One of the things that I am trying to be mindful of is waste that adds to the decline of the planet and our environment.
I'm definitely not an expert by any means, but I do try to be more aware and make a little bit of effort when I can.
Then I discovered Beeswax covers.
These are nothing more than 100% cotton fabric, coated with a THIN coat of organic beeswax and other oils, used to cover bowls and wrap food items.
Beeswax covers date back to the seventh century when Egyptians domesticated bees in order to harvest their honey and use the wax from their hives.
It's mouldable, grippable, and tacky.
It's sustainable and cuts down on single-use plastic wraps and bags.
Plus...it's fun to make.
I had beeswax pellets on hand already.
When I do this again, I will purchase the blocks of beeswax and use a Dollar Tree grater to make thin slivers. I think it will work better than the method I used here. In my opinion, the pellets were slightly too large and I had to improvise.
I gathered a small glass dish and one of the chip brushes shown here.
(I kept the brush and marked it "BEESWAX" so I can reuse it over and over again.)
I also used parchment paper (Dollar Tree brand) to cover my counter. This will allow me to work with the beeswax but not get it on my countertop.
I placed a frequently used bowl upside down on my cotton fabric so that I could cut a large square to fit.
I used pinking sheers to cut the edges so they would not fray.
Next, I made a double boiler with a pot of water and the glass bowl.
I added about a 1/3 cup of the pellets and let them melt over the boiling water bath.
I kept stirring with a wooden skewer so the pellets would melt quicker.
It took longer for them to melt than I actually thought.
I removed the melted beeswax, placed it on a hot pad and dipped the chip brush in.
Then it was just a matter of brushing on the melted wax, making sure to get the edges.
The wax solidified QUICKLY! I was so surprised.
It turned this white shade and felt quite gritty and thick in some areas on the cotton square.
So, I then realized that I needed to distribute the wax more evenly across the surface of the cotton.
Enter, the iron method.
Taking another piece of parchment paper, I covered the top part of the cotton square and with the iron heated to a cotton setting, I remelted the wax and was able to move it around the fabric.
Here is a comparison of the part that was ironed (foreground) and the part that was not ironed (background).
I moved the parchment and finished that back strip with the iron as well.
I knew that my melt and paint method put too much wax on the cover because there were many edges that had an overflow of wax.
Next go 'round I will use the shaved wax and the iron method and totally skip the stovetop adventure.
I just broke off these overflows and placed them back in my bag of pellets. I will use those for an essential oils project sometime.
After it was fully cooled and I had made another sheet, I had the cutest cover that fit my bowl perfectly.
These simply fold up and can be stored in a drawer for use whenever you need to cover a bowl or wrap a sandwich.
To clean these covers you use COOL water and dish soap. Do not put them in the dishwasher or hot water; you know what will happen.
Do Not use them to cover raw meat.
They should last about 8 months to a year at which time you can soak them in hot water to remove what wax is left and then reapply fresh beeswax.
I'm currently looking for ladies hankies to do this project. They will make the prettiest covers with their beautiful designs and finished edges.
I love breaking the rules and saving the planet...
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