Three Simple Methods to Make Beeswax Wraps

Making reusable DIY beeswax wraps is an easy project to do at home with a few simple ingredients.

Beeswax wraps are cute, eco-friendly, and compostable. They are also the best at keeping bread fresh.

While you can buy them online and in stores, they are very simple to make and it is much more cost-effective to DIY yourself if you need a lot of them.

I also prefer to make my own so that I can customize the size and pattern on the wraps.

How to Use Homemade Beeswax Wraps

Here are a few ways to use beeswax wraps.

• Use them as an alternative to plastic wrap.
• Wrap sandwiches.
• Wrap cheese blocks to keep them fresh in the fridge.
• Keep bread loaves from going stale.
• Use as a bowl cover.
• Make several to use as wraps for bread or cookie gifts.

This post will cover three simple ways to make beeswax wraps at home.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you buy through my links, I could earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only discuss products that I love and think you’ll love, too. I’m glad you’re here and thanks for reading!

Supplies Needed to Make Beeswax Wraps

You’ll only need two things to make beeswax wraps: cotton fabric and food-grade beeswax.

Cotton Fabric

Here’s where you get to play with your options. Choose cotton fabric with a fun pattern or use up those clean cotton scraps you’ve been saving.

It’s fine to use upcycled fabric, just make sure it is 100% pure cotton. I really wanted a cute bee print on mine, so I bought these fat quarters from Walmart.

Food-Grade Beeswax

I highly recommend purchasing beeswax pellets to make these wraps. If you already have the blocks or the pellets are too expensive for you, then you can still make the wraps with the stovetop method or by grating or chopping the beeswax to make your own pellets. I just personally prefer using the oven or iron methods with pellets.

No matter what form your beeswax is in, make sure that it is food-grade, not cosmetic-grade. Cosmetic-grade beeswax is safe to put on your skin, but not recommend to ingest. And while you won’t be eating the wax, it will be touching the food you’ll be eating, and I just think food-grade would be the best for this purpose.

I used a little over one ounce of wax to make a large 18×22 inch wrap.

I purchased these beeswax pellets most recently (not the ones pictured), and I like the quality of it. Whichever you decide to purchase, whether it is yellow or white, the wax should smell faintly of honey. It should smell sweet and good. If it doesn’t, don’t use it!

A Place to Hang the Cooling Wraps

Lastly, you’ll need somewhere to hang the waxed fabric. I hung mine on a drying rack with clothespins, but you could hang yours on the back of a chair or string up a line to hang the fabric on.

It won’t take very long for the fabric to cool and be ready to put away.

3 Easy Ways to Make Beeswax Wraps

Before you begin, wash and dry your fabric and then cut it to the size you want. You don’t have to hem the fabric because the wax will keep the threads from unraveling, however you may sew or cut the fabric with pinking shears now if you would like to.

Pick off any loose threads and ensure that your fabric is clean and dry before beginning.

Oven Method

This method works best for large or small pieces of fabric and if you have beeswax pellets.

You’ll also need a wide brush or a metal scraper to spread the melted wax. Keep in mind that the wax will be difficult to remove from a brush, so don’t use your favorite one!

However, if you are using blocks of beeswax, you can cut it into very small pieces or grate it with a box grater. It can help to put the wax and grater in the freezer before grating.

**To clean the grater and metal scraper, pour boiling water over the waxy parts. The wax should remove easily.

7 Steps for the Oven Method

Follow these steps to make beeswax wraps using the oven method:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°F or as low as your oven will go.
2. Prepare your baking sheet by wrapping it in foil to protect it.
3. Lay your fabric out on your baking sheet, folding the edges inward if the fabric is bigger than your sheet.
4. Sprinkle beeswax pellets or grated beeswax all over the fabric and place the baking sheet in the oven. I used an ounce of wax for a quarter yard of fabric.
5. Check the oven after two to three minutes to see if the wax has melted. If it has, remove the baking sheet and use a brush or scraper to spread the wax all over the fabric. Don’t worry about flipping the fabric over. The wax will seep through to the other side.
6. Make sure the edges are well covered in wax. Once the whole piece of fabric is waxed, allow it to cool slightly until you can handle it with your bare hands.
7. Hang the waxed fabric up to cool completely. Fold it up and store it in a drawer or cabinet until ready to use.

