DIY Homemade Beeswax Food Wraps

These food wraps are super easy to make and are as friendly to the planet as they are to your wallet! I made these to reduce the amount of plastic I was using (mainly from plastic wrap) but I was skeptical as to if they would keep my food as fresh as the plastic. Turns out they work amazingly and you can customize them into any size or shape you want! 

100% cotton fabric must be used or the wax will not have the same effect. You can cut them into any shape or size you would like, but I found 8"x8", 11"x11", and 11"x15" to be good sizes. After cutting your cotton sheets, lay them out on a baking sheet prepared with either parchment paper or silicon baking sheets. I used silicon baking sheets in the spirit of reducing waste.

I made a few with beeswax pearls and a few others with a beeswax block, from which I used a cheese grater to grate the beeswax and spread it on the fabric. I used a little less than half the block and I made eight 8"x8" squares, four 11"x 11" squares, and four 15"x11" rectangles. 

Preheat your oven to 170° F and ensure your pearls or grated wax is as evenly distributed as you can manage. Pop them into the oven for 7-10 minutes, until the wax is melted. Once the wax has melted, take them out and spread the wax using a paint brush to cover any spots the melted wax didn't reach. This needs to be done very quickly, before the wax begins to dry, because it will become lumpy. However, if your wax does become lumpy, you can just put them back into the oven for a couple minutes until it melts again. 

Once you spread the wax quickly, grab the top corners of the sheet and wave it in the air a few times, and hang it over the back of a chair to dry. They take about 1 minute to dry, and they are finished!

Use them to cover bowls of food in the fridge or on the counter, wrap sandwiches or wraps with them, use them for whatever you want! The only thing I wouldn't use them for is anything soaking wet. Just rub the sheet between your hands to warm the wax so it becomes more pliable, and wrap!

If you would like to save my recipes you can find me on Pinterest as The Blissful Blueberry. You can also find me on Instagram as @the.blissful.blueberry - Just look for the green icon or this photo!

*makes eight 8"x8" squares, four 11"x 11" squares, and four 15"x11" rectangles

You will need:

100% pure cotton fabric (1.5 square metres)

Fabric shears

Tape measure

250g pure beeswax (in pears or a block)

*if using a block of wax, you will need a cheese grater

Baking sheet

2 silicone baking mats OR parchment paper

Flat paint brush (I used size 20, a bit larger or smaller would be fine as well)

Directions:

Cut your fabric into the sizes and shapes you would like. I made eight 8"x8", four 11"x11", and four 11"x15" sheets. 

Preheat the oven to 170° F and prepare a baking sheet with your silicon baking sheets or parchment paper. Lay one or two of the cotton sheets you have cut on the baking mats or parchment paper, and evenly spread some beeswax pearls or grated beeswax on the cotton sheets. When the beeswax melts it will spread out, so there is no need to completely cover the entire sheet with wax, as long as it is evenly distributed. 

Put the sheets into the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until the wax melts. Take the sheets out and quickly spread the melted wax with the paintbrush to any parts of the sheet that are still dry. 

Lift the sheet by the top corners and hang over the back of a chair to dry. Repeat this process until all of your sheets are done.

When you want to use them, just rub the sheet between your hands to warm the wax to make it more pliable, and wrap whatever inside of it!

To clean, handwash with soap and cold water, and either pat dry or air dry.