How to make beeswax food wraps for under $2 in less than an hour

Beeswax wraps are simply cotton fabric coated in beeswax to seal the fabric. They are used as an alternative to cling wrap; lunchboxes and leftovers spring to mind. We don't use a lot of cling wrap, we mostly use glass or stainless steel containers to store leftovers, but it does occasionally come in handy for picnics and lunchboxes and to cover quiches and the like in the freezer. I'm curious to see how much more plastic wrap we can eliminate from our garbage and grocery budget using the wraps.

I first came across beeswax wraps when I asked an online mums group for sustainable ideas for giving out homemade playdough as a party favour. I was keen to avoid plastic containers and ziplock bags, but understandably also don't trust 1-4 year olds with glass jars. I looked into buying the wraps but the cost was somewhat prohibitive for the amount I need for the party, I decided to give making them a go and try them out in our kitchen and with our own playdough first to see if they actually work.

Materials 

• 100% cotton fabric cut to your desired size
• Beeswax; I bought mine here. You don't need much at all, around 20 grams or so per wrap, depending on the size. 
• Pinking shears to prevent the edges of the fabric from fraying
• Grater
• New paintbrush
• Baking sheet
• Baking paper; the wax gets all over the baking sheet, I used clean baking paper to make each wrap

Note: The grater, paintbrush and baking sheet will be sacrificed to the cause of beeswax forever more. 

Process

1. Using pinking shears, cut your fabric to the desired size.
2. Preheat oven to around 80-85C
3. Place baking paper then a piece of fabric onto baking sheet. Grate a small amount (20g) of beeswax onto the fabric and spread it evenly.
4. Place in the oven and watch for the beeswax to melt. This only takes a few minutes. 
5. As soon as the wax is melted, remove from the oven and use the paintbrush to spread the wax as evenly as you can. I found it tricky to get right to the edge as my wraps were slightly wider than the baking tray. 
6. Hang to dry.

It's that easy! 

Notes: 

If you need, you can repeat step 4 and 5 to get an even spread of the wax.

You can add buttons and thread if you want to be able to fasten them closed. At this stage I've just wrapped them around what I want to cover and will tie with compostable twine if I need to. 

The wraps will be quite stiff but will mould with the warmth of your hands. 

Caring for your wraps

• Wraps can be washed in cool water with a mild detergent. 
• I've stored mine flat in the tea towel draw. 
• Since you can't wash them in hot water, don't use them for storing raw meat or poultry. 
• I've read that the wraps can last around a year and can be re-coated with wax if needed; that's potentially a lot of plastic wrap saved!

Cost 

• Beeswax: Approximately 80c per lunchbox sized wrap. I used a tiny amount from 500g block I bought. It costs $5 for 100g and is cheaper per gram if you buy a larger amount. 
• Fabric: I used off cuts from my stash so there was no cost for me. You can use an old (clean) sheet or buy thin 100% cotton fabric. If you aren't too fussy about the prints you should be able to pick something up from the clearance section for $4 or so per metre. 

Time:

• I made these 6 in under an hour and it was my first attempt so a little trial an error with the amount of wax and spreading it evenly.