Thinking of creating your own homemade beeswax wraps? Not sure how hard it is? You can easily make these at home by using a sandwich press, an iron, an oven or a simple brush and pot method.
For reusable food covers you can make your own homemade beeswax cloth wraps…
How you can make beeswax wraps at home
The basic requirements for making beeswax wraps:
- Beeswax
- Cloth (preferably cotton)
- A method of melting the beeswax into the cloth, e.g. heat of an oven, an iron, a sandwich press or a pot and brush.
Some recipes call for coconut, jojoba, or other oil added to the wax, but they are optional.
What are beeswax wraps used for?
Beeswax wraps replace the need for plastic wrap (AKA cling wrap, cling film, Saron wrap).
I’ve found them great in these ways:
- Keeping insects out of glass jumblers of drinks
- Wrapping around opened cans of food
- Covering fresh foods for freshness and from insects when outdoors
- Wrapping sandwiches for lunch
I’ve made sets of beeswax wraps for myself and for friends and relatives.
What’s good about beeswax wraps
What’s good about beeswax wraps is that there are no chemicals to off-gas or leach into your food, unlike plastic food wrap.
Most plastic food wrap today is made of polyethylene. But there are still some made of polyvinyl chloride types, PVDC and PVC, which are known to release a highly toxic chemical called dioxin (though the amount from your plastic wrap is not likely to kill you).
By using beeswax wraps, you are helping to reduce plastic pollution, as The Sticky Problem of Plastic Wrap reminds us.
A big problem with plastic food wrap is that it is a single-use item and one that is difficult to recycle.
How You use beeswax wraps
You simply place a wrap over the item you wish to seal and use your hands to warm and mould the wrap in place to cover. At times, I secure the wrapping with an elastic band for extra hold.
fabric to use in these eco-friendly alternatives to plastic wrap
Cotton works better than synthetic types for making beeswax wraps. I found rayon or other synthetic type materials do not hold enough beeswax to make them sticky and pliable enough.
The best fabric to use is an organic material. Organic cotton is a good choice if you truly want to avoid toxins.
Organic Cotton Beeswax Wraps
Available at Amazon
These make great gifts for the environmentally conscious that you can make yourself.
Where to source the supplies for homemade beeswax cloth wraps
Beeswax
Beeswax is a handy natural resource to have as you can use it in quite a few homemade products. It’s a natural ingredient I use in a DIY furniture polish.
There may be a local beekeeper from who you can get beeswax. You may need to shop around for price and quality. And, you want at least food-grade beeswax.
I found a supplier of good quality beeswax online that was cheaper than one local beekeeper. But, I suggest you suss out your local markets as you may find a gem there.
The beeswax should be free of toxins. So you want a source that doesn’t use pesticides or chemicals since the whole purpose is to avoid the toxins in plastic wrapping.
I bought mine in a block, which I then had to grate. This is a tad time-consuming and somewhat messy. If I were to choose again, I would look to buy pellets for the convenience that it offers. Though, expect to pay more for this convenience.
If you are looking to buy beeswax pellets in the US, you can get a popular organic brand by Sky Organics at Amazon — See details.
Some people like to add oils to the melted beeswax. You’ll need to purchase these also if you choose to incorporate them into the mixture.
For me, living in the tropics means my wraps stay pliable without adding oils to the beeswax. The warm temperatures where I live can make the wraps sticky with the oil added. So I don’t add the oil.
DIY beeswax wraps using the oven
A popular approach is melting the beeswax on the cloth in a warm oven.
This video shows you how to make beeswax wraps using an oven:
Not everyone has an oven or likes to use an oven to make beeswax wraps. No fear, you can make beeswax wraps without an over.
Yes, there are other ways to make your wraps, including using an iron and a sandwich press. Read on…
How to make beeswax wraps using an iron
This is how I’ve made my own beeswax wraps — using an iron.
Here are the steps:
- Grate enough beeswax to cover the (size and shape of the) chosen cloth in melted wax. Or alternatively, gather enough beeswax pellets.
- Cover the ironing board with a blanket or other cloth to protect it from wax.
- Cut two sheets of baking paper – both a few of inches larger all around than the size of the chosen cloth.
- Check that the sheets are enough so that the melted wax is not likely to leak onto the ironing board.
- Place the cloth between the layers of baking paper. This is to avoid ruining the iron and ironing board.
- Lift the top layer of baking paper and sprinkle the grated beeswax over the cloth.
- With the top baking paper overlayed, iron the beeswax into the cloth making sure to completely coat the cloth (start from the middle and work out to the edge. Add small amounts near the edge and in spots where needed.)
- Finally, hang the waxed cloths to dry.
Once dry they are ready to use. They will get more pliable with a few uses, so don’t be too worried if they feel stiff at first.
Beeswax Wrap DIY tutorial using a sandwich press
This video shows how it is done using a sandwich press:
I have tried a sandwich press approach as well and it works. But for me, I like more control and so I prefer the ironing method.
If you don’t have the time or the inclination to try making these yourself, you can buy the beeswax wraps ready-made at reasonable prices.
Where to buy these and other non-toxic food storage ideas
If you are in Australia — You can find beeswax wraps at reasonable prices at Biome or check out the fruity patterns in these organic beeswax wraps I found at Amazon.com.au.
There’s also Life Without Plastic.
beeswax wrap care and maintenance tips
I simply hand wash mine gently in soapy water and hang them somewhere inside to allow them to dry.
They don’t take long to dry. Avoid harsh scrubbing unless you don’t mind having to re-wax them earlier than needed.
Info sources
National Geographic: The Sticky Problem of Plastic Wrap | NIH: What is vinyl chloride?
