Ditch the once use cling films and cellophanes. Save the environment and your pennies with this tutorial for funky, unique, reusable beeswax food wraps.

A huge part of my kitchen cost saving revolves around meal prepping. Lunches, brekkies, dinners – cooking everything in bulk saves time and effort and makes it easier to stick to a diet (it’s so much less tempting to have a takeaway if there’s something ready to nuke in the fridge). Navigating the shop (or any outing) with a toddler is a gauntlet of bribery, so packing snacks is essential.

The downside to all this is the slew of single use clingfilm that ends up in the bin at the end of the day. Not only does this impact on my wallet, it is having a massively detrimental effect on our planet.  And although we’ve managed to acquire so (so so so) much Tupperware over the years, days out would be like a military drill march if some of the snacks weren’t decanted into smaller, lighter packages. Plus, if you’ve popped some beans in the microwave, who wants to dirty another container when you can just pop the jug in the fridge with a covering? That’s where these beeswax wraps come in.

What’s a beeswax wrap?

I’ve been interested in beeswax wraps for some time but was put up by the costs (with a pack of 3 averaging at £15*, it would require a large initial spend to replace much of our clingfilm usage). As the name suggests, the wrap consists of fabric dipped in beeswax, making a pliable material that sticks to itself that can be used repeatedly to cover containers, wrap sandwiches, or even house whole loaves of bread. Resin is added to the mix to ensure extra stickiness, with jojoba oil added as an extra antibacterial (although beeswax itself has antibacterial properties). These cotton wraps are environmentally friendly; a true eco-alternative to plastic wrap.

How do I make my own beeswax wraps?

YOU NEED:

• 100g Beeswax*
• 20g Damar Gum*
• 3 tsps (15ml/.5 fluid ounce) Jojoba oil*
• Woven cotton fabric (I used a mix of fat quarters and some smaller squares)

Equipment

• Pinking Shears
• Glass Bowl
• Saucepan half filled with water
• Silicone Spatula
• Some greaseproof paper
• An Iron
• Somewhere to hang the wraps to dry (such as a washing airer)

Optional (if making ahead for use another day)

• Silicone Moulds

Instructions

1. Wash the fabric you are using. Once dried, iron flat and use pinking shears to stop the edges from fraying.
3. Crush the Damar Gum down into a fine powder (a pestle and mortar is ideal for this, if not then pop in a tea towel and bash with a rolling pin).
4. Bring the pan of water up to the boil. Pop the glass bowl on top to make a Bain-marie (double boiler)
5. Break the beeswax down into small chunks (or grate with a box grater) and place in the glass bowl. Stir occasionally until fully melted
6. Add the powdered gum into the melted wax and stir until fully dissolved.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the Jojoba oil. The mixture is now ready to be used straight away, or can be poured into silicone moulds to be used at a later date.
8. Lay out the fabric on some greaseproof paper on a heatproof surface. Spoon the mixture into areas on top of the fabric (it may instantly set but that’s ok, don’t worry about there being gaps at this stage).
9. Place another sheet of greaseproof on top of the waxy fabric. Iron this paper. You should see the mixture underneath melting with the heat and soaking into the cotton. Continue to iron until the fabric is soaked through all over (add more wax as needed).
10. Whilst still warm, remove the cotton from the paper and place on the airer to dry.

Once dry (which only takes a few minutes), the wraps are ready to use.

How to use beeswax food wraps

Simply use as you would use clingfilm! The heat of your hands is enough to warm the wax to stick it itself, making it an ideal medium to pop snacks or sandwiches in. It also adheres really well to glass and Pyrex, making it ideal for covering leftovers in the fridge.

Caring for your beeswax wraps

With good care, these wraps will last a good year before needing to be re-waxed.

• Wash in cold, soapy water in the sink
• DO NOT place in hot water
• DO NOT wash in the washing machine
• DO NOT use with raw meats, fish etc.

Show us your wraps!

We would love to see your creations, so if you have a go at making your own @ us on Instagram or Twitter (@mamamakesdo) or post on our Facebook Page.

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