Ingredients
Scale
- ¼ cup beeswax
- 2 tablespoons pine resin
- 1 tablespoon jojoba oil
- 4 (14 x 14-inch) squares of 100% cotton muslin fabric
Equipment:
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- 1-inch-wide natural bristle, disposable paintbrush
- Clothes drying rack
Instructions
- Make a double boiler using a glass measuring cup. Melt the beeswax and pine resin together in the cup, over medium heat. When the beeswax and pine resin are liquid, drizzle the jojoba oil into the mixture while stirring. You may need to scrape the pine resin off the bottom of the jar and stir it into the beeswax once the mixture is melted. Leave the beeswax mixture in the double boiler and the heat turned on low to keep the mixture liquid while you work with the fabric pieces.
- Wash the cotton muslin pieces well to remove the sizing and hang to dry. Press them with a steam iron to remove wrinkles before waxing. If desired, you can finish the edges with a zigzag stitch, a serged edge, or simply by cutting the edges with pinking shears.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 225°F.
- Working with one piece of fabric at a time, place the fabric in a single layer on the baking sheet, on top of the parchment paper. Using paintbrush, wipe the beeswax mixture onto the surface of the fabric. Place the baking sheet in the oven. Leave it only long enough to melt the beeswax. The beeswax mixture will melt into the fabric and spread. Once the fabric darkens and glistens, showing that the beeswax is fully melted, remove the baking sheet from the oven.
- Use the paintbrush to make sure the beeswax mixture fully saturates the cloth. It may pool in some areas and leave other areas drier. Move the wax around the fabric, using the paintbrush as necessary. Blot excess wax using another piece of fabric, laid out over the first piece.
- When the fabric is saturated with the wax mixture, flip the fabric over on the baking sheet, so that the blotting fabric is on the bottom and takes the excess wax. Using your hands on the warmed fabric, work the excess wax into the less saturated areas of the fabric. Return the baking sheet to the oven, briefly, just long enough to liquefy the wax. Remove the first fabric from the baking sheet and drape over a clothes rack to dry.
- The blotting fabric is now your working fabric. Use a brush to spread more of the beeswax mixture around on the fabric. Try to cover the fabric evenly with a thin layer of the wax mixture. Place the baking sheet in the oven to melt the wax. As soon as the wax is liquefied, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Spread the melted wax around with the paintbrush. Blot the excess wax from the working fabric using a new piece of fabric. Flip the fabric over so that the blotting fabric is now on the bottom. Return this briefly to the oven to re-liquefy. Remove the working fabric to a rack to dry.
- Repeat with more squares of fabric, going through the process one at a time, and blotting the excess wax onto the next piece of fabric. Allow the beeswax-impregnated fabric squares to dry fully. Once dry, wipe both sides of each piece of fabric with a damp cloth to remove any residual wax or resin before using.
