How to Make Incense Easily

Making incense is fun and easy.

Incense has been used for cleansing homes and work places as well as for religious ceremonies for centuries. No matter what type of scent you add to it, it has a very distinct aroma that is easy to identify. You can make your own scented incense at home using essential oils. Experiment with mixing and matching fragrances to create your own signature incense.

Things You'll Need

• Wax paper
• Rubber gloves
• Saw dust
• Makko (type of tree bark)
• Agar agar (sometimes just called "agar")
• Coffee grinder
• Large bowl
• Essential oil or oils of choice
• Thin bamboo sticks

Instructions

1. Place a sheet of wax paper on a table top or counter and put on protective rubber gloves.

2. Mix and grind saw dust, makko and agar agar in a coffee grinder in equal proportions. Agar agar is a vegan substitute for gelatin.

3. Pour the contents from the grinder into a bowl and add just enough water to make a dough.

4. Dribble in a few drops of your favorite essential oil or oils, as desired.

5. Form the dough into a ball and put it on top of the wax paper. Knead the dough for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure the dough is a sticky consistency but not too wet. It needs to be able to affix to the bamboo sticks.

6. Put the dough aside for a few hours to allow it to become firm.

7. Pull off a piece of dough and roll it back and forth between your palms on top of the wax paper until it looks like a long cylinder the diameter of an incense stick.

8. Press the thin bamboo stick into the dough lengthwise. Wrap the dough around the stick, positioning the stick in the middle of the dough. Roll it again on the wax paper until it resumes a cylindrical shape. Allow the sticks to cure for at least 24 hours or until they have hardened.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave 2 inches of the bamboo stick showing out the bottom of the dough cylinder. This will be used to insert the incense into an incense holder.

• Don't put saltpeter in the incense. It's a common ingredient used in incense-making but it is toxic.

References

• Scents of Earth: How to Make Incense