Making your own incense cones is a fun and inexpensive hobby. The process is easy and rewarding, and it allows you to experiment with a variety of ingredients.
Begin by putting your ingredients in a bowl. Slowly add water, stirring and mixing as you go. When the mixture becomes a dough-like consistency, knead with your hands and then shape into cones.
1. Choose Your Ingredients
Incense has been used since ancient times for spiritual purposes, to mask unpleasant odors and as aromatherapy. You can make your own homemade incense cones using common household ingredients and tools.
Begin by choosing your ingredients. Use a variety of herbs including lavender, sage, and orange. Add a few drops of essential oil. You can also experiment with other ingredients like rose or patchouli. Mix your ingredients together in a bowl. Then, put your mixture into a mold or shape them by hand. Then, set them aside to dry for 12 hours, turning them over halfway through the process. They should be completely dry before you burn them.
2. Grind Your Ingredients
To make the process easier, grind your ingredients to a fine powder. This will help them bind better together and create a smoother burning scent.
This can be done by hand or using a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, you can use a clean coffee grinder.
This is the most time-consuming part of making incense cones at home. However, it is well worth the effort for a unique, fresh and fragrant aroma that will set the mood in your home. Also, these homemade cones will burn much longer than commercial incense. They are also a great way to reduce air pollution in your home.
3. Mix Your Ingredients
Using a mixing bowl, slowly add water to the dry ingredients and mix. It will take a few minutes to achieve a dough-like consistency. Once the mixture is ready to be shaped, knead it well and form into cones or sticks.
The makko powder will act as a binding agent and help the herbs hold their shape when formed. It also serves as a natural combustible and provides the incense with its smoke when lit.
A good guideline is to use 1 teaspoon of makko powder for every three tablespoons of ground herbs. However, it’s important to note that gum binder can be overpowering and impact the way the incense smells when burned.
4. Shape Your Ingredients
Incense is an ancient biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burned. It is traditionally used to enhance meditation and prayer but has also been utilized in aromatherapy for its therapeutic effects.
Shape your incense ingredients using your hands into any shape you desire. There are molds available for this but molding your incense cones by hand is not only easy but it gives you more control over the size of the resulting incense cone.
Leave your incense cones and sticks to dry on a board with a wax-paper cover and place the board in a paper bag that is scrunched closed. Check and turn the incense sticks and cones several times per day until they are completely dry.
5. Dry Your Ingredients
A plethora of resins are available, each with a unique aroma and cultural significance. They are often combined with woods, herbs and oils to create layered fragrances for a richer experience.
Resins like frankincense and myrrh can add an air of reverence to any incense blend. These aromatic gums are often derived from trees and have long been used in religious ceremonies.
Use a mortar and pestle (or clean coffee grinder) to grind the dried herbs to a powder. Add a teaspoon of makko powder to each three teaspoons of crushed herbs for a natural binder that will help the mixture form into incense cones.
6. Burn Your Ingredients
Make your own incense cones with natural ingredients you can find around the home. These homemade incenses are a great way to add a sense of ritual and spirituality to any space.
You’ll need the following ingredients and tools:
Makko powder: This is a natural binder that helps your herbs and resins stick together and creates a slow, even burn.
A basic mortar and pestle: Use this to grind your herbs into a powder.
You can also try using a piping tip to mold the incense into a circle, or look for small flat shapes you can press into and leave with an imprint. Then let your incense dry for at least a day.