During July, the students at Santa Maria College have been working on projects to reduce the amount of plastic they use. One of the initiatives was to show them how to create their own beeswax wraps that can be useful for wrapping their lunch, cutlery or everyday items.

The initial concept came from the Eco Sisters group where members made beeswax wraps and students were able to purchase these during school time. Since the launch of this project, it has now expanded to girls being able to bring in some cotton material and create their very own take-home wraps. They’ve also held a parent workshop, which was held after school recently, showing parents how to make their own. The wraps are fully recyclable and biodegradable.

If you were unable to attend the Parent Beeswax Wrap workshop, here are the instructions to make your own.

This recipe is for a square of cotton fabric 30cm x 30cm.

1. Lay the cotton fabric on a piece of baking paper and evenly cover with 20g of beeswax pellets. Good quality cotton fabric is suitable, no man-made fibres.
2. Beeswax can be purchased here: https://www.aussiecandlesupplies.com.au/bees-wax-white-pellets.html or https://www.aussiesoapsupplies.com.au/beeswax-white-beads.html or you can source from local beekeepers. Palmyra Farmers Market has a regular beekeeper called Colmena Honey, who also sells beeswax at some markets.http://colmenapurehoney.com/products/

3. Place baking paper on top and iron until the wax has melted into the fabric and spread.
4. Change the amount depending on the size of your fabric.

How to use your wax wrap

Use the warmth of your hands to wrap your wax wrap around a piece of food or over a bowl or casserole dish. When the wax wrap cools, within seconds, it holds its shape. Use your wax wrap to wrap cheese, vegetables, bread, fruit, fresh herbs, and baked goods. The wraps should not be used with raw meat. The wax wrap should last for up to a year with proper care and regular usage.

How to clean wax wraps

Wipe your wax wrap down with a sponge or cloth, using a bit of warm water and eco-friendly detergent. Rinse off and leave to dry. Do not use hot water.

How to store wax wraps

Store your wraps in a closed dry space, in a drawer or basket is perfect.

If your wax wrap has been getting a lot of use and looking a little crumpled and tired, there’s an easy way to make it as good as new. If the wax has worn off in places, you can sparingly sprinkle some more grated wax onto the cotton and reheat the wrap in the oven. Refreshing your wax wrap this way is really simple and makes your product truly sustainable and reusable for a very long time.

How to revive wax wraps

What you’ll need:

• An old cookie sheet (warm wax can be messy and difficult to clean up so use a pan you don’t care about)
• A silicone baking mat
• An oven
• A place to hang your Wax Wrap
• Grated beeswax or pellets (check that it is food grade beeswax)

Steps:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 140°C.
2. Put a silicon baking mat down on the cookie sheet and grab an old cookie sheet and lay your wax wrap on top of the mat.
3. Simply heat the pan in the oven keeping the door open and watch your wrap as the wax warms up, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Once the wax on the wrap has re-melted, carefully take the wrap out by its corners and hang it up quickly before the wax dries.
5. Once it’s cool, about 1 minute, your wax wrap will be ready to use and look shiny and new!