flower options to choose from, and many of them look just as convincing as the real thing. While it’s lovely having a bouquet of fresh flowers around your home, they wilt quickly and need to be replaced often. Silk flowers are by no means cheap if you get the high-quality ones, but they last pretty much forever as long as you take care of them.

One area where silk flowers can’t compete is their fragrance – or rather, the lack thereof. However, we’re going to show you a fun and easy trick for making silk flower bouquets smell beautiful while also making them easier to arrange! Follow along as we make a super easy vase filler out of aroma beads.

Note: This project is meant for silk flower arrangements. We don’t recommend using scented aroma beads in vases with water or live flowers.

Skill Level: Easy

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes

Aroma Bead Drying Time: 1 day to 2 weeks depending on fragrance

Yield: 12+ oz of aroma beads

Supplies & Ingredients

• 32 oz glass jar with lid
• 12 oz Aroma Beads
• 1 oz floral fragrance oil of your choice
• Micro scoop
• 4-6 micro scoops of mica powder
• Digital Scale
• Face mask for working with mica
• Optional: wide-mouth funnel for aroma beads
• Vase and silk flowers for making an arrangement

Project Notes

Although you can use any type of vase, we recommend picking a clear vase so you can show off the color of your aroma beads. See the last section of this post for some fun variations to try with your arrangement!

This tutorial explains how to make a 12 oz batch of aroma beads. Depending on the size of your flower vase, you may need to make more or less. If you aren’t sure about how many beads to use, pour some unscented aroma beads into the vase you want to use, then weigh the beads to determine the right amount. If you require more than 12 oz of beads, you may need a bigger jar for making your beads in.

You’ll also need to adjust the amount of fragrance accordingly if you change the amount of beads you make. This tutorial calls for an 8 percent fragrance load, which is a good amount for most fragrances. The amount of fragrance oil you use is up to you. Just keep in mind aroma beads can hold a maximum of 20 to 30 percent fragrance.

For guidance on how much fragrance to add, please review Aroma Beads 101 and our Aroma Beads FAQ. For more information on using aroma beads, you can also check out Aroma Beads Troubleshooting.

How to Make an Aroma Bead Vase Filler  

1. Pour 0.5 oz of fragrance oil into your 32 oz jar. You may choose to weigh the fragrance on the scale, but the amount does not need to be exact.
2. Add 4-6 micro scoops of mica to the jar. Swirl the jar to stir the mica and fragrance together.
3. Place the jar on your digital scale and tare it to zero.
4. Add 12 oz of aroma beads to the jar using a wide mouth funnel. If you do not have a funnel, you can make one by rolling a piece of heavy paper into a cone shape.
5. Put the lid on tightly and shake the jar until the fragrance is evenly distributed.
6. If you decide you want a more intense color, add more mica and shake the jar to distribute it evenly.
7. Shake the jar every few hours until the fragrance has completely absorbed into the beads. For faster absorption, we recommend shaking the jar for 30 seconds to 1 minute each time you shake it.
8. Optional: Once the fragrance has absorbed, you may choose to add additional fragrance. For 12 oz of beads, we recommend adding 0.5 oz of fragrance at a time until you reach the desired fragrance load. For best results, let the fragrance absorb completely each time before adding additional fragrance.
9. The beads are done when they are completely dry and no longer stick to the sides of the jar.
10. Pour the dry beads into a vase of your choice, then arrange your flowers in it.

Voila! You now have a beautiful arrangement that smells like it came straight from the florist. Your arrangement should continue to smell strong for around 45 days. The more airflow the beads are exposed to, the faster they will lose their scent.

If needed, you can boost the scent by stirring the beads gently once the scent begins to fade. You can also remove the beads from the vase and add a little more fragrance to freshen them up. To avoid a mess, ensure the beads are dry before returning them to the vase. We like this project because the beads stay functional even if they lose their scent!

Fun Variations to Try

This air freshening vase filler is super quick and easy, and there are lots of ways to make it unique! Not only is this aroma bead project fun to make for yourself, it would also make a great gift! Instead of sending flowers for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or other special occasions, use this project to make a flower arrangement that can be enjoyed all year round.

Here are a few other ways to get creative with this project:

• Pick a fragrance that coordinates with the types of flowers in your arrangement. Whether your favorite flowers are peonies, lilacs, hibiscus, lilies, orchids, hyacinths, plumerias or roses, we have something you’ll love. Explore our huge collection of floral fragrances!
• Use a fragrance with green notes to recreate the aroma of a flower shop – Green Floral or Baby Bibb Lettuce are great choices!
• Don’t like floral fragrances? Pick any other fragrance that you love! Any fragrance can make a great air freshener.
• Coordinate seasonal fragrances with a seasonal flower arrangement. For example, you can make a cute autumn centerpiece by making Pumpkin Spice aroma beads and using them with fall-colored flowers.
• Make small batches of beads in different colors. Then layer the beads in the vase to create a gradient or rainbow effect.
• Make two colors of beads, then mix them together to make a dappled effect.
• Use different shaped vases or jars to create a unique look.
• Mix the aroma beads with other vase filler like glass aquarium beads to create different textures.
• Coordinate the color of mica with your flowers or pick a beautiful contrasting color.

Did you try this project? Show us your beautiful creations by tagging us or using #MadeWithNorthWood on social media!

NorthWood is not responsible for any products that you make with our supplies or recipes.