Instead of a store-bought plastic wrap, make this beeswax food wraps to save your food more sustainably! With just a few ingredients use this inexpensive trick to preserve freshness and make foods last longer.

Do-It-Yourself Beeswax Wraps

Ingredients:

  • 100% organic cotton fabric*
  • 0.35 oz. sustainably sourced pine resin
  • 1.25 oz. grated or pellet beeswax
  • 1 Tbs. organic jojoba oil
  • Compostable stirrer, such as a Popsicle stick
  • Parchment paper
  • New paintbrush

Instructions:

  1. Wash, dry and cut fabric into the sizes desired.
  2. Place the beeswax, pine resin and jojoba oil in a glass measuring cup or double boiler and set aside.
  3. Add water to the glass cup or double boiler so that mixture is below the waterline. Turn on heat, setting burner to medium-high.
  4. Meanwhile, turn the oven on to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  5. Allow contents of the pan to melt together, cooking for about 20 to 25 minutes.
  6. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. It should be larger than the largest piece of fabric.
  7. Brush mixture with the paintbrush onto fabric shapes. It may become solid while doing this. Go lightly because more wax can always be added later.
  8. Put the cookie sheet in the oven for two minutes. Fabric will appear wet.
  9. Remove from oven and look for dry spots; brush them with the mixture and place back in the oven for a few minutes.
  10. If any areas are too saturated, press extra-clean fabric into them to begin the waxing of the next batch. Peel the original wraps from the new fabric and hang up to dry. Drying will only take a few minutes. Repeat until all of the mixture is used up, yielding a good supply of wraps.

*Thin organic cotton will work the best for these unique and sustainable homemade wraps.