How to Make a Polymer Clay Incense Holder

Ever find yourself burning incense and realizing your incense holder is… well, less than Instagram-worthy? Same. That’s why today, I’m showing you how to make a polymer clay incense holder using the Dizzy Spirals cane from my last post. Spoiler: this little project was as much about me upgrading my own sad setup as it is about inspiring you to get creative!

I’ll be honest: this polymer clay incense holder tutorial is a bit self-indulgent. I burn incense a lot (and by a lot, I mean my place perpetually smells like a yoga studio), but my current setup—a blob of raw clay perched on an old trinket dish prototype—has been killing the vibe. Functional? Sure. Cute? Not even close.

When I created the Dizzy Spirals cane, I knew it was the one for this project. Fast forward to now, and I’ve got a funky, colorful incense holder that doesn’t just work—it looks amazing, too.

Not totally sold on Dizzy Spirals? No problem. Try one of these cane tutorials for your own unique spin:

• ‘Squiggles’ Polymer Clay Kaleidoscope Cane Tutorial
• How to Make a Polymer Clay Extruder Cane | Groovy Geometric
• How to Make a Blended Checks Polymer Clay Cane

The asymmetrical design for this holder was inspired by a tea light holder I stumbled across on Pinterest, and the half-sphere detail that holds the incense stick? That’s just me putting my impulse-buy bath bomb mold from Michaels to good use. No mold? No worries! You can DIY a large bead with aluminum foil, scrap clay, and cane slices. Problem solved. 

Now, grab your tools, your clay, and that stash of incense sticks. Let’s turn your sad little setup (assuming you’re like me, that is) into a polymer clay incense holder that’s every bit as functional as it is fabulous. Let’s go!

Tools & Materials  

• Non-porous work surface — I work on either glazed tile or glass.  
• Pasta machine dedicated to polymer clay — I use an Atlas 180 and will reference its settings here. No pasta machine? No problem. An acrylic roller and some playing cards can save the day (though your arm might get a workout).  
• Dizzy Spirals polymer clay cane — or sub the cane of your choice
• Extra polymer clay — pick a color that is already in the cane or that complements it
• Glass jar
• Small metal bath bomb mold — see Notes below if you don’t have one
• Ruler
• Craft knife
• Liquid clay  
• Large round cutter — approximately 3”
• Round micro cutter — use one the same size or slightly larger than the size of an incense stick
• Parchment paper & burnishing tool of choice
• Polymer clay blade
• Paper, pencil & ruler — you’ll be drawing your own template
• Sandpaper — coarse grit for quick cleanup of edges & wet/dry for finishing (I used 600 & 800 grits)

Directions | Polymer Clay Incense Holder

To begin with, you’ll need to make a paper template for the outside wall of the polymer clay incense holder. Measure the circumference of your jar and make the width of your template 1/4” shorter. My jar is approximately 10 1/4” so I made my template 10”.

Mark the height of the incense holder wall on each end of the template—2” tall on one side and 1/2” on the other. Draw a straight line between the two points. Draw curved corners if you’d prefer that to sharp pointed corners. Cut the template out.

Condition your solid color clay and sheet it on the no.3 setting. Place your template on the sheet of clay and cut out the rough shape, leaving a little extra clay beyond the shape of the template.

Start by placing a row of cane slices along the bottom edge of the sheet of clay. Place another row of cane slices above the first row. Depending on the size of your slices keep going until you’ve covered the sheet of clay. My cane slices were about 1” square so I only needed the two rows. I cut off the excess at an angle to match the slope of the wall, flipped the cut piece around, and used that to finish the veneer.

Cover the veneer with with a piece of parchment paper and burnish the seams closed.

Once the seams are smooth replace the template and use a ruler to help guide in cutting the straight lines.

Make a long, narrow ribbon of clay and sheet it on the no.6 setting.

Use a craft knife or blade to cut one edge of the ribbon straight. Trim the sides and angled edge of the incense holder wall piece. The straight, cut edge should be placed against the parchment paper and the rough edge facing up.

Use a sharp blade to trim away the excess clay by sliding it along the surface of the veneer. Burnish the seam of the trim on both the front and back of the wall piece.

Wrap the incense holder wall piece around the jar, taking care to keep the bottom edge straight and even.

Sheet another piece of clay—approximately 3” x 3”—on the no.3 setting. For this step I gathered up the scraps from trimming the wall piece and mixed them together. This clay will be covered with a veneer and not be seen so it’s okay if it’s not an exact match to the rest of the solid color clay.

Cover the sheet with a cane slice veneer and burnish well. This piece will be shaped over the bath bomb mold so watch for split seams!

Cut out a circle large enough to fit over the bath bomb mold. I used a 3” round cutter. Drape the clay over the mold and press it into place. Trim the bottom edge with a sharp blade and check for any split seams that need to be burnished closed again.

Use a micro cutter to cut out a hole at the center top for an incense stick.

Bake the two pieces, tented with foil, at the recommended temperature for your brand of clay for 45 minutes. Make sure you are baking hot enough so the pieces are fully cured and flexible.

Once the pieces have cured carefully remove them from their molds. The wall piece will have shiny spots from the glass so you’ll want to sand them off. If it’s been properly cured it should have enough flex to sand without worry of breaking. I used wet/dry sandpaper in 600 and 800 grits. Sand the dome as well, if desired, and run the bottom over some coarse grit sandpaper to flatten, if needed.

Sheet a piece of the solid color clay on the thickest setting (no.0) and smooth it onto a baking tile taking care not to trap any air. Smear a light layer of liquid clay on the bottom of the wall piece and press it into the sheet of clay. Smear more liquid clay over the bottom edge of the dome and position it where you’d like it sitting inside the wall. Let the pieces rest for a few minutes so the clay begins to bond and the wall piece won’t slide when you’re trimming the excess clay.

Holding a stiff blade straight up and down, use the side of the incense holder as a guide to trim away the excess clay. Cut away the clay in straight cuts, turning the tile as you go until most of the clay has been removed. Flip the blade upside down and run it around the bottom of the incense holder, smoothing out the remainder.

Bake again, covered in foil, at the recommended temperature for your brand of clay for 45 minutes.

Once cool, carefully pop the polymer clay incense holder off of the tile. Sand the bottom and sides to finish.

Note: If you don’t happen to have a metal bath bomb mold on hand (how many of us do, really?) I’ve got a couple suggestions for a workaround. 1) Simply make a large bead with a scrap core covered in cane slices. Or 2) if you’d like an even larger bead to mimic the half sphere I’ve used—ball up some aluminium foil, cover it with some scrap clay to smooth out the wrinkles, and cover that with cane slices. You won’t be able to use the micro cutter to make a hole for the incense stick with either of these methods. Instead, use an incense stick to make the hole before curing, or drill a hole after curing.

If you enjoyed learning how to make this polymer clay incense holder, I’d love to see your creations! Tag me on Instagram @bysandracallander.

Have questions? Comments? Hilarious clay fails? Drop me a message—I’m here to help (and laugh with you, not at you…promise).

Want even more inspiration and a place to share your work? Join my Facebook group The Polymer Clay Collective and connect with a fabulous community of fellow makers. Let’s clay it up together!