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    Home » DIY And Crafts

    DIY Reusable Bowl Covers And Food Wrap

    Published by Pam Kessler | 957 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article. - 42 Comments

    Beeswax food wrap and bowl covers are a simple eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap. Learn how to make your own DIY beeswax wrap with this EASY tutorial.

    I have a thing for bowls. Pyrex bowls, stoneware bowls, McCoy Pottery bowls.

    And it's not all about vintage bowls, just about anything able to hold potato salad is my BFF.

    But it's a shame to just throw plastic wrap on these bowls when I put them in the fridge or on my picnic table. It seems disrespectful and just plain wrong!

    DIY Reusable beeswax food wrap and bowl covers are a simple eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap. EASY to make, cute and great for summer picnics.

    So I decided to make some cute DIY reusable bowl covers. And some beeswax food wrap to boot.

    Now when I started out I thought maybe this would be one of those projects that was going to look cute, but be way too much trouble to actually make very often.

    Simple plastic wrap alternative

    On the contrary!!! It's just about the quickest, easiest project you can do.

    Plus, since it's made with beeswax, you're supporting the local bees. Go Bees!

    Retro looking fabrics for making beeswax food wrap

    I've channeled my inner Steven Spielberg and created a Youtube video for you on my bowl covers, tentatively titled E.T. The Extra-terrestrial Loves A Pretty Bowl Too:


    If you prefer, you can watch an ad-free version of this tutorial on my YouTube Channel HERE.

    Now onto the tutorial!

    DIY Beeswax Food Wrap And Bowl Covers

    Supplies:

    • Fabric
    • Beeswax -block or pastilles (pellets)
    • Pinking Shears
    • Baking Sheet covered in aluminum foil
    • Paintbrush (fresh and never before used, which you will be using ONLY for this project - please don't pull out a nasty one from the garage with paint flakes all over it)
    • Oven
    • Tongs - optional (I didn't find them necessary, but you may)
    • Plate - to use as template for bowl covers
    • Tape Measure - to measure for sandwich wrap
    • Cheese Grater - if using a block of beeswax

    Hobby Lobby beeswax pastilles

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

    Cover your baking sheet in aluminum foil.

    Cut out your fabric in the desired shape. I used a large plate as a template for my bowl covers and a tape measure for cutting out the sandwich covers (12x12).

    Lay fabric onto the baking sheet and sprinkle beeswax lightly over the fabric.

    Place baking sheet in the oven for 4-5 minutes.

    Check to see if the beeswax had melted sufficiently. If there are any un-coated areas, use a paintbrush to move the wet wax around to cover them.

    Spreading beeswax on fabric

    Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use tongs to grab the fabric (like I said above, I didn't use tongs and my fingers are fine, but I'm just going to say to use tongs to cover my behind).

    Wave the fabric around in the air to cool (just takes a minute or so) and then you can either hang them in your laundry room to firm up or lay them on a cookie cooling rack.

    But really, they dry so quickly you don't have to go nuts about this part.

    I went nuts on this part.

    Drying beeswax food covers on a clothesline

    I made a little "clothesline" in my kitchen.

    To use your bowl covers, place the cover over the bowl and press it down to the sides. The warmth of your hands will allow the bowl covers to mold to the bowl.

    Polka dot DIY bowl covers

    For the sandwich wraps, I just wrapped them like I would a Christmas present and used the warmth of my hands to mold it into shape.

    DIY Reusable beeswax food wrap and bowl covers are a simple eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap. EASY to make, cute and great for summer picnics.

    CONFESSION TIME:  I didn't have any bread or cheese blocks in the house, so that's actually a pocket-sized thesaurus wrapped up in there. I won't tell, if you don't.

    So now that you know how quick and easy these DIY bowl covers and food wrap are, go pretty up your refrigerator!

    FAQ:

    How do I wash my super cute new bowl covers and food wrap?  They can be washed in cool water with dish soap and allowed to air dry. No hot water and no dishwashers, because beeswax tends to melt (remember the stove?).

    Can I wrap my favorite bologna up in this wrap? Nope. They are not recommended for wrapping meats, because you can't use hot water to clean them sufficiently for possible meat bacteria. And really, do you know what they make bologna out of?

    Will these last 20 years? Not really, but they can last up to 1 year. At that point you can either re-coat them or make new ones. Fabric styles will change in 20 years anyhow and who wants to be wrapping your food in out-of-style fabric choices anyhow.

    Speaking of fabric, is there a certain type of fabric recommended for making these?  I found that using a tightly woven, thin fabric works great! Thick fabric isn't bendable enough and a loose woven fabric (cheesecloth, etc) will allow the beeswax to flake off easily. I bought my fabric in the inexpensive quilt fabric section at my local fabric/craft store.

    How do I store these when not in use? I wrap mine around an old aluminum foil cardboard tube for storage. So not only are you saving the environment, you're saving the environment.

    Where can I buy that rad retro kitchen fabric?  Well, go back to the 90's when rad was a word and then pop over to Hobby Lobby for the fabric along with the beeswax pastilles.

