DIY incense holder

the smell of incense always reminds me of when i was a kid. my sister used to burn sticks whilst playing records on dads old vinyl player so it never fails to bring back good memories! i'm all for trying out new ways to make my house smell good so i didn't hesitate to grab some last summer when it started popping up in shops.

this DIY actually started out as a whole different project, i was going to spray them black and use them as minimal geo paperweights but i decided to stick some incense in them and make something more practical for the house instead. 

it's a super simple project, read on and i'll walk you through it..

materials needed:

air dry clay

sharp knife or craft blade

acrylic paint (optional)

clear varnish 

sandpaper block

1. wet your hands and start to work a piece of air dry clay until it become soft. once it's malleable roll it into a ball (about the size of a small orange) 

2. poke a hole 2-3cm deep in the top using an incense stick.

2. take a v. sharp knife and start cutting off thin slices at different angles to create a multifaceted surface. once you're happy with the shape you can wet your fingers and lightly smooth over rough edges or cracks.

note: i tried 2 ways of cutting these geometric shapes. first i cut them when the clay was still wet straight after rolling it into a ball. it's a little harder to get clean edges but if it goes wrong you can squish everything back together and start over! 

i also tried cutting when the clay ball had dried slightly, when the surface dries a little it's easier to cut cleanly through the clay with a knife. all i would say is don't leave it longer than 24hrs as otherwise it can crumble when you start slicing. i left mine about 8hrs which was fine but it will depend on the temp where your working etc. (as a general rule of thumb the surface will start to lighten as it dries so keep an eye out.)

3. leave to dry for a couple of days and then buff them with fine sandpaper. this really neatens up the shape and makes the facets stand out. i've left mine white but if you want to add colour paint them now!

5. once dry varnish. this will protect the surface from ash but it also leaves a nice faux glazed finish on the holders. i used a acrylic spray varnish for convenience but any clear varnish should be fine. 

hope you like them!

back soon

caroline x