Heidi Norton
Incense has played an important role in many cultures and settings, from religious ceremonies to aromatherapy. Incense sticks are a great way to add a beautiful fragrance to your living space, and they can be made at home with just a few ingredients and materials. You can make your own scented incense sticks by purchasing a set of unscented incense sticks and coating them with your favourite essential oils.
How to make unscented incense sticks
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Materials | Unscented incense sticks, essential oils, dish, mug, dipropylene glycol (DPG), herbs, flowers, resin, powdered ingredients, water |
| Preparation | Mix 20 drops of essential oil per incense stick in a shallow dish, place up to 5 sticks in the dish, gently press the sticks in the oil until all the oil is absorbed, place the sticks in a mug or cup to dry for 12-15 hours before burning |
| Drying | Let the sticks dry for up to 5 days, store in a zip lock plastic bag to maintain their strength |
| Burning | Light the tip of the incense with a match or butane lighter, blow it out and allow the ember to burn down the stick, dip the tip of the burning stick in water to extinguish if needed |
| Safety | Keep out of reach of children, never let children light incense sticks |
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What You'll Learn
Use unscented incense sticks made with joss/makko powder
To make unscented incense sticks, you can use blank incense sticks made with joss/makko powder. Joss powder is a combustible component and a great binding agent for incense sticks.
Joss sticks, also known as masala incense, were brought to China by Buddhist monks around 200 CE via the Silk Road. The process of extruding incense sticks from finely ground incense materials seems to have also originated in China.
To make your own incense sticks, you can use Thai Punk sticks, which are blank incense sticks that can be dipped in essential oils or have your own incense mixture applied. You can also use unscented punk sticks made with joss/makko powder, which can be found at Scents of Earth or with a simple online search.
To make your own incense sticks with essential oils, you will need an olive dish or a long, narrow dish, or you can use aluminium foil folded into a "V" shape with the ends folded up to prevent oil from spilling out. Place a blank incense stick in your dish and drop your desired essential oils onto it. Each stick can absorb about 20 drops of essential oil, and you can use up to three oils per stick. If you are making multiple incense sticks at once, you can mix your essential oils in a separate dish and then place your blank sticks in the dish to absorb the oil. Gently press the sticks into the dish so they absorb all of the oil.
After applying the oil, set your incense sticks in a mug to dry overnight (10-15 hours) before burning them.
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Mix essential oils in a dish
To make your own scented incense sticks, you will need to purchase a set of unscented incense sticks and your favourite essential oils. You can use a variety of dishes to mix your essential oils, such as an olive dish, a PET plastic tub, or even a piece of aluminium foil folded into a "V" shape to create a temporary "incense-making dish".
If you are making five incense sticks, you will need 100 drops of essential oil (around 4 ml). You can measure out the essential oils in a graduated cylinder or drop them directly into your dish. If you are using multiple oils, gently stir them with the end of a spoon or a glass stirring rod.
Each stick can absorb about 20 drops of essential oil. Place up to five sticks in the dish and gently press them into the oil until all of the oil is absorbed. You can also turn the sticks to ensure even absorption.
After the sticks have absorbed the oil, place them incense-end up in a mug or cup and let them dry for 10 to 15 hours before burning.
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Soak the sticks in the oil
To make your own incense sticks, you will need to purchase a set of unscented incense sticks and your chosen essential oil or fragrance oil. It is important to note that fragrance oils are man-made chemicals, whereas essential oils are natural. If you are using essential oils, it is recommended to use a PET plastic tub, whereas fragrance oils can be used with any old Tupperware.
When you have your materials, you can start preparing your incense sticks. Firstly, you should measure out your oil. You will need 20 drops of oil per incense stick. If you are making five incense sticks, for example, you will need 100 drops in total (or around 4ml). You can measure this out using a graduated cylinder, or you can drop the oil directly into your dish and gently stir with a spoon.
Next, place your blank incense sticks into the dish and press gently so that they absorb the oil. You can also turn the sticks to ensure that all of the oil is absorbed. The sticks should be left to dry for at least 10-15 hours before they are burned. You can leave them in a mug or cup, incense-end up, in a room that you want to smell nice, such as a bathroom.
If you want to make your incense sticks last longer and burn properly, you can soak them in a mixture of dipropylene glycol (DPG) and your chosen oil. DPG is a chemical with low toxicity that will help your incense sticks burn properly and reduce black smoke. To do this, measure out 20ml (4 tsp) of DPG and 10ml (2 tsp) of oil into a box or lipped dish. Stir the mixture, being careful to let any oil on your spoon drip back into the box. Then, place your incense sticks into the mixture and leave them to soak for three days. After this, they will be ready for drying.
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Dry the sticks overnight
After coating your unscented incense sticks with essential oils, it's important to give them ample time to dry before lighting them. Place the incense sticks in a mug or cup, with the incense end facing upwards, and leave them undisturbed for 10 to 15 hours. This drying time will ensure that the essential oils are fully absorbed into the sticks, resulting in a stronger aroma when burned.
The ideal drying time for incense sticks is between 10 and 15 hours, or overnight. This duration allows the essential oils to permeate the sticks completely. It is crucial to refrain from lighting the incense sticks until they are entirely dry, as this can impact the fragrance and burning quality.
The drying environment is also worth considering. Choose a room with warm and dry temperatures, as opposed to cold and wet conditions, to optimize the drying process. Additionally, you may want to select a room where you'd appreciate a pleasant aroma, such as a bathroom, as the strong scent of the incense will linger for several days.
While it's not necessary, placing the incense sticks in a mug or cup helps to contain the oil and keep the sticks upright during the drying process. This prevents any potential mess and ensures the oil doesn't spread beyond the intended area.
Once the sticks have dried overnight, they are ready for burning. Always exercise caution and keep a watchful eye when lighting and using incense, especially if there are children or pets in the household.
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Store in a zip lock plastic bag
Properly storing your incense sticks is essential to preserving their aroma and ensuring they don't go to waste. Incense sticks are delicate products that rely on their fragrance to create a calming and enjoyable atmosphere.
However, storing incense in plastic bags is not recommended. This is because the chemicals in the oils and plastic can affect each other. Instead, it is best to store them in wax paper, thick paper, rice paper, or cotton fabric wrapping. This will help the sticks maintain their fragrance, although paper wrapping may absorb some of the scented oils over time.
If you do use a plastic bag, be sure to use it in conjunction with one of the recommended materials, such as wax paper. Additionally, keep the plastic bag in a cool, dry, and dark place, away from direct sunlight and heat sources, as this will help preserve the incense's fragrance and quality.
To further preserve the distinct aroma of your incense, it is advisable to keep different types of incense sticks separated in individual containers or compartments within the same container.
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Frequently asked questions
The ingredients required are unscented incense sticks, essential oils, a dish, a mug, and dipropylene glycol (DPG).
First, mix 20 drops of essential oil with 10ml of DPG in a dish. Next, place up to 5 incense sticks in the dish and gently press them into the mixture. Then, place the incense sticks in a mug and let them dry for 12 to 15 hours before burning.
The burn time of unscented incense sticks depends on their length. Longer sticks can burn for up to 2 hours, while shorter sticks may burn for less than an hour.
To light an unscented incense stick, use a match or butane lighter to ignite the tip. Once it catches fire, blow it out and let the ember burn down the stick, releasing the essential oils in a scented smoke.
