I made some floor mats out of vintage Canadian Mint money bags and waxed one of them. These are the steps I took- launder the bags, take them apart, iron, cut, dye- the mats are reversible- one side has been tea dyed the other a very dark blue with a fibre reactive dye from Maiwa. I used shibori technics of wrapping the canvas, folding or using rusty clamps to create different patterns. Wash again and sew together.
This is my first time waxing canvas and it is really easy and gratifying.
This is how I did it- melt half a cup of each parafin and bees wax in a mason jar as a double boiler. I used the lid of the jar in the pot and put the jar on the lid (so the jar wasn’t directly sitting on the heat- it could break and make a terrible mess. Use low heat, it melts quickly, then just brush it all over your canvas. It goops up pretty quick so you need to work fast spreading it around and looks very opaque. That’s ok. Then I took a heat gun to it and used the brush to spread it around a bit more, the wax melts into the fabric and it’s no longer opaque. You can use a hairdryer as well on the highest setting.
Easy peasy and I’m very happy with the results! I made 2 others that I have yet to wax- they are listed in my shop if you want to take a look.
I painted one side of one of the mats-this one is my favorite- I haven’t waxed this one yet, I may not.
