HOW TO MIND YOUR OWN BEESWAX WRAP – A DIY RECIPE

A DIY beeswax wrap recipe to try at home.

Beeswax wraps have become a trend in the last few years.

Using reusable, beeswax impregnated cloth, you can save money and avoid the use of endocrine-disrupting plastic. 

chris dalziel

They are great to use to wrap your sandwiches with, cover bowls in the fridge, wrap pieces of fruits or vegetables.  However, don’t use them to wrap items that you’d need hot water to wash off like meat or poultry. 

Furthermore, beeswax wraps aren’t airtight and won’t keep highly perishable items like raw meat fresh.  

Finally, for smelly items such as cheese, you are better off sealing it in a reusable container.

They can last anywhere from 6 to 12 months and can easily be washed with mild soap such as Savon de Marseille and warm water.

Once they have outlived themselves, you can just put them in the compost.

Finding the perfect DIY beeswax wrap recipe is hard to find.  I’ve tried two so far.  The second one worked a little better because I used pine resin.

Pine resin is what makes the cloth cling to a bowl.  It’s sticky but dissolves in oil. 

chris dalziel

Ingredients

A general rule of thumb when you want to try a DIY recipe and make your own beeswax wrap is as follows:

• 80% beeswax;
• 10% pine resin; and
• 10% jojoba oil.

To make this beeswax wrap in my DIY recipe, I followed the instructions from A Beautiful Mess.

• 1/2 tsp of jojoba oil
• 1 1/2  tsp of pine resin (substitute: spruce resin, larch resin)
• 2 tsp of beeswax pellets

If you want to take a more vegan approach, you can replace the beeswax by carnauba wax.

Where do the ingredients come from?

Until recently,  I had never heard or used the ingredients below. Since I was a little curious while writing this article, I decided to do a little research to find out where the ingredients used in this DIY beeswax wrap recipe actually originate from.

Jojoba oil 

The oil comes from the seeds that have been extracted from the jojoba plant.  It is a shrub that can be found in the American Southwest and Mexico.  The oil is high in vitamin E, is rich in antioxidants, resists rancidity and has a long shelf life.

Random facts: 

• During WWII, it was used as a lubricant in machine guns.
• Jojoba oil was also developed as a replacement for whale oil in cosmetics.

Pine resin

Pine resin is produced through the bark of a pine tree. It is naturally antimicrobial, adds strength, cling and malleability to any type of mixture.

It melts at a higher temperature than beeswax.

Beeswax

Beeswax is obtained by melting a honeycomb with boiling water.

Bees secrete beeswax from special glands located in the abdomen. Then, they move it from the abdomen to their mouths where they chew on it. The beeswax is then used to haul the honeycomb inside the beehives.

Material for the DIY beeswax wrap

• 1 piece of  8” × 8’’ of organic cotton fabric
• Parchment paper
• Pinking shears (optional)
• Brush – You can use a clean paintbrush.  I used a silicone one.  It is easier to wash but harder to use.
• Iron

Where to buy the ingredients for DIY beeswax wrap

The ingredients I used for my DIY beeswax wrap project were bought in various places in Montreal.

You can either pick them up in-store or order them online.  The ingredients can also be found on Amazon.  However, before you do that, check if there is a store near you that can provide you with the ingredients.  This will ensure better quality.

Les Mauvaises Herbes

If you don’t want to use beeswax pellets and prefer to grate it yourself, you can buy some at Les Mauvaises Herbes.

They have a beautiful store up on St-Hubert, where you can buy eco-friendly ready-made cosmetic products, or ingredients to make them yourself.  They even have their own recipe book which you can buy right HERE.

I tested the one with the lavender essential oil that helps you sleep better.  It works like a charm.

Did you read my article on essential oils?  HERE IT IS.

COOP Coco

The majority of the ingredients I use for my DIY projects come from COOP Coco.  It’s the perfect place to buy ingredients that you need to make your projects come to life.

Also, if you’re looking for essential oils, they tend to offer the best prices in Montreal.

One Soak

I recently discovered the store One Soak, located in Longueuil, right outside of Montreal.

COOP Coco didn’t have any pine resin when I went there. So, I googled and I stumbled upon One Soak’s website.

Since it’s only 20 minutes away from my house, I decided to order it online and pick it up directly in store.

The boutique is neatly organized and very appealing. In fact, I’ll probably have to go back there to buy some items that I can’t find in the stores mentioned above.

