Easy D.I.Y. beeswax wraps tutorial for making your own natural, eco-friendly, beeswax wraps with only a few supplies. These wraps are a “must-have” when trying to ditch and replace single-serve plastics.
Why not make them yourself with this easy-to-follow recipe? Be sure to make extras for gifts!
Easy to make Beeswax Wraps
Today, I am going to share with you how I make my eco-friendly beeswax wraps with only a few supplies. I will also share with you our one-year results from our family switching to my homemade wraps and ditching single-serve plastics!
It is empowering and satisfying to hand-make your own eco-friendly sustainable products! It’s healthy for your family & will save you money, and also helps us to be better stewards of the Earth that God has entrusted us with.
The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him.
~Psalm 24:1
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Benefits of using all natural beeswax wraps vs single use plastics
In our attempt to give the plastic in our daily life “the boot” we realize each positive step we take not only saves money and is sustainable and earth-friendly but is also better for our health! It’s a triple win! How AMAZING is that!?! Earth, budget, and body-friendly!
Our family tested my homemade wraps for one year and found them to be….
1. durable
2. antimicrobial
3. eco-friendly
4. ethically made
5. reusable
6. compostable
7. biodegradable
8. multipurpose
9. healthy alternative to plastic
Beeswax wraps help cut down on the costly toxic waste of single-use plastic wraps, aluminum foil, and plastic food baggies. Another great benefit is no longer having health hindering toxins leech into your food through storage.
Our first year RESULTS using beeswax wraps
There are so many pros to making this switch! I started off by making a dozen wraps in different shapes and sizes. The intoxicating fresh beeswax smell does fade away after a few uses and does not leech into your foods. They are easy to clean using only warm water and your favorite plant-based soap. Our wraps were used daily and maintained their shape and stickiness for one year. I recently resealed all of them and they are back to being like new!
At this rate, I can see them lasting for several years! Once the fabric does become worn and shredded the wraps can be cut down and added to the compost pile, flower bed, or used as fire starters.
Happy we made the swap!
Overall the switch was easy and we were impressed with their quality and ability to keep foods fresh. It saves us money since we no longer purchase foil or plastic wrap. We were relieved that we are no longer adding those toxic products to our landfills.
If any, the only cons about using beeswax wraps would be that you can’t wrap raw meat (we store ours in glass bowls with lids or glass jars). We found that to store cheeses or other items that tend to “dry out” quickly, you first take a piece of COMPOSTABLE PARCHMENT PAPER (click HERE to see & purchase!) then dampen the paper and roll your item inside then cover with the wrap.
Preparing your fabric for sealing!
The first step is picking out your fabric! Try opting for organic or all-natural cotton fabrics. A simple natural muslin fabric (shown HERE!) OR
**You may also reuse fabric scraps you may have on hand OR UPCYCLE cotton clothing or sheets!**
Wash your fabric and iron them flat (do not apply fabric softener or starch spray due to chemicals). If you have trouble removing wrinkles just apply a light water spray prior to ironing. Cut your edges with pinking shears to avoid fraying.
Choose the sizes that you want your covers to be and add at least an additional 2 inches on each side for good coverage. A good size to make is a 14″x 14″ for regular sandwiches or stuff with fresh fruit, veggies & granola.
Materials
For your convenience, I’ve added the product links (highlighted items) that you may SHOP directly from
1 yard of cotton fabric (unbleached cotton)
1 cup beeswax – (we buy ours locally sourced if you don’t have that option you can purchase through this link)
1/4 cup pine resin
1/8 cup jojoba
Compostable parchment paper to line the pan with for easier clean up (I did use a different brand to use up what I had on hand. But this one is my favorite)
Tools
Old hand towel
Newspapers or parchment paper
Old cookie sheet
Gloves (it can be a sticky project)
Old stirring spoon
Oven
Making your beeswax food wraps
Preheat oven to 200*
- Place 1/4 cup of crushed pine resin on cookie sheet and place in oven till melted. Takes 5 minutes or less to melt and smells amazing!
- Take the tray out of the oven and add 1 cup of beeswax onto the cookie sheet (no need to shred the chunks). I break mine down with a hammer into no larger than a 3-inch block. Place pan with melted resin and beeswax into the oven. (melting times vary due to the sizes of your beeswax chunks)
- When the wax has melted take the baking sheet out of the oven, add the 1/8 cup of Jojoba oil, and stir. Place back in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
- After you take the cookie sheet out of the oven place it on a flat surface.
