Making a sachet yourself takes just four steps: choose breathable fabric (cotton-linen, pure silk, brocade; avoid coated fabrics) → sew into a bag leaving an opening → grind spices and sieve through 60–80 mesh → fill to 70% full and tie the opening tightly. For the spice ratio, in a 30-gram powder portion, agarwood/sandalwood as fixatives account for 30–50%, herbal spices (patchouli, Eupatorium, mugwort, Angelica dahurica, clove) make up the main body, and highly penetrating ones like borneol are added only a few tenths of a gram. Following this ratio, the scent can last three to four weeks.
(This article is about traditional incense culture and handcraft content; statements involving physical and mental sensationsare not medical advice。）
In ancient times, sachets were called 'rongchou', 'peiwei', or 'xiangdai'. The Book of Rites, Inner Regulations records that when children served their parents, they wore 'jin ying qi ju'—the 'ying' refers to this kind of incense ornament; Han dynasty Zheng Xuan's commentary says it was worn with fragrant substances. That is to say, as early as the pre-Qin period, sachets were already everyday items, and their use also had a practical meaning of 'warding off evil'.
By the Han and Wei dynasties, it began to take on a more intimate nature. Fan Qin's poem 'Dingqing' has the line 'How to express my earnest feelings? A sachet tied behind the elbow,' clearly showing the sachet's role as a token of love. It became even more popular in the Tang dynasty; during the Dragon Boat Festival, the court bestowed clothing and sachets, and the Tang silver sachet unearthed from the crypt of Famen Temple, with a gimbal inside the sphere that keeps the incense cup upright no matter how it is turned, is a masterpiece of Tang metalwork.
So making a sachet is not just making a handicraft; it is continuing a custom over two thousand years old. With this in mind, you will naturally be more careful in choosing materials and blending scents.
Fabric
| Fabric | Characteristics | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton-linen | Best breathability, moderate scent retention, inexpensive | Everyday sachets, summer |
| Pure silk | Good feel, slightly shorter scent retention, luxurious appearance | Gifts, close to body |
| Brocade / Song brocade | Stiff, attractive, average breathability | Hanging ornaments, gift boxes |
| Non-woven fabric | Cheap, disposable | Children's craft class |
Don't use: Coated fabric, PU, plastic-textured fabrics—not breathable, the fragrance can't come out, a wasted fill.
Spices (divided into three categories by use)
Tools
Cost estimate: Fabric scraps a few yuan to a few dozen yuan; herbal spices a few dozen yuan buys enough to make over a dozen; agarwood powder priced by the gram, Star (Singapore) series 50–500 yuan/gram, Hui'an series wild sinking-grade material 3000–10000 yuan/gram.Prices vary with the market, for reference only. For making sachets you don't need top-grade agarwood; mid-range Star series powder is sufficient, and it's more cost-effective to spend your budget on good fabric.
Each portion about 30 grams; grind into powder, mix evenly, and sift—makes 4–6 medium sachets.
A. Summer refreshing type(Suitable from Dragon Boat Festival to Mid-Autumn, dispels turbidity and refreshes the mind)
B. Sweet-warm type for autumn and winter(Suitable from early autumn to Spring Festival; sweet and soothing)
C. Dispersing turbidity and warding off evil type(Traditional Dragon Boat Festival style, with a more medicinal scent)
Three formulation rules:
Step 1: Grind into powder and sift.Grind all the spices into powder and sift through a 60–80 mesh sieve. Too coarse and the scent won't last and the grains prick the hand; too fine (over 100 mesh) and it easily leaks out through the cloth seams. After sifting, store in a sealed jar and let it rest for 3–5 days so the scents blend—many people skip this step, but the difference is actually quite noticeable.
Step 2: Cut the cloth.Cut two pieces to the desired size, leaving a 0.5–0.8 cm seam allowance. Common sizes:
Step 3: Sew.With right sides together, sew three sides, leaving one side open as the bag opening; turn right side out, fold the opening inward 1 cm and stitch a line to form a drawstring channel.
Step 4: Fill with incense.Fill to about 70%,do not press it down—pressing it down prevents the fragrance from coming out. After filling, you can place a small piece of thin cotton at the opening to prevent powder from leaking.
Step 5: Close up.Thread the cord, pull tight, tie a knot, and add a tassel or wooden bead.
Step 6: Activate.Hold the finished sachet in your palm for half a minute, or gently rub it a few times, to release the fragrance.When not in use, store in a sealed bag, which can more than double how long the scent lasts.
| Scenario | Scent duration | Replacement recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Worn on the body | 2–3 weeks | Replace the core once a month |
| Hung in a car (high temperature) | 1–2 weeks | Replace every two weeks in summer |
| Hung in a wardrobe / drawer | 4–8 weeks | Replace the core every two months |
| Hung at the entryway / in a ventilated spot | 2–4 weeks | Replace the core once a month |
To judge whether it needs replacing, don't look at the calendar,smell: hold it about ten centimeters away and inhale firmly; when you can barely smell it, it's time to replace. The sachet core can be poured out to use as incense ash (for indirect-heat incense burning) or buried directly in a flowerpot; the cloth bag can be washed and reused.
Before Dragon Boat Festival last year, a client ordered company gifts for her clients: two hundred cloth sachet covers, and she brought her team to fill them with incense. She later reported: the most valuable part was not the money saved, but that "on the filling day, the whole office was discussing whose blend smelled better"—The meaning of handcraft is that it forces you to slow down, which is something buying ready-made sachets cannot give you.
If you need pre-blended incense powder or loose incense materials, seeAgarwood product overview; if you are unsure about the quality of the incense materials, bring them to the store, and we offerfree appraisal, or you can directly call400-809-1913to ask about ratios.
Passing through a 60–80 mesh sieve is most suitable. Too coarse (below 20 mesh): particles are large, fragrance lasts shorter, and they prick through the cloth; too fine (above 100 mesh): powder leaks through the cloth seams and leaves white marks on clothes. After grinding, don't rush to bag it; put it in a sealed jar and let it sit for 3–5 days to let the scents blend. This step affects the final fragrance more than most people think.
Carried on the person: 2–3 weeks; hung in wardrobe or drawer: 4–8 weeks; in a car (especially in summer heat): only 1–2 weeks. The criterion is not the calendar but your nose: bring it within ten centimeters and inhale hard; if you can barely smell it, it's time to replace the core. To extend fragrance: when not in use, store in a sealed bag; before wearing, cup it in your palm for half a minute to activate.
Pregnant women, infants under 3 years old, people with asthma, and those with severe allergies are advised not to wear them or to use them with caution. Traditional formulas include mugwort leaf, Atractylodes rhizome, clove, etc., which are somewhat irritating; clove has strong penetrating power. (Not medical advice) Healthy adults generally have no problem wearing them, but do not hang them at the head of an infant's bed or in a stroller. In pet-owning households (especially those with cats), place sachets where pets cannot reach.
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