Beeswax Wraps! Cabin Fever Essentials' newest endeavour!

Beeswax Wraps

Leftovers, lunches, missing lids, half a cucumber, snack bags, dust covers. These are all the things that I recently realized needed a serious upgrade. Plastic wrap and plastic baggies are becoming way too common. Every time I had to send something wrapped in a piece of plastic wrap in one of my kids lunches it made me cringe. My love for more natural alternatives kicked in and I decided, why not beeswax wraps? I love beeswax and I have an amazing source. I’ve tried a few different beeswax wraps from different companies and I wasn’t completely satisfied with them. Some of them were too sticky, some of them were too brittle, some of them had a weird smell. I decided that this was something I should try and make myself! So that’s exactly what I did. I am a super lucky lady to have a seamstress as a family friend and she offered me some leftover cotton fabric. I also have an amazing mother-in-law who quilts and she also donated some fabric. I’m very excited to say that all of the fabric I will be using for these first sets will be recycled in a sense. I also ordered some fun fabrics that I will potentially be releasing in one of a kind sets for now as I look for more permanent fabric designs.

So what are beeswax wraps? They are a natural, plastic wrap alternative. They are made with 100% cotton that is soaked in a beeswax solution which forms a protective, waterproof barrier. I experimented with many recipes before I was finally satisfied with the outcome. My solution includes a mixture of beeswax, pine resin and jojoba oil. The pine resin is naturally sourced and it provides just the right amount of stickiness. The jojoba oil helps make the wraps more pliable and it also has antibacterial properties. Beeswax alone is antibacterial as well.

These wraps can be used in place of plastic wrap for such things as covering up vegetables and leftovers. I don’t know how many containers I have that don’t seem to have lids anymore, so a beeswax wrap over the top of the container is the perfect solution. Plus, they are a super cute and fun alternative to boring plastic wrap. They are also reusable and if cared for properly can last six months to a year. That’s a lot of plastic that won’t end up in a landfill.

Beeswax wraps are very easy to care for. You simply wash them in cold water with a mild soap and gently wipe them clean. You may use a dish brush if they need a bit of extra scrubbing. Then you hang them to dry. I love it when I have a beeswax wrap drying in the dish rack because my kitchen smells so sweet. Beeswax wraps smell amazing, however, the scent will not transfer to your food, but simply keep it fresh.

I decided to do a few experiments. I wrapped half a cucumber in plastic wrap and the other half in beeswax wrap and a week later, the cucumber wrapped in plastic was slimy and gross. The cucumber wrapped in the beeswax wrap was slightly dry on the end, but not slimy or rotten. I simply sliced off the end and the cucumber was as fresh as new.

Beeswax wraps are breathable so some things such as muffins will potentially go stale after a few days because the beeswax wraps are not airtight. However, a baked good or bread will potentially not grow mold as quickly as it would in a plastic bag.

Cabin Fever Essentials beeswax wraps will be ready soon! I will be making multiple sizes and hopefully have multiple package options.      

Thanks for following along and continuing my journey with me!