- Now it’s time to dip your fabric! You have to work quickly otherwise the wax hardens fast and you will have to place the tray back into the oven to melt into a liquid form again.
- Take your sheets of fabric and quickly dip them into your cookie sheet and lift them up to allow excess to drip off. Then hang to dry.
You can allow them to cure (fully dry) for at least 24 hours before use. Longer drying times are needed for areas with higher humidity. After they have cured they are ready to replace all of your unwanted single-serve plastics!
Helpful tips to making food wraps
- Be sure to keep a small amount of beeswax on hand so you can reseal your wraps as needed.
- If the wax hardens too fast in between dips you can place the tray back in the oven to re-melt the wax Sometimes, I have to repeat that step a few times.
- Clean, dry wraps can be folded and placed in your favorite kitchen basket
- Beeswax burns easily and can turn brown if melted at too high of a temperature.
- Beeswax is highly flammable so use caution around the flame and hot elements.
- If the wax cools before you are finished just place the tray back into the oven to melt into a liquid form again. Sometimes I have to repeat that step a few times depending on how many interruptions happen and how many I am making.
- You can double the batch but I recommend only placing one batch in at a time. You don’t want the cookie sheet too full of wax or it can spill, discolor or become clumpy before you’re done.
- Afterward, if you have a lot of wax on hand you can use it to make other eco-friendly items like beeswax candles, dipped pinecone fire starters, or hand/foot balm. Don’t forget along with your supply, to make extras for the perfect handmade gift!
If you’d rather just purchase a set
Do you want to try Beeswax wraps but would rather just purchase them and have them shipped right to your door? Then here is a couple you may like. Just click on the bold print to take you right to the product page.
ORGANIC WRAPS – 3 PACK OF WRAPS – Three premium wraps; 1 large wrap (15”x15”), 1 medium wrap (12”x12”), 1 small wrap (9”x9”), and original ENEY Wax Replenisher OR
Bee’s Wrap Assorted 3 Pack, Made in USA – 1 small (7″ x 8″), 1 medium (10″ x 11″), and 1 large (13″ x 14″).
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D.I.Y. Eco Friendly Beeswax Wraps
Easy D.I.Y. beeswax wraps tutorial for making your own natural, eco friendly, sustainable beeswax wraps with only a few supplies.
Materials
- 1 yard of cotton fabric (unbleached cotton)
- 1 cup beeswax – (we buy ours locally sourced, if you don’t have that option you can purchase through this link)
- 1/4 cup pine resin
- 1/8 cup jojoba
- Compostable parchment paper to line pan with for easier clean up (I did use a different brand to use up what I had on hand. But this one is my favorite)
Tools
- Old hand towel
- Newspapers or parchment paper
- Old cookie sheet
- Gloves (it can be a sticky project)
- Old stirring spoon
- Oven
Instructions
- Place 1/4 cup of crushed pine resin on cookie sheet and place in oven. Takes 5 minutes or less to melt and smells amazing!
- Place 1 cup beeswax on a cookie sheet (no need to shred the chunks). I break mine down with a hammer into no larger than a 3 inch block. Place pan with melted resin and beeswax into the oven. (melting times vary due to the sizes of your beeswax chunks)
- When the wax has melted take the baking sheet out of the oven, add the 1/8 cup of Jojoba oil and stir. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes.
- After you take the cookie sheet out of the oven place it on a flat surface.
- Now it’s time to dip your fabric! You have to work quickly otherwise the wax hardens fast and you will have to place the tray back into the oven to melt into a liquid form again.
- Take your sheets of fabric and quickly dip them into your cookie sheet and lift them up to allow excess to drip off. Then hang to dry.
Preheat oven to 200*
If you want to cure them just let them dry for at least 24 hours before use. Longer drying times are needed for area with higher humidity. After they have cured they are ready to replace all of your unwanted single serve plastics!
Notes
Be sure to keep a small amount of beeswax on hand so you can reseal your wraps as needed.
Beeswax burns easily and can turn brown if melted at too high of a temperature.
Beeswax is highly flammable so use caution around flame and hot elements.
If the wax cools before you are finished just place the tray back into the oven to melt into a liquid form again. Sometimes I have to repeat that step a few times depending on how many interruptions happen and how many I am making.
You can double the batch but I recommend only placing one batch in at a time. You don't want the cookie sheet too full of wax or it can spill, discolor or become clumpy before you're done.
Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope that you enjoyed this DIY Beeswax Wrap tutorial! Be sure to comment with any questions & let me know if you have tried wraps and how you like them!
Blessings, Kim
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