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Zero Waste has been a hot trend in the last decade and it won't go away any time soon as sustainability, reuse and eco-friendliness play an increasingly important role in our society. Each of us is responsible for making our world a better and cleaner place. Each of us can and must do something about it. The less waste we throw away every day, the cleaner our mother earth will be and this will have a noticeable impact on our quality of life. Not only do we humans benefit from this, but also the entire animal world. Plastic in the sea is a huge problem for marine animals. And we humans have a responsibility to reduce it by reducing the use of plastic in our everyday lives as much as possible. One way to do this is to replace cling film and plastic bags around the house with beeswax wraps.
Beeswax wraps are very practical and can be used in many ways. In today's post we will show you how to make beeswax wraps yourself. Stay tuned! It's getting interesting…
Why should you make and use beeswax wraps yourself?
Beeswax towels are a reusable alternative to cling film
Make your own beeswax wraps
Beeswax wraps are an eco-friendly, reusable alternative to plastic wrap. They are saturated with a mixture of beeswax, jojoba oil and pine resin. The beeswax makes them airtight and moisture-proof, while the jojoba oil increases flexibility and the pine resin increases adhesion.
Using beeswax wraps is one step closer to a zero-waste kitchen
You only need 3 ingredients to make your own beeswax wraps
Beeswax wraps can last a very long time, especially if you make them yourself using the ingredients mentioned above. You can refresh them every few months and use them again and again.
All sorts of foods you can put in Packing beeswax wraps
You can make your own beeswax wraps at home for little money and use them for a long time. For this project you will need a few pieces of cotton fabric. You can also use leftover fabric for this and thereby also reduce your waste. You can also use old tablecloths, cloth napkins or bed sheets. A 100% cotton fabric is perfect for this.
You will need this for the following DIY project
Necessary materials for DIY beeswax wraps:
- ½ cup beeswax
- ¼ Pine Resin/Resin
- ¼ cup jojoba oil
- 4 cloth towels made of 100% cotton fabric (for example 45 cm x 55 cm or any size)
You can rub beeswax by hand or simply buy beeswax pastilles
What else do you need:
- Water Bath Melting Bowl (or Glass Jar and Saucepan)
- parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Flat brush with wide natural bristles
Cut your fabric and follow the instructions below
Make your own beeswax wraps - Instructions
Prepare the fabric:
Prepare the fabric by washing, drying and then steam ironing to remove any wrinkles before waxing. Cut your towels to any size. If desired, you can finish the fabric edges with a zigzag stitch, an overcast edge, or simply use pinking shears.
You can cut your homemade beeswax wraps in any shape and size
Prepare the beeswax:
Melt the beeswax and pine resin together in the double boiler melter. Drizzle the jojoba oil into the liquified mixture while stirring. You may need to scrape the pine sap off the bottom and stir it into the beeswax once the mixture has melted. Keep these heated in the bain-marie melt bowl while you work each cloth individually.
Ribrate and then melt the beeswax
Coat the cloths with beeswax
Preheat the oven to 85 degrees top and Bottom heat pre.
Place a piece of parchment paper on the baking sheet and place a cloth towel on top. (It is recommended to work on all cloths one at a time.)
Using a wide brush, brush the beeswax mixture onto the surface of the fabric.
Get started and make your own beeswax wraps!
Place the baking sheet in the oven. Leave it just long enough for the beeswax to melt (about 5 minutes). The beeswax mixture will melt and spread.
Once the fabric darkens and becomes shiny, the beeswax has completely melted. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
Use the flat brush to spread the beeswax mixture evenly over the cloth.
Take another cloth to absorb the excess wax by placing it on top of the first cloth.
You can easily have beeswax wraps ready in a few minutes
When the towel is saturated with the wax mixture, turn both towels over together so the second towel is on the bottom of the baking sheet. This will absorb the excess wax.
Return the baking sheet to the oven for a moment. Once the wax is liquid, remove the top beeswax wrap from the baking sheet and hang to dry.
Now work on the cloth that is already in your baking tray. Repeat all steps mentioned above. Do this with all the wipes you prepared in advance.
Less waste is good for us and our planet
Using DIY beeswax wraps
Homemade beeswax wraps can be used as a substitute for cling film or as a sandwich wrap.
The beeswax can be warmed in the hands and molds to the shape of a bowl, casserole dish or loaf of bread.
Using DIY beeswax wraps is easy, practical and convenient
Cleaning DIY Beeswax Wraps
Wash your beeswax wraps in cold to lukewarm water with a mild detergent. Do not leave them in water as this will weaken the wax bond and shorten the life of the beeswax wraps.
Hang to dry. Fold and store. Not in hot water or in wash in the dishwasher.
Replace the plastic with reusable beeswax wraps. It's worth it!
