Medieval Plastic Wrap: Beeswax Soaked Linen

Beeswax soaked linen was the medieval version of today's plastic wrap. For more information on this, I highly recommend watching this video.

First, I cut out circles larger than the circle for the top of my container.




Then, I spread shaved bits of beeswax on top of the linen circles in a disposable pan.




Bake in an oven at about 150 degrees F until the beeswax melts. Beeswax will start to discolor at 185 degrees F and will ignite at 400 degrees F. Use a disposable brush if you need to move beeswax chunks around on the fabric.





Once the beeswax has melted, quickly remove it from the oven and off the pan. I used two disposable chopsticks to pull the circles up. The beeswax cools quickly and the fabric can adhere to the pan if you do not remove it fast enough.




Once the linen has cooled, it can be used for the intended container. If it starts to lose its durability, re-melt beeswax on the fabric to stiffen it back up again.



Below are examples of this beeswax soaked linen being used in history:





14th century in the French National Library



The 15th century painting of the Annunciation with Saint Emidius (look above her head in the painting), available at the National Gallery.