How to Make Incense | Beginner-Friendly DIY Guide

If you’ve ever searched how to make incense at home, chances are you’ve experienced the disappointment of store-bought incense sticks — sometimes the scent feels too artificial, too weak, or simply not what you expected. High-end brands can be beautiful but often come with a price tag that doesn’t fit every budget. On the other hand, cheaper incense may smell overly chemical and lack the natural warmth you’re looking for.

That’s why more people are turning to homemade incense. With a simple DIY incense recipe, you can control the ingredients, customize the fragrance to your taste, and ensure everything you burn is natural and safe. In this guide, we’ll share an easy, beginner-friendly incense recipe that you can make at home with just a few ingredients. It’s a hands-on way to create incense that reflects your personal taste, while adding a sense of ritual and creativity to your daily life.

 

Ingredients You’ll Need – Basic Recipe and Substitutions

Basic Recipe:

• 5 g Cedarwood Powder
  
  
• 3 g Mugwort Powder
  
  
• 2 g Lavender Powder
  
  
• 1.5 g Makko Powder (Nanmu/Moco Powder)

Most ingredients are available on Amazon, Etsy, or local herbal shops. Look for pure, finely ground powders without artificial additives or perfumes.

Substitutions & Flexibility:
The fragrance ingredients are highly flexible — this recipe is just a starting point:

• Fruity scents: orange peel, apple chips, berries
  
  
• Woody scents: agarwood, sandalwood, cedarwood, pine powder
  
  
• Floral scents: rose petals, chamomile, jasmine
  
  
• Herbal scents: sage, rosemary, mint

Adjust proportions depending on which scent you’d like to highlight — incense making is all about customization.

Why Makko Powder Matters:
Makko Powder is essential — it acts as a natural binder to hold your incense together and ensure it burns evenly. Without it, the incense may crack, crumble, or burn inconsistently.

 

Tools You’ll Need – Simple Home Tools for Beginners

Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of fancy tools — a rolling pin and your own hands work just as well. You don’t need professional extrusion machines or specialized drying racks.

• Mixing bowl – for combining powders and water
  
  
• Rolling pin (or hands) – to flatten or shape the paste
  
  
• Tray or plate – to place sticks on while drying
  
  
• Knife or spatula – for cutting or adjusting shapes if needed

DIY incense is simple and fun — you can start with what’s already in your kitchen and enjoy the process.

 

Step-by-Step Instructions – Making Your Incense

Step 1: Mix Powders and Water

• Combine your chosen fragrance powders with Makko Powder.
  
  
• Add water at a 2:1 ratio (powder:water).
  
  
• Stir gradually until it forms a smooth, cohesive paste.

Step 2: Let the Mixture Rest (Fermentation)

• Cover the paste with plastic wrap for about 20 minutes.
  
  
• This allows the scent and moisture to distribute evenly throughout the mixture.

Step 3: Shape the Sticks

• Roll portions of the paste into sticks using your hands.
  
  
• Aim for around 20 cm in length, or adjust to your preference.
  
  
• Place sticks on your tray, ideally standing vertically to help them hold their shape.

Step 4: Dry the Incense

• Place the sticks in a dry, shaded area, avoiding direct sunlight.
  
  
• Let them dry for 3–7 days until firm.

Step 5: Enjoy Your Handmade Incense

• Light them with an incense holder.
  
  
• Experiment with different combinations to create unique scents.

 

Tips for Success – Key Points for Perfect Results

• Makko Powder is essential — it ensures sticks hold shape and burn evenly.
  
  
• Powder-to-water ratio and resting time are key — improper ratios or insufficient resting can cause uneven texture or scent.
  
  
• Dry in a cool, shaded area — direct sunlight can cause cracks and ruin the sticks.
  
  
• Feel free to experiment with ingredients and ratios for unique scents.

 

Explore Your Own Creations – DIY vs. inflowence Collection

Once you’ve tried making your own incense, feel free to experiment with different combinations and ratios to find the perfect scent for you. DIY incense allows you to customize aromas according to your personal preferences, creating a unique ritual and sensory experience at home.

If you’re curious about professionally curated scents, check out our inflowence collection. Each incense in our line has been carefully crafted based on thousands of trials and customer feedback, designed to deliver a precise, harmonious aroma. While your DIY creations offer flexibility and creativity, our curated scents provide a consistently refined experience that satisfies even the most discerning preferences.

Whether you’re experimenting with homemade incense or exploring our collection, the goal is the same: to bring a sense of ritual, relaxation, and joy to your daily life.