Sustainable Living: DIY Beeswax Wraps for Plastic-Free Food Storage

Today I'm sharing a super simple and eco-friendly DIY project: making beeswax wraps. A little while ago, I accidentally ordered some petal signature cotton instead of another fabric base from Spoonflower. However, this mistake turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Why? Because a lightweight 100% cotton fabric happens to be the ideal base for making beeswax wraps.

What you'll need:

• 100% woven cotton fabric

• Beeswax pellets or a block or beeswax grated

• Iron

• Ironing board or table

• Old towel

• Baking paper

Start by pre-washing your fabric. Cut it to the size you'd like using pinking shears, which ensures that the edges don't fray. You can cut them to any size or shape, depending on what you are planning to use them for. I like to use them to wrap cheese, so I cut mine into small rectangles.

Put your old towel on your ironing board or a table and then a sheet of baking paper on top. Place one piece of your fabric on top of the baking paper, with the right side facing down.

Spread some pellets evenly over the fabric. Less is more!

Put another larger sheet of baking paper on top. We will be ironing on this so we want to make sure it's all covered so we don't get any beeswax on the iron. Using a dry, medium heat iron (the cotton setting is perfect), iron over the baking paper. Move around continually to push the wax around. The heat from the iron melts the beeswax, allowing it to infuse the fabric evenly.

Very carefully lift off the top layer of baking paper. If you see any areas with no wax, add more pellets and then put the top layer of baking paper back on top of the fabric. You can see the areas with the wax on are a different colour. Ensure that the waxy side of the baking paper is facing down onto the fabric when you put it back on top, so you don't get wax on your iron.

Repeat until the whole piece of fabric is covered in wax.

Allow the fabric to cool for a couple of minutes before picking it up and then hang it to dry. Then you're done!

Caring for your beeswax wraps:

• After each use, gently rinse your beeswax wrap with cool water. Avoid hot water, as it can melt the beeswax and reduce the wrap's effectiveness.

• If your wrap has come into contact with oily or heavily soiled food, use a mild soap. Be sure to rinse it thoroughly afterward to remove any soap residue.

• Allow your wraps to air dry by hanging them or laying them flat on a clean surface. Avoid wringing or twisting, as it can damage the beeswax coating.

These beeswax wraps became more than just a solution for mistaken fabric; it transformed into a statement about reducing plastic use and embracing sustainable practices. So, if you have some 100% cotton fabric in your fabric stash or even in your fabric scraps, don’t hesitate to turn it into beeswax wraps.

Be sure to check out the range of Loopla fabrics at Spoonflower.