One of the first changes our family made when we started our journey to reduce our use of plastic, was to eliminate plastic food wrap.
We used to cover most food leftovers or simply wrap anything that would go in the fridge with the stretchy film. We would buy them by the roll, and we even had one that was 3000 ft long once because a friend of ours bought it for us thinking that was the size we wanted… it took us four years to finish it… not our proudest moment looking back, and thinking where this plastic is standing right now and how long it will be there for… Eeeek!
Fortunately, reality and awareness of the plastic problem that we, humans, have created, sunk in and our family decided to make some major changes to get rid of the plastic film use completely.
Going back to basics by storing food in glass containers was the first option we chose. Additionally and after doing a little research we found out about beeswax reusable food wrap, which is totally amazing and sustainable, as well as safe, and can be used exactly like plastic food wrap, but without the yucky plastic. The only downside to this amazing product: the price tag…
Now the DIYer in me could not resist the temptation of making her own beeswax wrap, soooo… I tried, and I can say I succeeded! The process was easy as can be, and the wrap worked like a charm! Now, just so you know, if I can do it, so can you! The good news is that you only need two items to make a large quantity of beeswax reusable food wrap: cute fabric (cotton or hemp) and beeswax (we have our own beehive so beeswax is easily available to us, but you can also purchase in craft stores or online). And that’s it! For a fraction of the price of the store-bought ones, you can get your own, personalized, homemade, reusable beeswax food wrap!
So if you are willing to make this change (I really hope you do… ) and if you are a little crafty (just a little…), check out the tutorial below.
Now if you prefer buying the wraps already made, I highly recommend the ones I first bought, but I have to warn you that the price is a little high… The brand is Etee and our family purchased a pack of 3 wraps two months ago ($18) and we are extremely satisfied with the products! Also, I went to Trader Joe’s this morning and was super (and pleasantly) surprised to see that they started selling some beeswax food wraps at a very cheap price ($8.99 for a set of three). I bought 2 sets but since I have not tried them yet, I can not say if I recommend them or not…
Beeswax Food Wrap DIY
What you need:
- Cotton or hemp fabric of your choice
- Beeswax in granules (You can buy it at your preferred craft store or here)
- A paint brush
- Pinking shears to cut the fabric and prevent fraying
How to:
- Preheat oven to 185°F (85°C)
- Cut your fabric in pieces of different sizes (make sure to cut some that will cover your biggest bowl)
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place a piece of pre-cut fabric on it
- Sprinkle the beeswax evenly on the fabric (very little is actually needed)
- Place the cookie sheet in the preheated oven and watch the beeswax melt (it only takes a few minutes…)
- Once the beeswax is completely melted, use the paintbrush to cover the beeswax evenly on the fabric, making sure the entire piece is coated
- Let it cool down
Your new beeswax food wrap is ready to use!
Cutting the fabric with pinking shears will prevent fraying
Make sure the beeswax pellets are evenly spread out on the fabric
Once the beeswax has melted, spread it evenly with the help of the paintbrush, to make sure the entire piece of fabric is coated
How to care for your beeswax food wrap:
Wash with mild soap and cold water (do NOT use hot water as it will melt the beeswax coating)
Do not wrap any raw meat or fish in your beeswax food wrap (since you can’t wash it with hot water, it is probably safer not to use it for this purpose…)
Air dry
Depending on how often you use it, it will usually last a long time
Nath Outside The Box 