Send It in Style: Wax Seals

There is one thing in our stores that seems to both intrigue customers and scare them: wick wax. Wick wax and wax seals are intriguing because they give the old world appearance of something proper and important. . . making it almost sinful to open a beautifully sealed envelope!

Seals also scare many crafters because they have the ability to ruin your carefully prepared invitations and potentially create a melt down in a bad way. But, have no fear, the following picture set shows how easy it is to create a perfect wax seal. Easy as 1-2-3!

The following two videos show the two techniques to make a wax seal. The glue gun technique is by far easier and is recommended for sealing multiple items. The wick wax is great for one or two envelopes/items at a time.

TIP: When working with the wick wax, have a safe surface to set down matches and the hot wick wax. Have a glass of water nearby and be prepared for dripping flames. Don't be scared, but be cautious.

Start by being sure that the wick is flush with the wax. Too much wick creates too much flame. Light the wick and let the wax dribble to the area you would like to place your seal. Once you have a few drips, you can press the wick directly into the paper and create a swirl (while putting out the flame) the size of your intended seal. Here is a video of how to use the wick wax:



Using ink to create an extra dimension to your seal is totally optional. You can follow these steps without the ink and have a beautiful seal.

To use the ink: simply stamp the seal in the highlighting ink before gently pressing into the wax. Hold the seal in the wax for a brief moment to ensure a crisp image is pressed into the wax. Voila! You have a gorgeous, two-toned seal. You can combine any color of ink with any wax and any stamp ink will work.

For an even easier go, insert glue gun sealing wax into a glue gun, disperse a few drops and then press your seal into the wax. As you can see from the videos, this method is not only faster, but more precise. Here is the video using the glue gun:



For variation, try inserting different colors of wax sticks and see what you get! Wax seals are durable and flexible enough to be sent through the mail, so they can be used to seal either inner or outer envelopes when mailing invitations. And you can get seals in any letter and a variety of designs like hearts, leaves, the peace sign, the list goes on.

Seals can also be used to create unique embellishments directly on invitations or on place cards, menus, etc. I love these creative ideas by Flush Design using bakers twine. So cute!

You can also pre-prepare your seals on another surface before adhering them to your final project. This can be done by creating the seals on a piece of mylar. The seals will not stick to the mylar, so you can make sure your seals are perfect, peel them off the mylar and use a glue dot to adhere them to your invitation. I also tried pre-making some seals on glass which worked fine, but they needed to be removed when still slightly soft.

Either method, creating the seals is a lot of fun and the recipient will be sure to notice the charming touch. Happy waxing! --Kim