MAKING: Beeswax Cloth Wrap

Recipe from our friend, Rachel.

What You'll Need

1. Beeswax (they come in either pellet form or in a block - if so, you'll have to grate it)
2. Oven tray
3. Aluminium Foil
4. Cheap Paint Brush
5. Thin, tight weave fabric cloth squares (in varying sizes, I like to use 9.5 x 9.5-inches, you can prepare the fabric by sewing the edges or you can use pinking shears to avoid fraying)
6. Wash and dry (and iron if you want) the cloth squares
7. Optional: Hanger and Clothing Pins

Instructions: 

1. Pre-heat oven to about 90-100 deg Celsius
2. Cover the oven tray with the aluminium foil, lay the cloth square(s) down and sprinkle the grated beeswax or beeswax pellets. Make sure it is well covered.
3. Put it in the oven and let it melt for about 7-10 minutes, or until it looks like the beeswax has saturated the cloth
4. Remove from oven and use the paintbrush to quickly smoothen the beeswax on the cloth, especially on the edges and corners. Darker/shinier spots indicate that there may be too much beeswax. Beeswax dries fast so move with haste!

1. Add more beeswax to dry spots. Repeat the above steps 3 & 4
2. If the underside of the cloth is not coated evenly, flip the cloth over and repeat the above steps 3 & 4
3. If there is too much beeswax, add another cloth square on top, smoothen clumpy spots (if necessary) and bake. The top piece will soak up some of the wax.
4. Lift the beeswaxed cloth and hang it to dry or harden by rigging it on the hanger using the clothing pins

Tip: I found that re-baking the beeswax cloth makes the end product less waxy.

Clean Up: 

1. Should be minimal since the pesky beeswax is contained in the aluminium foil
2. Use really hot water & detergent to get the beeswax off the paintbrush

Avoid contact with hot stuff or your beeswax cloth wrap will melt into an unsavoury pile of goop.