For the past few years, I’ve been gradually trying to become more sustainable in my day to day life by replacing disposable products with reusable ones. This project is one I’ve been wanting to try for a while because I’m an avid user of zip lock bags and plastic wrap… I know, I know they are definitely not good for the environment! Unlike those disposable plastics, these beeswax wraps are easy to wipe down and reuse.
You’ll need:
Cotton fabric
Beeswax – I recommend pellets, but a block will work if shaved
A flat oven safe pan or baking sheet
A plastic basting brush or a paintbrush you’re okay with dedicating to beeswax projects
Fabric scissors or rotary cutter
Cutting mat
An oven
If you are into sewing like me, you might have some fat quarters laying around. Fat quarters are a rectangle of fabric made of the excess on the bolt that wouldn’t usually be enough for a sewing project but are perfect for quilting and small projects like this. Since this project doesn’t require a lot of fabric, these are a great, inexpensive option. If you are trying to use up extra fabric you have laying around or are looking for a specific pattern that isn’t available in fat quarters, make sure it is cotton.
To start, preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. While that’s heating, cut your fabric into squares. My squares were 10”x10” and 6”x6”. The smaller ones I made specifically for those extra pieces of chocolate or that bit of bell pepper I have leftover, and the larger ones I’m planning on using for sandwiches and bowl covers. I think these are good sizes for my day-to-day, but I’m going to make 14”x14” for my larger bowls as well. Play around with the sizes and see what works best for you!
Now that you have all of your squares cut, take one and put it on your baking sheet. Make sure that the whole thing can lay flat on your sheet and doesn’t fall over the edges or need to be bunched up. Lay it on the sheet and sprinkle the beeswax over top. There isn’t a specific measurement, but you can always add more later and any extra can be scraped up and reused.
Put your baking sheet in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the beeswax is melted. Take the sheet out of the oven and use your basting brush to make sure all of your fabric is covered in the wax, then flip over the fabric and make sure this side is covered as well. When you know that both sides are fully covered, grab the corners of your fabric and gently shake excess wax off. I recommend rotating the square slowly to make sure that the melted excess doesn’t harden on one edge. If you don’t like how the beeswax hardens on any of them, you can always stick them back in the oven and try again. When the beeswax hardens, your wrap is done and you can repeat with all of your other squares!
After you’re done making all of your wraps, the cleanup is pretty simple. Wait for the beeswax to cool so it will easily break off of the basting brush and scrape off of the baking sheet. And now you can use your wraps! You can fold them around leftover food or a sandwich, or put them over bowls. And when you’re done, rinse them off and use them again. But remember that beeswax does melt with heat, so keep them away from the stove and hot water. Enjoy your new reusable wraps and, as always, subscribe so you don’t miss out on the next project!
Dandelion Smiles 