Crafting Your Imagination: A Guide to Making Custom Burners, and Holders

Unveiling the Joy of Crafting

Engaging in crafting, such as making custom burners, and holders is an incredibly rewarding experience that taps into the wellspring of creativity within individuals. The thrill of transforming simple materials into extraordinary handmade items engenders a sense of accomplishment and pride. Crafting serves as a powerful outlet for self-expression, allowing artisans to bring their unique visions to life, which contributes positively to their overall well-being.

One of the primary benefits of engaging in crafting is its ability to alleviate stress. The repetitive motions involved in creating crafts can have a meditative effect, promoting relaxation and mindfulness. As a result, many individuals find themselves rejuvenated and more focused after spending time on their projects. Furthermore, the act of creating something tangible also combats feelings of anxiety and boosts self-esteem, leading to a greater sense of satisfaction with one’s abilities.

Embarking on a DIY (Do It Yourself) journey opens up a world of possibilities. To get started, basic materials and tools are often required, which are easily accessible even for beginners. Whether one is interested in designing intricate jewelry pieces, experimenting with fragrant incense, or crafting unique burners, the variety of projects available means there is something for everyone. Crafting as a hobby can also evolve into a potential entrepreneurial venture, with many crafters turning their passions into small businesses. These stories can serve as inspiration, as individuals share their journeys from hobbyists to successful entrepreneurs.

Overall, crafting is an activity that fosters creativity and generates joy. By engaging in this fulfilling practice, one not only creates meaningful artisanal pieces but also cultivates a sense of personal fulfillment, making it an excellent pursuit for anyone seeking to explore their creative side.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Creating an Incense Burner

In this tutorial, we will make a simple incense burner using pre-made parts purchased online. First, we need to gather our tools. Pliers, a screwdriver bit, a Dremel or hand file, 2mm screws appx. 1/8in or less, solder and soldering iron or propane torch, pre-cast incense holder, metal tray or plate (can also be acrylic), 1 – 1 1/4 ” round metal charm with its hanging loop removed. Safety glasses are a must in our shop unless you wear regular eyeglasses with side protection attached. Decide if you will be using metal or acrylic as the process is different for each. Our first burner will be made using metal.

You have two choices for attaching the incense holder to your tray/plate:

• Drill holes in both the plate and the holder then using tiny screws attach the holder to the plate.
• Use solder to attach the holder to the tray/plate.

First, the screws: when using screws this small remember to get the correct size screwdriver or bit. If they are too large the top of your screw will strip. Make a pattern so you know where the holes need to be drilled in both the tray/plate and holder, ill-placed holes will make it hard to attach the holder. To attach the “charm” cone holder use a soldering iron/torch and solder use as little as you can and only on the outside or you risk filling the voids in the charm. The charm need not be used for a Backflow Burner.

Second, the acrylic tray/plate: when using an acrylic tray/plate it is best to use the small cone cup we have in the shop they are shallow and can be used in most molds. If you are using a boat-type mold it will have the hole for the stick in it already. To put the cup in cover the opening to the cup with a 1″ round sticker to keep the epoxy out. Next, put the cup in with the open end down as the top of the holder is the bottom of the mold. Pour a thin layer of acrylic to adhere to the items in the mold (like flowers or stones) without making them float. Allow 6 hr for the epoxy to cure before pouring the rest of the mold. At this time you may add colors, sparkles, and so on. The very top of the holder will be clear so your items can easily be seen.

Is that a lake surrounded by mountains? A miniature mountain range with a valley? Maybe. We are acquiring new mold to use for our burners and such. There is that set of 4 mountains here and over there a terraced mini garden. I could fill that hole on the top of the terrace and attach the mountains,  then put the cone cup in the bottom hole and fill it. I can drill a hole or two for stick incense in the mountain range….. yeah that could work. And it will work, here’s how.

First, you cast all the molds you will need. Figure out how many mountains you can use on the top without crowding. Let the molds cure for 24 hr or so we want them to be hard.
Second, take the acrylic pieces out of the molds. Fill the hole (planter area) in the top of the terrace mold, do not overfill.
Third, for the cone holder, you will need to check the depth of the smaller hole and fill it with epoxy until the cup is able to sit properly without being above the edge of the hole. Next, let the epoxy cure for 6 hrs.  Add the cup, and more epoxy, and wait another 6 hrs.
So now you have been waiting for 30 hours +, it is time to assemble the holder/burner. Make a pattern of the top of the terrace and decide where you want to drill a min. of 2 holes for each mountain. Lay your mountains on the paper where you want them to go mark the bottom of the mountain for drilling the holes. Drill the holes and insert a toothpick, break off the points so they are the correct length for the holes you drilled. Make a small amount of epoxy, and using a syringe fill the holes in the back mountain and the holes in the back of the terrace and put a thin line on the terrace for glue. Add the toothpicks to the holes and fit the mountains over them, continue until all mountains are installed. You can add small dried flowers with stems by drilling and adding epoxy to the holes before putting the flowers or trees in the holes. Remember to try to clean up the excess resin or it could look bad
Finally, let the assembly cure for 12 hrs. When that is done you can drill the holes (appx 1/4″ deep) for the incense sticks. We have 1mm grommets that are used to form a stable base for incense sticks. The grommets can be super-glued in the holes. Now use the fancy metallic pens we have in the shop and color the silver metal to match the piece or to make them stand out and you are done.