How do you make Beeswax Wraps?

CALLING ALL ECO SUPERHEROES!!!

WHO WANTS TO HELP SAVE THE PLANET ONE FOOD WRAP AT A TIME? 

All of you. Brilliant.  Lets get going then...

You'll need - Fabric (approx 1 Fat Quarter), Beeswax, string, pegs or buy a kit from the gifts and kits section at  ↴

 https://www.finecityquilting.co.uk/gifts--kits-5-c.asp

also you'll need some sort of spreading device, I used an old paintbrush.

1.  Preheat your oven to 180F (160F fan) and get a baking tray ready.

2.  Tie some string up as close to the oven as possible and get some little pegs ready.

2.  Cut your fabric with pinking shears for pretty edges. Now a quick note about fabric choice...I'm not saying pre-wash but you need to make sure its a quality cotton that is colour fast, cut a few different sizes - think about what you want to use it for.

3. Line your tray with grease proof paper or foil and pop your fabric in, sprinkle beeswax lightly over it.

4. Pop it in and check after a few minutes.  When it's ready the cloth will look soaking wet, use your paintbrush or spreader to ensure all the fabric is covered.  Carefully remove the tray from the oven and peg up to dry.  You will get hot wax on your fingers at this point unless you wear gloves.

5. Enjoy being a smug eco sandwich wrapper.  

** Your beeswax wrap will last about 3 months - some careful people manage to make them last 6-12months!  You can clean them with water and gentle soap.  

To wrap around food, fold as you would cling film and hold you hand around the wrap, it will soften the wax and you can mould it over the top of a bowl or around an item.

When your wrap is tired and old it can be added to a compost bin, it will biodegrade. If you have a fire or bbq you can wrap it round wood for a decent fire starter**

Christmas Tree Bunting

It may be controversial in some circles to have your decorations up before advent....but you can definitely scratch that festive itch by making some!!

It's always been on my to do list to have a stall at a craft fair and so when the opportunity presented itself for the Christmas Fair at my sons' School I thought why not...a sentiment I never repeated once the reality of making bits and bobs that people who know me will have to walk past and buy or ignore *gulp*

Its a week and a day away now and those who know me well will be right in thinking that I've probably got a lot to do.

However, this is a fun bunting you can make easily and quickly.

1.  Make your templates, being the scavenger I am I used an old birthday card and a magazine cover.  The card was useful as its already folded in half.

If you're not confident making your own, you can follow this link to a pdf to stick to card and cut out.

Christmas Tree Bunting PDF

2.  Now pick your fabrics.  I chose 4 complimentary greens and one Christmas Fabric.  Now use the larger tree template to cut your material.  Fold your fabric in half, right sides out with the tree 1 on the top.  Cut around the template in a big curve...this template is just to make sure you have enough.

3.  Now lay tree 2 on top of the fabric and pin in place

4.  Sew all the way around your tree with machine or by hand and unpin template 2.


5.  Trim approximately 1cm from sewn line with pinking shears for a lovely tree like edge.

6.  Choose or make some bias binding and cut roughly 2m.  Fold it over so you've got two neat edges so you can tuck the top of the trees inside as seen above and iron gently.  Starting in the middle pin one tree in place and then measure equal distances to each side and attach your other trees.  I put 6 inches between each of my trees. 


7.  Sew from one end of your bias binding to the other securing all trees in place.

8. Et Voila!  Sit back and enjoy your festive smugness..