Loose incense can be made up solely of herbs, roots, etc. or a mixture of herbs and some type of liquid such as oils, honey, etc. (usually only a few drops) or a mixture of Bamba wood base (crushed bamboo which has a pleasant scent and comes in several colors - making it excellent for magickal incenses) and appropriate oils.
Loose incense must be burned on charcoal. This is not the charcoal you use in your barbecue, but rather the kind you can get either at a religious supply or new age/pagan store. These are quick light and safe for use indoors - which barbecue briquets are not.
Loose incense does not require a bonding agent, saltpeter or liquid. Therefore it can be less expensive to make and is definitely easier to make. Herbs used in loose incense also does not have to be completely powdered. A few bits and pieces of twigs, flowers, leaves, etc. can be excellent in loose incense although these should still be kept to a minimum.
Loose incense can be stored in small wide-mouthed jars (for easy retrieval) in a dark, dry place. The top shelves in closets are good. Kitchen cupboards, although they may be handy, are not as good as there is moisture from cooking and doing dishes that can Remember to label the containers with the ingredients or recipe, date made, and any other info you think might be important. Incense should be stored in glass containers especially when ingredients such as camphor or menthol (or any other strong-scented scents) are used. If it is at all possible, a small packet of silica gel should be added to protect against moisture.
The easiest method is known as "infusion". I use this all the time, usually making fairly small quantities - depending on my needs and wants. As the herbs are steeped in a carrier oil, they are not as concentrated as essential oils. You can use these oils in all kinds of recipes, but you may want to increase the amount that you use from the recommended essential oil amounts and decrease another oil to accommodate the extra carrier oil.
Take a small jar (I like the Bick's Relish jars - nice and short and plump - easy to fill and empty) and fill it with the leaves and/or petals of the herb you wish to make the oil from. Fresh herbs are preferred, but dried are fine. Growing most herbs is possible for me to do inside and where I live, I cannot have an outside, in-the-ground garden, so for the most part, I used dried herbs. Pour olive oil (the purer the better) over the herbs to cover. Do not pack the herbs down as you want the oil to touch all of the herbs possible.
Tightly cap or cork the jar and keep it in a warm, dark (out of sunlight) place for 3 days. You should shake the bottle every day to thoroughly wet all the herb. Strain the oil on the third day, refill the bottle with more leaves/petals, and pour the same oil back into the jar. This should be repeated several times until the oil is heavily saturated with fragrance - or at least until the fragrance you want is achieved.
Strain the oil through a piece of fine muslin or filter paper and store in a bottle that closes tightly and is preferably opaque (colored), To preserve any oil, add a few drops of Tincture of Benzoin as a "natural" preservative.
I have used these oils in candles, potpourri, soaps, lotions, creams, and all manner of other toiletries and crafts. It's really quite easy and once you start making your own oils, you won't want to go back to purchased ones.
Soak 1 tablespoon of powdered benzoin in 1/4 cup of good quality vodka or apple cider vinegar for 3 weeks. Strain. Keep in a tightly capped dark bottle.
5 drops Lilac
5 drops Musk
3 drops Bay
2 drops Lime
Purple Colouring
This is said to help make your dreams come true.
Equal parts of:
Basil
Oregano
Sage
Thyme
Lemon
Few Drops Green Colouring
This blend is said to bring good luck in gambling, and is also used as a healing oil.
5 drops Patchouli
5 drops Cinnamon
5 drops Jasmine
Red Colouring
This oil is used as an attraction oil to inspire romance and lovemaking.
The book these recipes are taken from is:
"The Complete Book of Herbs: A practical guide to growing & using herbs" by Lesley Bremness published by Reader's Digest ISBN 0-88850-158-7.
Equipment needed:
3 gallon bucket
Pestle and mortar or mallet
12 quart stainless steel or galvanized pan
Rubber gloves
Wooden spoon
Metal sieve
Strong nylon net bag
Blender
Preparing plant pulp:
1 gallon fresh herbs
1 quart water
2 tbsp caustic soda
1. Gather a 3 gallon bucketful of herbs and cut or tear them into 1-2" square pieces. Crush thick pieces with a mallet or pestle and mortar to speed the breakdown process.
2. Put 1 quart cold water into a stainless steel pan and stir in the caustic soda, using a wooden spoon. Avoid breathing the fumes, wear rubber gloves and rinse off any splashes with cold water immediately. Add the herbs, cover with extra warm water if necessary and mix well. Simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until the plant fibers feel soft.
3. Rinse the plants thoroughly to remove all traces of caustic soda. Then strain them through a metal sieve.
4. Gather the pulp (much reduced) into a net bag and rinse in water, squeezing the fibers repeatedly for several minutes.
5. Blend 2-1/2 tablespoons of the fibers with 3 cups water for 20 seconds. The more finely the plant fibers are blended, the finer the paper will be. This pulp can be used as it is or added to recycled paper pulp.
6. Writing paper needs to be treated or "sized" to receive ink. Mix 1/5 teaspoon cold-water laundry starch with a little water and stir into the pulp.
You can use old papers to make fresh paper, which you can then embellish with herbal additives or mix with plant pulp. Try absorbent papers such as newspaper, wallpaper, blotting paper, or computer printout. Soak small pieces of paper overnight in warm water. Blend 2-1/2 tablespoons paper with 3 cups of water for 15 seconds. "Size" as above.
Equipment needed:
Large plastic basin
Wooden frames - 8-1/2x11" or 8-1/2x14" with waterproof joints and strong net stapled taut.
