DIY Beeswax Wraps
It's easy to make some homemade DIY beeswax wraps with all-natural materials. Reusable food wraps are so useful in the kitchen.
Servings: 1 sized gift bundlee
Ingredients
- 100% cotton fabric 3 colors or patterns, ½ yards each (Walmart has pre-cut ½ yard cotton fabric for around $1-2)
- 1½ Cups white beeswax pellets food grade
- ½ Cup crushed pine resin
- 1½ Tablespoons jojoba oil
- 1 microwave-safe container or jar
- 1 art brush 2-inch
- 1 baking tray
- parchment paper
- 1 Pair fabric scissors or pinking shears
- 1 fabric tape measure or ruler
If Gift Wrapping
- 2 Pieces natural cardstock 12-inch x 12-inch
- white printer paper for “How To” label and “Care Instructions”
- glue stick
- tape
- scissors
Instructions
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 150°F (200°F is fine if it's your lowest setting).
- Cut your cotton fabric into squares, circles or rectangles depending on how you would like them to be used. If cutting to make as gifts, 3- 4 different sizes make for a nice variety gift set.
- *Note: If making multiple gift sets, a dollar store poster board is a great size guide. Just measure and mark multiple sizes with a marker.
- Cut out your shapes (see notes for tips and sizing).
- Once you have your shapes cut, you are going to add your resin to a microwave safe container and microwave for about 3 minutes and then 1 min intervals after that until melted.
- Carefully take out the resin using something like pot holders and add your beeswax and jojoba oil. Continue to microwave until melted starting with 2 minutes and then 1 min intervals afterwards, stirring occasionally.
- While the wax mixture is heating up, place some parchment paper down on a baking tray and arrange your fabric to fit inside the tray. You will most likely need to do multiple batches in the oven depending on your sizes.
- You can also place extra parchment on a flat surface, lay out all your fabric and brush so that all are covered with the mixture and ready for the oven when it's their turn to go in.
- Once the beeswax mixture is melted, brush 1 even layer onto the fabric making sure to brush all the way to the edges. If it starts to solidify do not worry, it will absorb and melt into the fabric once in the oven.
- Place the fabric into the oven for 5 min so that the beeswax can seep into the fabric. Take the wraps out of the oven and brush from the center to the edges to ensure even coverage.
- Peel off the wrap once it's cool enough to handle and place onto a fresh sheet of crumpled parchment or hang to dry if you prefer. Once cooled, you can trim up any uneven edges or loose strings.
- See the link below for a “how to” on using these wraps and the “care instructions” link for how to care for these as well.
Notes
Adjust the wax amount: If the wrap does not feel like it has enough wax once cooled, heat the wax mixture, reapply it, and place it in the oven to spread again. The same thing goes if you feel there is too much. Just place the wrap back in the oven and evenly brush off the excess and re-cool. There should not be any thick areas of wax.
Save the supplies for reuse: The mixture and the brush can be saved for later use.
Balled up resin? If the resin starts to ball up at the bottom of your container after adding the beeswax and mixing, it is okay. There is usually enough mixed in to make the wraps sticky, and you should not be too worried.
Wax residue: If there is a lot of wax mixture on the wrap, it can leave a little wax residue on dishes or glasses for the first couple of uses, but it comes off quite easily with some warm or hot, soapy water.
Save the supplies for reuse: The mixture and the brush can be saved for later use.
Balled up resin? If the resin starts to ball up at the bottom of your container after adding the beeswax and mixing, it is okay. There is usually enough mixed in to make the wraps sticky, and you should not be too worried.
Wax residue: If there is a lot of wax mixture on the wrap, it can leave a little wax residue on dishes or glasses for the first couple of uses, but it comes off quite easily with some warm or hot, soapy water.
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