Guest post today by Julie Anne Eason. What I like about this post, and what I think many preppers will also like, is that the product she’s describing here is eco-friendly, requires just a little do-it-yourself skills and it saves money. Many preppers understand the financial and common sense value of saving leftovers. This easy-to-make product will help you do just that.
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One of my favorite modern conveniences is tinfoil. It’s cheap, it’s handy and I sure would miss it if/when the SHTF. But recently I found a much more environmentally friendly alternative. It’s completely flat (so it takes up no space) and it weighs next to nothing. Which makes it perfect for a bug-out bag.
I’m talking about simple waxed linen circles and squares. They mold to any shape you press them over or into. So, they work like tinfoil to keep leftovers moist and uncontaminated. They can also be pressed into a cup shape for use as a drinking vessel or mixing bowl. Then, when you’re finished using the vessel, you can just flatten it back out and put it in your bag. My family uses these for camping now, and it’s amazing how often they come in handy.
Here’s how you make them:
- Melt some wax over low to medium heat. Wax is flammable if it gets too hot, so be careful. I use 100% beeswax, but you can also use paraffin.
- While you’re waiting for the wax to melt, cut some different sized shapes out of linen. I suppose you could use cotton, too, but I’ve only tried linen because I have lots of scraps lying around. I like to use circles, but squares work just as well.
- Once the wax is liquid, drop the fabric into it. You’ll get a quick bubbling effect as the fabric fibers open up and are infused with the wax. It only takes a few second for the fabric to be completely saturated with wax.
- Then you just hang it up somewhere to dry for a few minutes. As the wax dries, it will harden and the fabric will feel like flexible plastic. You should be able to mold it and have it stay in that shape.
Dunk the linen in the hot wax (it will bubble)
Hang your pieces up to dry.
That’s all there is to it. You can make dozens of these in about fifteen minutes. If you’re stocking up for a shelter or long-term survival, why not make long sheets of it and roll it up just like tinfoil? Then you can cut the sizes you need later.
Helpful Hints:
- Because wax does melt, these aren’t great for hot liquids. You can eat cereal out of them, but it’s not going to work for your morning coffee.
- If they get gnarly after a while, just heat them up and flatten them back out.
- If you know you want bowls, let the wet waxed fabric dry inside an actual bowl. It will hold its shape better that way.
- Don’t worry about hemming the edges of the fabric; the wax will take care of that.
- If you melt your wax in a disposable turkey pan (or other pan you don’t mind losing), you can just let the excess harden in place. Then when you need wax for another project, it’s all ready to heat back up.
Julie Anne Eason is a freelance craft and sewing writer.
10 comments
WOW….what a great idea! Thank you so much, Julie Anne. This is definitely NOT something I would have thought of on my own. I am amazed on a daily basis how creative and clever people can be. Thanks again for sharing…….now, where did I put those extra linen pieces?
You can also use waxed linen to wrap hard cheeses to keep them fresh longer and keep bugs out.
Thats a very cool idea I’ve never seen before, thanks for posting it.
Wouldn’t paraffin wax crack and peel pretty easily?
What kind of wax should one use? How have your results been?
The writer of the article said she used beeswax. someone said paraffin but bees was is softer and I’m thinking it would mold and stick to itself better. I’ve read about it in other places and I really want to try this.
if you know you want bowls, you could actually shape the bowls on a sewing machine with six or eight darts and then wax the item. it would permanantly be a bowl. but would not flatten as well for hiking.
Parafin wax is a petroleum product which I have quit using on food so beeswax is the only thing I’ll use now as it also has some antibiotic qualities. I’ve only made a mug cover but I’m going to try and do some larger pieces of waxed linen and use them for bowl covers to cut down the use of one time plastics like saran wrap.
How do you clean this? I mean cheese molds and greasy meat gets bacteria. Hot water would melt the wax. How do you keep these sanitary? I love the idea but want to be safe.
These should not be used for meat as the juice does cause bacteria that can permeate the wax. Great for cheese, fruit and veggies. Just clean with a mild soap, I use Castile Soap. Wash in warm, not hot water, as hot water can melt the beeswax. Can last up to a year before being retreated with wax.