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    Home » DIY Projects

    Japanese Herbarium Bottles

    April 14, 2021 by Patti Estep 10 Comments

    Jump to How-to Card
    Herbarium bottles on a window sill above a collection of dried flowers

    Japanese herbarium bottles are easy to create and make a wonderful decor statement in your home. These pretty dried flowers in oil specimens are also great for gift giving and a nice way to display your floral collection.

    Three dried flowers in oil bottles.

    What are Japanese Herbarium Bottles?

    Traditional herbariums are collected plant specimens pressed in books to aid in research.

    However, as you can see in the image above Herbarium in Japan is the art of arranging dried flowers suspended in oil and displayed in clear glass bottles for beautiful home decor items.

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    Flower press and dried flowers on table. Glass bottles with cork stoppers.

    You can use both dried flowers, branches, and other plant material or pressed flowers. Whatever you feel would look good with your home decor.

    Glass bottle with a few dried flowers inside.

    How to Create Herbarium - Dried Flowers in Oil

    Start with a clear glass bottle in any shape with a lid or cork top. The clear glass helps to show off the plant's beauty.

    Glass bottle with a few dried flowers inside. A wooden skewer is used to position flowers.

    Use a wooden skewer to move the flowers around to where you want them.

    Glass bottle with a few dried flowers inside. A hand with another dried flower is measured against the outside of the bottle for height.

    For sizing, simply hold up the plant to the bottle and trim accordingly. You can use pressed flowers for the herbarium but they are very fragile. Tweezers may come in handy with delicate pressed flowers.

    Dried flowers in oil in a tall glass jar.

    Next, fill the bottle with oil. I used baby oil but mineral oil works well too.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What kind of oil should you use?

    Baby oil, mineral oil, or paraffin oil.

    How long will they last?

    About a year. The flowers may fade some after spending time in the sunlight.

    Do I need to seal the cork?

    There is some chance that it could open if it falls over. You can seal the cork with candle wax or super glue.

    Can you use artificial flowers?

    Yes. Though the original concept is to preserve collected or special occasion dried flowers.

    Dried flowers in oil in a tall glass jar with a wooden skewer used to move flowers around.

    Before you finish take one last opportunity to use a skewer to nudge the plants into a pleasing display.

    Three Japanese Herbarium bottles on a windowsill.

    Now, you can set your beautiful herbarium bottles anywhere. But as you can see they look spectacular in a place such as a window where the light can shine through.

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    Three dried flowers in oil bottles on a windowsill.
    Print
    5 from 4 votes

    How to Make Japanese Herbarium Bottles

    These pretty dried flowers in oil are called Japanese Herbarium bottles. They are fun to create and make great handmade items for gifts.
    Active Time30 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Gifts
    Yield: 3
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $10

    Equipment

    • Long wooden skewer

    Materials

    • Dried flowers
    • Glass bottles
    • Baby oil or mineral oil
    • candle for sealing the cork optional

    Instructions

    • Place your dried flowers into the glass bottle.
    • Use a wooden skewer to move them into place.
    • Add baby oil and fill the bottle.
    • Use the wooden skewer again to move the plant material around.
    • Cap or cork the bottle and set it in the window or anywhere you like in the home.
    • If using a cork you may want to melt some candle wax around the top to seal the cork to the bottle.

    Video

    Notes

    Pressed flowers work well for this project too. They are more delicate to work with and you might want to try using tweezers with them.

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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tina Greenlee

      December 31, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      Hi Patti. I have been experimenting t he last few weeks using the different oils. I have been buying dried flowers with stems and the pressed ones also. The problem I am having is the oil becomes cloudy and the color of the flower bleeds. When using artificial flowers, the color fades. I have also used parrafin oil so that they can be used as a liquid candle. I can't find anything to spray on them to seal them. Any suggestions?

      Also, do you know of anyone who makes the liquid candles that would be willing to share their tips, experiences with me?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        December 31, 2021 at 4:09 pm

        Tina, I'm sorry that you are having trouble. I didn't notice any cloudiness with my dried flowers and I used baby oil. Many people seem to be using mineral oil. I'm not sure if it's the oil or the flowers. There are many Etsy shops selling herbariums. I wonder if one of them would be able to help?

        Reply
    2. Chelsea

      June 14, 2021 at 10:23 pm

      Can I use fresh flowers for herbarium? Does the mineral oil help to preserve the colour of the fresh flowers?

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        June 15, 2021 at 7:29 am

        Chelsea, I not sure but I would be worried about using fresh flowers as they contain water and may not hold up. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to experiment if you want to.

        Reply
        • Dina

          October 30, 2021 at 7:05 am

          Hello Patti! I can't wait to try this project! My question is the recipe is full baby oil right? No part water or anything? I also did not see in the instructions the life span? I am thinking they last forever??? Thank you again for posting this beautiful project!

        • Patti Estep

          October 30, 2021 at 7:37 am

          Dina, yes it's all baby oil. I'm not sure how long they will last. Possibly for a long time but that might depend on the flowers or the oil.

    3. Jade Gillis

      May 29, 2021 at 5:05 pm

      Hi there, which oil do you think is best for these?

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        May 30, 2021 at 7:18 am

        Jade, these are new to me but I found that many people use mineral or baby oil. I used baby oil because it was easy to find and so far it has worked out well.

        Reply
    4. Kay Bowles

      April 16, 2021 at 8:56 am

      Talk about great timing! You've done it again Patti! Our son is deployed to the Middle East so I have been trying to come up with a great Mother's Day gift for our 4 and 6 year old Grandsons to make for their Mom. I found bottles like these out in the garage waiting to be used or garage sale destined and this is the perfect, safe, doable craft for little hands to master....and two more things gone from the garage! Win-Win! Have a great day and thank you for the wonderful project!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        April 16, 2021 at 10:16 am

        Kay that sounds like and fun and perfect Mother's Day craft for you to enjoy with the boys. I'm sure your daughter-in-law will love them. Thoughts and prayers for the safe return of your son.

        Reply

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