If you looked in your kitchen, I’d be willing to bet a decent chunk of money that you have some wooden utensils or cutting boards that are, shall we say, well used. Gone is that silky shine from when you first got it, and now it’s a bit dull and worn. Sound right?
When I first got my own place, I bought some mineral oil to keep these up to snuff. Once that ran out, though, I started to look for some things that I could DIY. Enter wood butter. This is an incredibly easy recipe that I use, and could easily be made for quick gifts. It uses two all-natural ingredients: coconut oil and beeswax.
Simply take one part beeswax to three parts coconut oil.
Use something that you don’t mind having beeswax on (I use a short wooden dowel) to stir your mixture until it is completely melted and combined.
Remove from heat and set on a towel, pot holder, or trivet to cool.***
***This is incredibly important. Do not put hot glass directly on the counter. It could shatter the glass and leave you with a big mess to clean up.
Recipe:
1 part beeswax
3 parts coconut oil
- Mix ingredients in a heat-proof container. Place this in a pot with water about halfway up the side of the container.
- Melt until combined. Let cool on a towel, pot holder, or trivet.
- If you find that the mixture is too soft for your liking, re-melt and stir in more beeswax.
- If you find it too hard, re-melt and stir in more coconut oil. (You could also just pop the jar in the microwave for 10 seconds before you use it.)
- If your wood really needs some revival, use some sandpaper on the wood first. Wipe off the dust, then apply to wood liberally. Let sit out for 4-6 hours and let the mixture sink in. Then wipe off any excess and store.
*Note* that this consistency will change in hotter temperatures if you don’t have it stored in a cool spot. Coconut oil becomes liquid around 75℉, so in the summer, it could become softer than in the winter, though it shouldn’t become fully liquid due to the binding nature of the beeswax.