One extra frame of the same size without netting
Newspapers
Making Paper:
pulp (recycled paper, plant pulp or mixed)
Optional additions:
flowers
petals
stalks
essential oil
1. Fill the plastic basin with pulp to just below the rim.
2. Place the empty wooden frame over a netted frame, hold together and dip vertically into the basin. Tilt to horizontal below the water, and raise slowly, keeping the frame horizontal.
3. Lay on newspaper to drain. Remove the empty top frame, scatter on petals or leaves for decoration and leave the pulp to dry.
4. When completely dry, slide a palette knife under the sheet to loosen it from the frame. Clean the frame and reuse, following the same process.
Scented Paper:
Scent paper by storing it with aromatic herbs in an enclosed space. Lay lavender bundles or envelopes of your favorite herb blend in a box of writing paper. Wallpaper absorbs scent well and can be used to line drawers. Slip thin muslin bags of potpourri laced with extra essential oils between layers of drawer-lining paper, roll up and cover with plastic wrap for 6 weeks to scent.
Paper Decorations:
Press flowers of borage, daisy, forget-me-not, primrose or sweet violet; leaves of alpine lady's mantle, chervil, pelargonium or salad burnet; or sprigs of lemon thyme, rosemary or myrtle between sheets of blotting paper or newsprint in a heavy book. When they are dried, use a small amount of latex-based glue to fix the herbs to writing paper, greeting cards and gifts."
Now, these instructions seem to be quite complicated, but apparently the process is quite simple. Basically, you do not fill the plastic container - a kitty litter pan is just about perfect - to the top. The more material that is on the screen or netting the thicker your paper will be, so you really don't want it piled on too heavy. Also, when it comes to the netting, you can use window screening but then don't put it too near heat to dry or the screen will burn a pattern into the one side of the paper. Plastic window screening is okay, but has a tendency to stretch, and you can't put it too near heat either, or it will melt.
Try a little bit at a time, let the kids play around with the newspaper stuff (not the plant stuff because of the caustic soda). Also, if you use a sieve and run it through the paper pulp so that the sieve netting is fairly evenly covered, the kids can make little paper bowls. It doesn't take a lot of materials, and it is fun and really rewarding when you see what you can do.
The book also shows papers made with dandelion leaves and petals to create subtle flecks of grey, green and yellow; petals of lavender, rose or other garden flowers; crushed onion skin to add subtle tints of mauve and burgundy; dried fern leaves to add an earthy accent; hop vines to add fine texture with silver-gray speckles; and sunflower stem paper has pale gold fibers embedded in the pulp.
I received permission to share this recipe from a very nice person off the Toiletries List. This is her recipe, not mine. She has taken the time to give full details, which are great. - Fran
Equipment:
Tapestry or carpet thread (smooth, not fuzzy)
A darning needle
A button
A small knife
Dental floss (for the finished beads)
A food processor or spice mill (optional)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup flowers or herb leaves, fresh or dried
3-4 tbsp. All-purpose flour
Water
10-15 drops essential oil (complimentary to your herbs)
Instructions:
If your are using fresh flowers (or fresh scented geranium leaves), take petals and discard the hard parts like stems and such. Try to use only the parts that are aromatic. Process the herbs until they are pureed or very finely chopped. The easiest way to do this is in a food processor. If you are using dried herbs, process them the same way or rub them through a sieve to make a powder.
Once you've pureed or finely chopped your plant material, begin adding the all-purpose flour. The amount listed is approximate. You will need more flour if your puree is soupy or your chopped herbs are very moist. You may need less if your plant material is drier or if you use powdered herbs.
If you use powdered plant material or if your plants are dry, you may need to add water. Start with 1 TBSP. And begin mixing the plant/flour mixture.
The dough should be about right when it looks like craft clay for kids (e.g. Playdough). Add a little more flour to the mix if it seems too soft or a teeny bit of water if it seems to stiff. The dough will definitely be too soft if you pull on it and it easily stretches like kneaded bread dough. I do most of my dough mixing right I the food processor, periodically playing with the dough to see if it feels workable.
When the dough seems right, begin by pinching off chunks and shaping them into beads. You will notice that chopped plant material will cause your beads to look course at this point. They are still quite attractive this way! Another way to make the beads is to roll a chunk into a long tube or snake and then chop off bead-sized bits with a knife.
The dough remains workable for quite some time, but if it starts to feel very dry to the touch, it is starting to harden. Making amount specified above should keep them from beginning to harden before you are done. If they start, try moistening the surface of the dough very lightly and working the moisture in quickly.
Once the beads are shaped, you can add essential oil to them if you like. Adding the oil sooner usually results in poorer quality beads because the oil evaporates quickly when you mix everything together.
Once your beads are shaped, knot the end of the thread and string it through the bottom of the button. Use enough thread to string your beads with room between them for moving around as they dry. String the beads carefully, being sure they have their holes where you want them (some people may not want the hole to go right through the middle). The beads will shrink slightly as they dry.
Hand the beads in a warm, dry place with plenty of circulation and away from lights. It should take about 3 or 4 days to dry fully. The size of your beads and the weather will make a difference. Be sure to slide the beads on the string every so often to keep them from sticking together or to the string.
When the beads are dry, store them in an airtight container until you are ready to string them together. I've found that dental floss (not tape!) works best for stringing the beads together.
Tip:
Fresh, red rose petals turned a lovely bright purple when I mixed the dough and faded to dark lavender when the dough dried.
Mama Yasmini's Place Fun Stuff