Make Your Own Food Wraps

I'm sure you've seen these beeswax food wraps floating around. They are a great all-natural alternative to plastic wrap. I love them! They are perfect for wrapping up leftovers, snacks, sandwiches, etc. I have some by Bee's Wrap which I purchased through Mighty Nest and am quite happy with. However, they can get expensive if you want or need to have a lot on hand (I cook large batches and often have leftovers, so I find myself using multiple pieces per week). Making them yourself can get pricey too if you only want a few pieces, but the breakdown is fairly inexpensive and the effort is worth it if you want to stock up or give sets out to friends & family. A friend & I made a huge batch this spring for home & kitchen themed Easter baskets for a local charity. And now I am getting ready to make Christmas gift sets for friends & family.

Bees Wax Wraps
100% cotton fabric, cut to desired size
beeswax (pellets or grated)
pine tree rosin
jojoba oil

I took my inspiration from Mommypotamus, but ended up forgoing the exact measurements. I did generally follow her ratio however of 4 parts beeswax, 4 parts rosin, and 1 part oil. I would also recommend designating a cookie sheet and paint brush to this purpose only. You may need to experiment a bit with the ratio/measurements to find what works best for you. (For example, Goodful recommends a ratio of 8 parts beeswax, 4 parts rosin, and 1 part jojoba).

Preheat your oven to the lowest temp it will go (mine is 200F). Sprinkle on equal parts rosin (which I put in a shaker for easy dispensing), followed by the beeswax. I used a spray bottle to lightly spray the oil over the top. Pop into the oven until everything is melted. At this point I found it beneficial to use the paint brush and mix/distribute the melted ingredients and pop the cloth back in the oven. Check the back to make sure the fabric is fully saturated. Hang your saturated cloth to dry.

Now, you could just use beeswax, and it will work. The beeswax helps create a water resistant/air-tight seal, and it does have a bit of tack. However, the rosin really does help with the stick factor. The jojoba oil just helps everything blend together and soak into the fabric better.

Once dried, they are ready to use (or be stored, packaged, etc). The heat from your hands will mold the wrap over containers, bread, cheese, fruits & veggies, etc. You can also fold a wrap into a snack or sandwich bag (attach a button & string for cute and easy sealing). The wraps don't really stick to plastic containers though, and should not be used for wet foods or raw meats.

After use, your wraps will need to be washed. Don't use hot water as it will cause your coating to melt away. Instead, lightly wipe with soap and rinse in cold water. If over time you notice cracks or "thin" spots on your wrap, simply place on a parchment lined sheet in your oven set to its lowest temperature for a few minutes then redistribute the coating.

With proper care, your wraps can last up to 1 year. At that point you can just recoat them following the instructions above, or you can dispose of them. Since we are using natural ingredients, they are fully compostable. You can also cut down your old wraps to use as an effective fire starter (in fact, I save scraps from trimming my pieces down for this exact purpose).



One thing I do want to note, is that I found this process...messy. Definitely make sure to hang your pieces to dry, otherwise wherever you lay them will end up with beeswax & rosin dried on it. I also found I had wax and rosin stuck to my stove top and surrounding counter/floor which needed to be scraped up. This could just be me, but I do have grand plans of refining the process. I want to mix all the ingredients together and keep them liquid to either brush/pour onto the fabric, or dip the fabric into. In theory, this is brilliant, but as I have not yet tested it out I cannot recommend it ;)