How To Make Canvas Waterproof with Beeswax? [Step By Step]
Canvas is a plain fabric usually made from cotton and some synthetic material like linen to make it water-resistant (to some extent) and polyvinyl chloride.
It is known to be extremely durable, sturdy and heavy-duty. It isn’t necessarily soft because the rougher parts of the cotton and linen are used to make the canvas yarn.
Since canvas is so durable, strong and useful, it becomes imperative to make it waterproof. This would increase its overall lifespan.
What about this amazing cross shoulder canvas purse?
One of the most popular and useful ways of waterproofing canvas is beeswax. Hence, I’ll be showing you how to make the most of your canvas by making it waterproof!
How To Make Canvas Waterproof with Beeswax?
‘Bees’wax is made from the honeycomb of honeybees and other bees in general. Beeswax is used in making fragrances, candles, cosmetics and waterproofing.
When it is applied to something like canvas, it makes it waterproof. This happens mainly because the beeswax is not water-soluble and simply blocks moisture from ruining the material underneath.
Also, if you want to sew your canvas material into something, it’d be better to wax them after sewing. This would prevent the wax from attaching to your machines and tools. Beeswax is very difficult to remove.
It’d be suggested to do this waterproofing process in a well-ventilated place because beeswax is inflammable. Be cautious.
A waterproofed canvas even when used daily can last you for around 5 years, may last for about 15-20 years if used sparingly!
Required Material:
- Beeswax
- Any strong and sharp object like a screw driver or chisel
- Gloves
- Heating arrangement
- One big and one small tray/pan
- Water
- Brush
- Spoon / spatula
- Hair dryer
- Pillow case (optional)
Procedure [Step by Step]:
1. Break the beeswax into small pieces
The beeswax usually comes as a huge solidified cube-like object. So before doing anything, you need to break it down into smaller pieces.
Use the screwdriver to break it.
Tip: Don’t use something like a knife as it might bend itself. So you’ll lose a knife and the beeswax would be there sitting unharmed. Such a loss, right?
Alternatively, you can use beeswax pellets:
| Photo | Product | Buy |
|---|---|---|
 | Beesworks Yellow Beeswax Pellets (1 lb) | 100% Pure, Cosmetic Grade, Triple-Filtered Beeswax for DIY Skin Care, Lip Balm, Lotion, and Candle Making | Check Price On Amazon |
2. Heat it
As I told you above, do this in a well-ventilated place. It’d be even useful to ignore a direct source of heat, such as a burning flame. Induction would be a better alternative.
Put a pan filled with water on the heat source. Then in another pan, put the broken wax and place this smaller tray/pan on top of the water-filled pan. Once the wax starts melting, stir it to frequently.
Within 1 – 1.5 hours, the wax would completely liquefy. Some people like to add linseed or turpentine oil but it doesn’t do much for the canvas except make it smelly. So you can ignore these oils completely.
3. Apply on canvas
Next, apply melted wax on top of the canvas with a brush. Oh! Don’t forget to put on those gloves.
Use sideways, top-down strokes for an even application. Be quick in this step to prevent the wax from solidifying before application.
4. Dry it
After the application, let it dry for around 30 minutes or an hour.
Use a hairdryer (on hot air mode) and blow it over the wax-coated canvas. This would let it work with the fiber and seep deeper into the material. This step also removes the visible wax from the surface and makes the object look normal.
Then you need to let it dry for another 5-6 hours to let it settle completely.
It’s never a bad idea to get a new hairdryer!
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|---|---|---|
 | Revlon Compact Hair Dryer | 1875W Lightweight Design, Perfect for Travel, (Black) | Check Price On Amazon |
Precautions:
This method is very useful. However, if you live in a hot and humid place where the temperature easily goes above 90°F (32.22° C), the coated canvas might become gummy or tacky. So be aware before using his method for your canvas.
Final Comments:
Beeswax is a great method of waterproofing canvas. Some people would even mix around 40% of paraffin wax into the mixture with 60% beeswax.
This is done to do reduce the costs. Beeswax is definitely the most expensive wax one can buy. Hence, if you wish to cut down on expenses, use a mixture of paraffin and beeswax.
A question that you might ask is “why can’t we only use paraffin wax?”.
Well, paraffin wax is usually meant for already waxed items. When applied to “non-waxed” products, it becomes messy and difficult. It’s been found to be toxic as well. Hence, it’s advised not to use only paraffin wax for canvas purposes.
