Anyone can craft custom scented incense for home fragrance and gift giving. The process is very simple and requires only a few supplies that can be bought through most candle crafting supply retailers.
What you need: fragrance oil, DPG (cutting agent for fragrance oil), unscented incense sticks or cones (sometimes called bamboo diffusers), glass measuring cup, glass dish or tall vase to soak the incense in, tray and paper towels for drying incense.
Incense can be made from any fragrance oil made for use in candle or soap making. As undiluted fragrance oil will smoke excessively when the incense is burned, the fragrance oil needs to be mixed with a cutting agent. The most widely recommended cutting agent is DPG – dipropylene glycol. Although some instructions may recommend alcohol as a cutting agent, alcohol will cause the incense to smoke and so is not recommended for use in making incense. To cut the fragrance oil, mix 2 parts DPG with 1 part fragrance. The purpose of the cutting agent is to make the fragrance oil “wetter”, allowing for more absorption of the oil by the incense.
Soak the incense cone or sticks in the diluted oil in a glass dish or vase. Be sure to cover incense cones completely; incense sticks should be covered at least until the entire ‘punk’ (burning end) is submerged. Incense sticks are generally sold in bundles of 100 tied with string or twine. The sticks can remain bundled as they are soaked and dried, but opening the bundle may improve absorption of the fragrance oil and decrease drying time. After the incense is submerged in the fragrance oil mixture, cover and let the incense soak for 24 hours (incense can be left to soak for as long as 3 days).
When the incense has soaked for one to three days, remove the sticks or cones from the fragrance. Do not throw away the leftover fragrance mixture, it can be used again for future batches. Cover and store the fragrance oil and DPG mixture for future use. Lay the soaked incense on a breathable surface to dry. Window screen or wire racks laid over paper towels or newspaper work well. Leave the incense on the rack to dry for at least 48 hours. To speed the drying process, a fan can be set near the drying incense, however, take care that it does not blow the incense away. Laying the soaked incense in sunlight will help to speed the drying process as well, but do not try to dry the incense in your oven to speed the process.
Once the incense has dried thoroughly, it can be packaged, burned or stored. For long term storage, it is best to keep your incense in a plastic bag or covered container so that the incense does not lose its scent.
There are many pretty packaging options for giving your custom crafted incense as gifts. Plastic poly treat bags tied with ribbon, a decorative box or a tall vase or jar nicely accented are great ways to give your gift. Sheer organza bags, complete with draw strings, work well for packaging miniature incense sticks (4 inch diffusers) and cones. Circles of tulle or muslin cut with pinking sheers nicely tied are an inexpensive way to bundle cones of incense. Incense packaged in such breathable fabrics can be used as sachets for freshening drawers and rooms without burning. To add a little something to your gift, make a small basket and include an incense holder or other small vessel for burning the incense on combined with a few of your favorite scents. Whatever your choice, it is a good idea to prepare a short label stating the package’s contents and outlining burning instructions.
Soaking incense to create your own custom scents is a simple process. As fragrance oils and additives are often toxic when ingested, be sure to craft cautiously and keep all fragrance oils and mixing agents out of the reach of children. When storing leftover oil for future use, mark the jar clearly and store where children cannot reach it. Take equal precautions storing undiluted oils and diluting agents. With safety first, you will be able to enjoy the comforting aroma of all your favorite incense
Reference:
- www.wikipedia.org for more on incense To buy supplies: www.rusticescentuals.com www.saratogascents.com www.scentsations4u.com (bulk pricing available)