Random fact: If you go to the One Soak store, bring your dog or kid along.  Just a block from the store, there is a pleasant walk that you can take on Promenade Deslauniers Linéaire.

I went there with Blondie Bear and our Newfie Nouki.  We enjoyed peaking into people’s backyards and it almost made us want to move there.

Fabrique Éthique

Fabrique Éthique is the place where I bought my organic fabric. 

The person working there was super helpful and showed me all the fabrics that could be used for my DIY beeswax wrap project.  You can also order fabric online directly from their distributors but I prefer to go there in person.

However, before you decide to head down there, check their website for when you can go.  Their ‘shop’ is located in a converted industrial  building where many artists have their own studios or shops.  Fabrique Éthique is mostly used as a workshop to learn how to sew.  Therefore, you can’t show up whenever you want as a class might be in session.

Steps to make your beeswax wrap

• Make a double boiler. 

I just used a heatproof bowl and a pot.  If you can, use a glass jar to put the mixture in.

• Melt the pine resin, mix in the beeswax, and then the jojoba oil.

• While the wax is melting, layout your piece of cloth on some parchment paper.  Make sure the cloth has been washed and is wrinkle-free.  Iron the pleats out if need be.

Optional step:  Use pinking shears to cut the sides of the fabric.  That way, the fabric will unravel less and it gives the fabric a cleaner look.

• Tape your parchment to the work surface so that it doesn’t move. 

Make sure the piece is bigger than your piece of cloth.

• Place the fabric onto the parchment paper, with the design facing down.

• Once the wax is fully melted, pour it gently over the fabric.

I first started to paint the wax onto the fabric but it was hardening too fast.

• Place another piece of parchment above the fabric with the wax.

Iron the parchment paper with the fabric and wax underneath it.  Spread the wax evenly throughout the fabric.  Make sure the fabric is completely covered.

• Then, hang it over something to fully dry for 24hrs.  I used a towel rack.

Alternative

Place all the ingredients onto the fabric that has been placed on parchment paper and then stick it into the oven. The oven needs to be preheated to 225F.  I have not tried it this way.

Once the wax covers the whole fabric evenly, use tongs to pick up the fabric from the parchment paper and gently shake it like a polaroid picture for it to cool off.

As mentioned in my DIY Pasta recipe, you don’t have to buy all kinds of gadgets for DIY projects.  If the gadget will only be used once in a blue moon, it’s not worth buying.  Surely, an alternative must exist.

Making more than one beeswax wrap at a time?

If you’re planning to make more than one beeswax wrap you’ll have to add more mixture, if need be.

However, you’ll need to work quickly to do so, as the wax solidifies fast.

When you’re done with the first fabric, place the next one on top of it.  This way, the new wrap fabric will soak up any excess mixture from the finished fabric.

Cleaning up

Clean the tools that you used with hot water and soap.  Avoid wax pieces getting into the pipes as it will clog them.

Care of beeswax wraps

• Never use hot water to wash your wraps.  Hot water will melt the wax.
• Only use mild soap like Savon de Marseille (as an example) to wash your wraps.  Then let it air dry.
• DO NOT MACHINE WASH
• Beeswax wraps can last up to a year.  Dispose of them in a compost if possible.

What else can you make with beeswax?

If you read the Beeswax Workshop book, you’ll find out that there are loads of recipes that you can try using beeswax.

From candles to pine cone fire starters, to even soap, there are so many things that beeswax can be used for.

Homemade crayons

I’ve recently tried a recipe using beeswax to make my own crayons.  It was my first attempt and in all honesty, I did a pretty good job.

You can find the recipe for it right HERE.

Lip balm

An easier recipe to make with beeswax is a lip balm.

All you need is:

• Beeswax pellets, 1 tsp
• Cocoa butter, 1 tsp
• Coconut butter, 1 tsp

Make a double boiler (again) and melt all the ingredients together.

Use a dropper to pour into an appropriate container.

Don’t fill it all the way to the top as it will expand as it cools.  Let it cool for an hour and store in a cool place.  That’s it!

Final thoughts

When you’ll try either this DIY beeswax wrap recipe or another, just know that the result might not be perfect.  

It will take a couple of trials to get it just right.  If you don’t feel like making them, you can buy some right HERE.

Whether you buy beeswax wraps or make them, it does come at a cost but remember this:

If you use 3 plastic wraps per day and a box of 150 costs about $10, you’re already spending more than $70 per year on something most people just throw away after one use. 

Good housekeeping