I love choosing high quality, gorgeous materials for my bags. They make all the difference, and can take a crossbody, backpack, or project bag from ‘pretty’ to ‘wow!’ Over the next few months I’m going to tell you about some of my favorite materials to work with – the first is waxed canvas. It makes gorgeous, strong bags. But if you’re not familiar with it, you may be wondering what the big deal is. Read on!

Waxed canvas is a fabric that has been saturated with melted wax and allowed to dry. We can thank British sailors for waxed canvas. They figured out that wet sails caught the wind more easily than dry sails. Sailors found that they could make the effect last even longer by soaking the sails in oil. Over decades of trial and error, wax was found to give better results than oil. Waxed canvas sails were stronger, incredibly resistant to tearing and general wear, and waterproof. The same qualities were valuable in work clothing of all kinds, and waxed canvas made its way into sailors’ clothes, military uniforms, work aprons, and rancher’s raincoats.

Strength, durability, waterproofing – these are all great qualities to have in a bag, too! Your knitting needles are not going to easily poke through the base of a waxed canvas project bag. You don’t have to worry that a bit of coffee on the restaurant table is going to ruin your waxed canvas crossbody. This is exactly why I love to put a waxed canvas base on lots of my bags. Some of my bags are all or nearly all waxed canvas because it is also quite heavy and gives a sturdy, substantive feel to a tote bag or backpack.

If you’re not familiar with waxed canvas, though, some of its qualities can be surprising. The most obvious is that crease marks will show on the fabric. Many people – including me! – like the look of the creases. They give a bag a rugged, lived-in look that’s really appealing. You can minimize the marks by gently warming the fabric with a warm hair dryer. Do this gently, though, to avoid melting the wax out of the fabric. The easiest thing to do is to learn to love the creases. They will change and soften with use and give your bag a unique character, like a piece of vintage leather.

It’s also important to know that waxed canvas is much less breathable than regular, unwaxed cotton fabrics. Again, this is great for a bag as it’s what helps keep water and stains from setting into the fabric (although given enough time, they will soak in — please have a look at my tips at the end). It also means that waxed canvas will be a lot warmer against the skin. For this reason I don’t use waxed canvas on straps or handles. In warm weather waxed canvas will feel softer and more pliable. When it’s really hot, a waxed canvas strap sitting against your neck or shoulder can get warm enough to transfer wax to your clothing. Don’t believe it when someone tells you their waxed canvas can’t ever transfer wax. If you can’t iron it because the wax could melt, then, well, the wax could melt, including onto your clothes or skin. I live in a very hot climate and I’ve never had wax transfer. It only happens in the most extreme conditions but it wouldn’t be honest to say it could never happen.

Nonetheless, not all waxed canvases are the same. The best start with a high-quality fabric – tightly woven with heavy threads. My favorite waxed canvas manufacturers work with the best cotton and linen fabrics, most OCS (Organic Content Standard) or GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified. The waxes are food-grade, bio-degradable, petroleum-, formaldehyde-, and paraben-free. Some use beeswax and have the loveliest faint scent of honey. You can find waxed canvas now in big box retail stores but these are often flimsy, sticky, and smell strongly of chemicals – – you won’t ever find these in a WoolNeedleThread bag.

There are also different kinds of waxed canvas. Oilskin is very similar to waxed canvas except that the liquid used to saturate and waterproof the fabric includes a significant amount of oil. Oilskin generally feels a bit greasier, and the oil will transfer to any fabric it touches. You definitely don’t want to pack an oilskin bag or raincoat in your suitcase (ask me how I know). When sewing with oilskin, you must use a completely waterproof barrier between the outer and lining fabrics or the lining  – and everything in your bag – will become saturated by the oil. Dry oilskin has a name that says it all: it’s oilskin without the greasy feel. This fabric will not leave grease marks on other fabrics. It is also often lighter weight with a crisper drape than heavy waxed canvas. Water will bead on its surface but will sink into the fabric faster than on waxed canvas. I love dry oilskin in slouchy bags with a more casual look and in smaller bags like zipper and cosmetic bags, where heavy waxed canvas can feel too stiff.

Waxed canvas is so durable and stain resistant that you don’t have to do a lot to keep your waxed canvas tote, project bag, or crossbody looking great. Here are a few tips that will help you get the longest life out of your bag:

• Brush off dirt and dust as soon as you can. You can use an adhesive lint roller if the fabric doesn’t brush easily.
• Don’t leave liquids on waxed canvas. They will bead up, but after some time they can soak in so it’s best to dab them up right away.
• If liquids do sink in they might leave a water mark. Going over the area gently with a warm hair dryer can reset the wax and help remove the mark.
• Don’t ever machine wash or dry your waxed canvas bag – it will ruin the fabric and your machines! If you must, spot-clean with a tiny bit of diluted soap and a toothbrush, then use a hair dryer to remove the water mark.
• Try not to leave your waxed canvas bag in a hot car. If left in very high heat for a long time, the wax can soften enough to melt into other fabrics it may touch – like your knitting project, the seat of your car, or your clothes. It takes a lot of time and heat to make this happen, but it’s better to know that it’s possible.
• If you don’t love the creases, try to store your bag in the same way you use it. Leave it standing and avoid folding or scrunching, which will create new creases.
• If you like the crinkled look, scrunch away! As creased as it may look, you won’t be damaging the fabric. If you go too far you can always use your hair dryer to smooth it out again.

I’d love to show you how beautiful and durable a waxed canvas bag can be. Please have a look at the waxed canvas totes and project bags and crossbodies with waxed canvas bases available right now! Is there a style you’re hoping to see? Let me know!