Stovetop and Oven Method

I would recommend using this method if you have blocks of beeswax.

You’ll basically be melting the wax on the stovetop and spreading it onto your fabric before baking it like the directions above.

8 Steps for the Stovetop and Oven Method

Follow these steps to make beeswax wraps using the stovetop method:

1. Melt your wax using a double boiler. You can make a makeshift one by placing a heavy glass bowl on top of a shallow saucepan filled with boiling water. I used an ounce of wax for a quarter yard of fabric.
2. Preheat the oven to 175°F or as low as your oven will go.
3. Prepare your baking sheet by wrapping it in foil to protect it.
4. Lay your fabric out on your baking sheet, folding the edges inward if the fabric is bigger than your sheet.
5. Paint or spread the melted beeswax in a very thin layer all over the fabric and place the baking sheet in the oven to help the wax get distributed.
6. Remove the baking sheet after three to four minutes and use a brush or scraper to spread the wax over any parts of the fabric that aren’t saturated. Don’t worry about flipping the fabric over. The wax will seep through to the other side. Put back in the oven for three more minutes and check again.
7. Make sure the edges are well covered in wax. Once the whole piece of fabric is waxed, allow it to cool slightly until you can handle it with your bare hands.
8. Hang the waxed fabric up to cool completely. Fold it up and store it in a drawer or cabinet until ready to use.

Ironing Method

This method works best for small to medium pieces of fabric and beeswax pellets.

If you do happen to be using blocks of beeswax, cut it into very small pieces or grate it with a box grater. It can help to put the wax and grater in the freezer before grating.

6 Steps for the Ironing Method

Follow these steps to make beeswax wraps using the ironing method:

1. Set up an ironing board and heat an iron to the lowest setting. Mine is “nylon.”
2. Lay a sheet of parchment paper over the ironing board to protect it. Get another sheet of parchment paper (doesn’t have to be as big, but definitely larger than your iron) to protect the iron with.
3. Place your prepared fabric on top of the parchment-covered ironing board. I find it easier to see if the wax has covered the fabric when the wrong side of the fabric is facing up. Don’t worry about this if your fabric doesn’t have a pattern. Sprinkle beeswax all over the fabric. I used an ounce of wax for a quarter yard of fabric.
4. Place the second sheet of parchment on top and iron until the wax melts and begins to cover the fabric underneath the parchment paper.
5. Continue sprinkling wax and melting it with the iron until the whole fabric is waxed. Don’t worry about flipping the fabric over. The wax will seep through to the other side.
6. Hang the waxed fabric up to cool completely. Fold it up and store it in a drawer or cabinet until ready to use.

How to Care for Beeswax Wraps

To get the most out of your handmade beeswax wraps, take good care of them with these tips.

• Hand wash beeswax wraps in cold, running water using mild soap.
• Hang up or lay flat to air dry.
• Do not put in the dishwasher or washing machine.
• Do not use hot water as this could melt the wax.
• Do not microwave, bake, or expose the beeswax wraps to heat because, again, this will melt the wax.

If properly cared for, these wraps should last over a year with regular use.

Time to Make Your Own Reusable Wax Wraps!

Now you’ve got three different ways to make your own beeswax wraps.

Pick out some pretty fabrics and melt that wax!

Whether you’re keeping or gifting your beeswax wraps, I hope you enjoy the simple process.

And if you decided making the wraps yourself is not really for you, here are a few beeswax wrap options to buy online.

• Cut-to-size Wraps (so kind of like making your own since you can cut them to be whatever size you want!)
• Multiple Sized Wraps
• Vegan Alternative Wraps