DIY beeswax wrap

Beeswax wraps are a natural, healthy, zero waste alternative to plastic wrap. I’d been holding off buying some because they can be pricey, plus I wasn’t convinced I actually needed them … until I had to bring a salad to a friend’s house. I didn’t want to use plastic wrap, so I covered my bowl in a tea towel and “sealed” it with a rubber band. Needless to say, this didn’t work too well. The rubber band kept popping off, causing the tea towel to fall repeatedly into the salad 🙄

Rather than buy pre-made beeswax wraps, I decided to make my own using leftover cotton fabric scraps and a chunk of beeswax I purchased from Loco. These DIY beeswax wraps take just a few minutes to make and cost a fraction of what they sell for at stores. In fact, they’re so easy to make, I taught a group of elementary school kids how to make them today in Green Club! 😃 The other benefit to making beeswax wraps is that you can make them the exact size you need. My beeswax wrap perfectly covers my large mixing bowl—the one I tried to transport that salad in 😂

How to make beeswax wraps

Materials
100% cotton fabric
Pinking shears (to prevent edges from fraying)
Beeswax, grated or in pellets
Cheese grater*
Old cookie sheet*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200F.
2. Measure and cut fabric into desired size and shape, depending on what you plan on wrapping. My beeswax wrap is 14 inches in diameter, which creates a nice 2″ overlap around my large mixing bowl. I used a metal tray as a template, tracing the perimeter with a pencil then cutting the outline with pinking shears.
3. Place the fabric on the cookie sheet and lightly sprinkle with beeswax. As the beeswax melts, it will spread out and soak the fabric.
4. Put the cookie sheet in the warm oven and remove it as soon as the beeswax is completely melted into the fabric (a couple minutes).
5. Carefully remove the fabric from the cookie sheet and hold the edges with your fingers until the beeswax wrap cools (a few seconds).

Care and maintenance

• Use these DIY beeswax wraps as you would plastic wrap: to cover bowls, wrap snacks, etc.
• To wash, use cold water and a mild soap (do not use warm water as it will remove the beeswax).
• If you find your beeswax wrap isn’t as clingy as it used to be, add some more grated beeswax and pop it in the oven!

* Beeswax is difficult to remove. If you plan on using beeswax often, dedicate some kitchen supplies (like a grater and cookie sheet) exclusively to beeswax projects to reduce cleaning time.