DIY Beeswax Wraps
While you're thinking about gifts this year, consider giving a gift to our environment and try using beeswax wraps instead of plastic wrap. Beeswax wraps are a wonderful natural alternative for keeping food protected. Use them in a lunch bag to wrap a sandwich or a cookie. Wrap and store cheese, fruit, or vegetables in the refrigerator. Wrap up a baked good for a snack on the run or to share with a friend. Beeswax wraps work brilliantly with just about any cold, dry food.
Besides being good to our environment, using beeswax wraps has other benefits. They're reusable, unlike plastic wrap, so they save you money. They're a natural product (only cotton, beeswax, and jojoba oil) and won't expose your food to any unknown chemicals. Our large round wraps also do double duty as a clean mat when eating your lunch, or snack, protecting you or your family from questionable public surfaces. If all that's not enough, they are darn cute to boot.
Even though beeswax wraps are awesome, they aren't the same as plastic wrap. Don't wrap hot or warm food (the wax will melt). Also, don't try the old seal the bowl and flip it upside down trick they do in plastic wrap commercials--it won't be pretty. Beeswax wraps will not cling like plastic wrap, and they aren't air tight. That's a bonus for things like cheese, bread loaves, and produce that like to breathe, but they won't work well with liquids, food that turns brown, or to contain strong odors.
If you've read other tutorials, it's likely you've seen some telling you that adding pine resin to your wrap will make it cling. We did a lot of testing and have to say that while yes it will add a tiny bit of tackiness, it's not worth it. The wraps still won't stick like plastic wrap and the resin makes the application process a lot more troublesome (it clumps!). If you want to use your wrap as a bowl cover, we recommend adding skinny elastic to the edges instead. You'll be much happier with the results.
We also used our test runs to determine the best recipe and technique to use for a flexible wrap with no wax cracking or flaking off. In the end we felt a two part application had the very best results. It only takes an extra minute or two and the finished wrap is just as good as any store bought product. To make it easy for you to give making your own a try we created a video and instruction sheet with all the details.
Find the written instructions here.
Even better, we made kits with absolutely everything you need to make three large wraps. No need to search for food safe ingredients or buy huge amounts you won't use. Kits includes the oil and wax pre-mixed for you, enough fabric for three 14" circle wraps, hook & loop tape, and a 1" paint brush to apply the wax. It's all wrapped up in a wide mouth quart mason jar ready for you to melt your mixture in. All you'll need to complete your wraps is 20-30 minutes and a couple household supplies!
Kits feature Betty's Luncheonette fabric and come with two color options: pink and orange, or blue and green. They make a great gift as is, or enjoy making them yourself, then give one with a treat wrapped inside.
This is a gift you can feel good about giving! Everyone can use them, and at less than $20 for three wraps you can give them to everyone on your list.
