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DIY Reusable Beeswax Food Wraps

The days of single-use plastic food bags are over. Be more sustainable by making your own reusable beeswax food wraps. Go zero-waste with this easy, fun, DIY project that’s good for you and good for the environment.

The most important item you’ll need for this DIY is our Great Lakes Bee Company beeswax. You can buy our beeswax here. It comes in the form of a 1lb block of pure beeswax that you can slice, dice, melt, mix, and everything else in between. Save the rest of your beeswax for other crafts like an elegant wax-dipped cork or these handy, natural fire-starters.

The second most important material you’ll need is the cloth that is going to get coated in beeswax. This is the fun part. You can customize your cloths by buying whatever color or pattern you want. Mix and match to make an adorable lunch set. Pick your friend’s favorite colors and gift them a wrap pack. Joanne’s has beautiful pre-cut fabrics and Amazon has great options as well. The possibilities are endless. You can also cut your fabrics to your desired food wrap size, depending on your needs. Sandwich bags, snack bags, food bowl covers, etc. are all viable options.

The last few materials you’ll need include parchment paper that will get covered in beeswax, a pan for the parchment, a brush to spread the beeswax on the cloth on, a hanger to dry out the cloth from, and clothespins to secure the cloth drying in place.

Beeswax food wraps are great for packing food and lunches to go. The seal of the wraps is not airtight, so be sure to only use for food that will stay good for the next 1-2 days. Foods that go bad quickly would be better suited for reusable sealed glass containers. Be wary with hot foods, as the temperature could melt the beeswax. Warm foods should be fine. Beeswax is not completely water-proof, but it is water-resistant. Remember this before putting in particularly juicy or freshly washed fruits. When washing your wraps, use cold or lukewarm water and scrub with soap. Hang to dry.

Materials

  • 1lb GLBC pure beeswax block
  • Pure cotton fabric
  • Brush
  • Parchment paper
  • Hanger
  • Clothespins

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180F
  2. Cut cotton cloth to preferred size
  3. Place fabric on baking sheet over parchment paper
  4. Shave beeswax bars and disperse shavings evenly over cloth
  5. Melt the wax in oven until cloth is covered, brush beeswax around if needed
  6. Hang the cloth on the hangar with clothespin and allow to harden
  7. Extra: Sew beeswax cloth to regular cloth to create more detailed pattern and closable wraps

Reducing waste in your home doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. Beeswax food wraps are a cute, sustainable way to reduce your household waste. Plus, you’ll save money on groceries by spending less on sandwich bags and plastic wrap. A great way to lower your environmental impact and carbon footprint.