    Can I make bee-free vegan version? Yes, you can substitute candelilla wax for the beeswax.

    Check out the web story version of this article HERE.

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    15.3K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

      May 01, 2017 at 10:57 am

      What a super clever option! This is so much nicer than plastic wrap (which can awfully argumentative). Thank you for the tutorial! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

      Reply
    2. Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

      May 01, 2017 at 10:58 am

      Pinned! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

      Reply
    3. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces

      May 01, 2017 at 11:16 am

      I love these! I've seen reusable covers, and they are expensive. I never thought of making them. Your fabric choices are so great looking, and I love the wonderful tutorial! Thank you!

      Reply
    4. Fonda Rush

      May 01, 2017 at 12:39 pm

      And, don't let them lay in the sun...it's like that stove that you mentioned earlier.

      Reply
    5. Tracy

      May 01, 2017 at 1:02 pm

      You are awesome. Thank you for sharing. I saw something like this on Amazon and they were so expensive. I will try this. Love your site too. Makes me smile.

      Reply
    6. Diane

      May 01, 2017 at 1:14 pm

      Amazing! Love! Pam, you keep bringing us the most wonderful ideas!

      Reply
    7. Pam

      May 01, 2017 at 1:50 pm

      Great idea and easy to follow tutorial!

      Reply
    8. Karen Steinmann

      May 01, 2017 at 3:43 pm

      Have you tried 2 layers of fabric for this project? Thinking of doing some applique projects with antique camper designs for our camping friends. This would be great. Thought of towels and pot holders but this is so cute.

      Reply
      • Pam

        May 01, 2017 at 3:58 pm

        I have not, but I bet you could! Just make sure the fabrics are THIN.

        Reply
    9. Judith Koffler

      May 01, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      My kind of project! Easy and useful. I will share this idea with my sister.

      Reply
    10. FLORENCE @ VintageSouthernPicks

      May 01, 2017 at 8:08 pm

      These are just the cutest things! I'm afraid I'm guilty of plastic wrap....I didn't know I was committing a terrible faux pas....LOL. The only thing I'm concerned about is that the fabric might catch fire in the oven, but didn't happen to you, so guess it's OK. Cute bowl covers though! I love the patterns, especially that one you illustrated with.

      Reply
    11. Pam

      May 01, 2017 at 10:02 pm

      Pam, sooo cute. Reminds me somewhat of the little "shower cap" covers for bowls! That kitchen fabric is Adorable.

      Reply
    12. taryterre

      May 02, 2017 at 2:32 am

      This is a clever use of materials. I like it alot.

      Reply
    13. Amy West

      May 02, 2017 at 1:42 pm

      Oh how I love thee's (thee's ?), crafting posts...let me count the ways. Crazy, awesome idea. Thanks!

      Reply
    14. Jayne

      May 03, 2017 at 8:09 am

      You make the most fun items and I thank you for sharing this great idea that I am going to give a try !

      Reply
    15. Jeanne

      May 05, 2017 at 11:02 am

      Does the waxed side face down over and around the food? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Pam

        May 06, 2017 at 3:20 pm

        The wax actually soaks into the whole cloth, so it's on both sides.

        Reply
    16. Leta Donohoo

      May 07, 2017 at 1:04 pm

      Hi Pam, I knew to your page, but I love this idea. Anything vintage for me! But I do not understand what I do with the sandwich wrap. Did I miss a step?

      Thanks,
      Leta

      Reply
      • Leta Donohoo

        May 07, 2017 at 1:06 pm

        Boy I should have proof
        read that comment before I posted. lol

        Reply
      • Pam

        May 07, 2017 at 1:35 pm

        I think I got all excited about the pretty bowl covers I didn't go into the sandwich wrap too much 🙂 The sandwich wrap is square so you can either use it to wrap up a sandwich (sort of like you would with wax paper back in the day) or a hunk of cheese. It can double as a bowl cover too as long as your bowl is small enough.

        Reply
    17. Julie Byrne

      May 28, 2017 at 8:39 pm

      Hi, I'm trying out making these and am having trouble .. the colours in the fabric are running. Have you had this problem?
      cheers Julie

      Reply
      • Pam

        May 31, 2017 at 7:27 pm

        I'm sorry, I didn't have a running problem with any of the fabrics I used. Not sure why it would run.

        Reply
    18. Amanda T

      September 16, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      Hi there! Do you use the standard "yellow" beeeswax or will it discolor the fabric? Would you recommend white beeswax?

      Reply
      • Pam

        September 22, 2017 at 8:15 am

        I use the 100 natural beeswax which is slightly yellow colored, but it doesn't seem to discolor the fabric enough to make a noticeable difference. Most of the fabrics I have used have at least some white in them also.

        Reply
    19. Sonja

      October 30, 2017 at 12:22 pm

      Can the bowl covers be washed if they get dirty? Would you have to redo the bee wax part after washing?

      Reply
    20. Vickie

      November 08, 2017 at 1:13 pm

      Love the bowl covers! Would have never thought of doing that. So pretty and useful!

      Reply
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