We know you love tutorials . Today we bring you a special 'back to school' one (although you can do it at any time of the year). Do you want to learn how to make your own wax wrappers ? It's super easy and a great reusable and sustainable resource that will help you transport your lunches and snacks without generating waste.

WHY YOU SHOULD DO WAX WRAPS

Wax wraps are a great alternative to disposable plastic wrap and aluminum foil . Wax wraps are reusable , so you save the planet a lot of waste .

You can buy them ready-made , but if you make them at home you can use fabric you already have , reducing your waste generation even further. Plus, it will be cheaper .

It is a very entertaining activity for this time of 'back to school'. If you have little ones, over 5-6 years old, you can do it with them , always being careful with possible burns. The little ones will be entertained in these last days before returning to routine. It is a way for them to get involved in preparing their materials and, in addition, they will learn to make their own eko wrappers . We can take advantage of this to explain to them the importance of using reusable options as a way of committing to caring for the planet.

MATERIALS

• Cotton fabric

It has to be very thin , like a shirt. Jersey fabric won't work. Make sure it's 100% cotton . It shouldn't contain polyester.

• Beeswax nuggets

 

 You can also use soy wax or candelilla wax (it may be harder to find). But the truth is that wraps made with vegetable waxes are less durable. The beeswax nuggets we have at Alma Eko come from hives that have been treated with respect.

• Parchment paper for baking

STEP BY STEP

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 150º

STEP 2

Cut the fabric to the size that works for you. We recommend cutting it so that you have wrappers of different sizes. This will make it more versatile.

STEP 3

Place the fabric on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle some sprinkles over the fabric. It is not necessary to cover the entire fabric. The sprinkles will melt and completely cover the fabric.

STEP 4

Place the tray in the oven and keep an eye on it. In about two minutes the chips will be melted and you can remove the tray. Being careful not to burn yourself, separate the cloth from the paper and let the excess wax drip onto the paper. The cloth will be covered by a layer of wax that makes it waterproof.

Repeat the steps with all the pieces of fabric you have. You will need to use more wax nuggets for the first wrap, but for the next ones, you will use the excess wax that falls on the greaseproof paper and you will need less.

HOW TO USE AND CARE FOR THEM

You see, wax wraps are very easy to make and take just a few minutes . They are also easy to use and care for.

The use is very similar to that of aluminum foil. Wax wraps adapt to the size or shape of the containers they are to cover. You just have to apply heat with your hands and they will take the desired shape .

Since they are reusable, they need to be washed between uses. This requires a little more care. They need to be washed with cold water and soap . You can do it with hot water, but then the wax will come off and they will last less. We recommend that you use a scouring pad or soft brush so as not to remove the wax when rubbing.

You can use them to transport your food outside the home or protect what you need inside the fridge . They can also be used to put food in the freezer , but sudden changes in temperature can also make them last less.

However, this is not such a big problem, since you can actually repair your wrappers by doing the same thing . If you take good care of them, they can last for a year. Then you repair them and another year . And so on, until you see that the fabric can no longer withstand more passes through the oven. We don't know when that might happen because at the moment we continue to repair the ones we have without any problem. They could last forever!

If you make them with organic cotton fabric, once its useful life is over, you can compost the fabric .

We recommend that you do not wrap raw meat and fish . If you do not wash the wrappers with hot water, bacteria may proliferate .

Do you dare to make these wax wraps? You see that it is very easy and very sustainable.