Los Angeles Times - 07.03.2020

BEESWAX, NOT BAGS

OU CAN’T CALL YOURSELF an environmentalist if

you’re still bringing your lunch to work in single-use sand-

wich bags or wrapping bowls with plastic. But, good news:

There’s a chic alternative: the beeswax wrap — a piece of

cotton coated in beeswax that, when wrapped around your sandwich,

sticks to itself and seals your lunch inside. A pack of three goes for $18,

so I’m here to teach you how to make your own. The process is simple,

just a tad messy. When you’re finished, you’ll have an impressive array

of colors and patterns to show off in the office kitchen. The $18 three-

pack beeswax wraps have more to them than beeswax and cloth, but

I’m here to tell you, jojoba oil and tree resin, thought to be binding

agents, aren’t all that important for the longevity of your wax wraps. If

you disagree, sprinkle those ingredients in when you add beeswax in

the steps below. Note: These aren’t air- or watertight, and they’re

certainly not microwavable.SUPPLIES TO MAKE 10 WRAPS

• 1 pound of beeswax pellets (from bulkapothecary.comor your local
  refill store) • Baking sheet • Tin foil • Parchment paper • 10 pieces of
  quilting cotton (from Michaels, Joann or your grandma’s fabric stash)
  cut to 12 inches by 12 inches. Notes: You can make your wraps any size;
  just make them smaller than your baking sheet. You can also reuse
  old cloth napkins or cut up an old sheet. Prewash your fabric. I use
  pinking shears to trim the edges so they don’t unravel. • Kitchen
  gloves • Medium-size paint brush • Kitchen tongs • Clothes drying
  rack or clothing hangers • Newspaper

4

> Pop baking sheet into the oven and set a timer

for four minutes. If making multiples, prep

another sheet with your next piece of fabric.

5

> Breathe in the calming scent of beeswax. If

you’re using yellow beeswax rather than white,

it’ll smell more intense. Both kinds work fine.

6

> After four minutes, check on your

wrap. If the wax is melted, use paintbrush to

smooth it over the fabric. Add wax if needed.

1

> Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. While it’s

warming, lay out pieces of newspaper on the

floor to catch any drips. Set up your drying rack.

2

> Cover baking sheet with tin foil to protect it

from wax puddles. Add parchment paper on top

so you can easily move around your waxy fabric.

3

> Lay your first piece of cloth on a baking sheet

and sprinkle on about 3 tablespoons beeswax

pellets. Go easy. You can add more pellets later.

WRAPS

LOSE WAX OVER

TIME; REVIVE

THEM BY REDOING

USING

LESS WAX

WASH WRAPS

WITH COLD

WATER AND

REGULAR DISH

SOAP

REUSABLE CLOTH WRAPS CAN REPLACE SANDWICH BAGS. MAKE YOUR OWN. IT’S EASY

Y

BY SAMANTHA MELBOURNEWEAVER

7

> Once the fabric looks wet and every spot is

coated, remove it from the oven. Be careful; hot

wax can burn, and drips are hard to clean up.

8

> Wearing gloves and using tongs, remove your

cloth from the baking sheet and hang it on your

drying rack or a clothes hanger.

9

> Let the pieces cool for about a minute and

they’re ready to go. Congratulations, you

sustainability nut. You did it.

Rebecca KirbyFor The Times

MADE

IN NINE

EASY

STEPS

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