Pure Beeswax

Description

Our 100% pure beeswax is derived from the beeswax cappings and other excess beeswax gathered as a part of the honey extraction process at Little Wren Farm’s Certified Naturally Grown apiary. We use no chemical additives and, as always, there is no plastic in our packaging ~ just biodegradable materials.

What can you do with pure beeswax?  Below are a few some general ideas to get your creative ideas flowing. We haven’t tried all of these, and you’ll want to do a little more digging to fill in the various details. A simple on-line search, or a wander through your library, will yield all sorts of additional ideas and information!

Candles – A few fun and creative candle-making ideas you can find online including floating acorn cap candles and candles made in lemon peels!

Wood lubricant – Beeswax is a natural lubricant that can be rubbed directly onto squeaky, sticky drawers, doors, windows.  This also works well for other things like screws and zippers.

Wood polish – Try one part beeswax and three parts olive or coconut oil. Gently heat over a double boiler until melted, then allow to cool and harden. After cooling, rub on using a clean cloth then buff with another clean cloth until the residue is gone.

Cutting board conditioner – Melt ½ teaspoon beeswax with a cup of food grade mineral oil and apply to the board with a clean cloth. This can also be used to protect other wooden surfaces like spatulas, spoons and salad bowls.

Protect metal baking pans – Rub beeswax onto the surface, buff excess off with a clean cloth, and cook with the pans as normal. Over time, your pan will develop a permanent layer of wax, meaning you don’t have to oil or grease it every time.

Pomade or sculpting wax – Beeswax can make a good base for hair pomade. Simple recipes abound online with common ingredients including beeswax, shea butter, jojoba oil and essential oils. The process is as simple as melting, mixing and cooling prior to use.

Crayons – Mix equal parts beeswax and soap shavings and melt in a double boiler. Pour into molds and add a few drops of food coloring to each one, stirring until mixed. Before using, allow the crayons to harden for a couple hours.

Canvas waterproofing – Rub beeswax directly onto canvas and then use a blow-dryer to melt it. Rub away any excess wax with a clean cloth.

Prevent tools from rusting – Rub a bar of beeswax on the metal parts and buff off any excess with a cloth.

Food wraps – Beeswax food wraps provide a natural, reusable and compostable alternative to plastic wrap and they’re simple to make with cotton fabric.

Non-stick spray alternative for molds –  Beeswax is called for in some recipes in place of, or in combination with, other non-stick ingredients like butter. The beeswax doesn’t add flavor, but it can help with the formation of the crisp outer layer for certain pastries and baked goods, like canelés.

Still looking for more ideas? There are loads of DIY ideas and recipes for uses of beeswax in books and online, including copper pot polish, cast iron frying pan seasoning, seals for mushroom log plugs, snow shovel treatment to prevent snow from sticking, leather conditioner, grafting wax for fruit trees, sealing wax, oil pastels, thread treatment to prevent thread from tangling, modelling clay, treatment for wood for outdoor use, cheese protection, salves and balms, soaps, non-polluting snowboard and ski wax, archer’s wax for bowstrings, and so many more.  Have fun!

A Note About Safety: Please do use caution when heating beeswax and mixing beeswax; hot wax can burn (ouch!) and is combustible if exposed to temperatures above its flashpoint (around 400 degrees F).  Always take care to take appropriate safety measures and seek additional information before getting started if you’re uncertain about how best to stay safe.

A Note About Working with Beeswax: This stuff can get messy when melted! It can be challenging to thoroughly clean beeswax off of tools and other materials. If you’re planning to melt beeswax as a part of a project, it’s generally best to use materials that you don’t mind getting waxy… you may have trouble cleaning all the wax out of your favorite double boiler!

Little Wren Farm