Option 1: Using Wax Sticks with Wick
If you are using a wax stick with wick, you will need to light up the wick with fire, and once the wax has melted, to drip the wax onto the envelope. You will need about a 2-3cm diameter circle to have enough wax for your seal to be complete.
Notes:
1. This is a slow method. If you need to seal a lot of envelopes, do not use this method. Instead, use a glue gun as this will expedite the process.
2. Using the candle process will create a slightly discolored “burnt” look to the wax. If this is not your intention, the glue gun wax stick will create a smoother, more consistent effect as it heats the wax more evenly instead of using fire.
3. You will be able to create 6-10 seals, depending on how large the seals are. Towards the end of the wax stick, it may be hard to hold onto the wax stick, even though there is still wax left. Please be careful not to burn your hands!
Option 2: Using a glue gun
This is the faster, more efficient way if you need to seal more than 2 envelopes. You will need a glue gun that takes in 1 cm diameter (0.44 inches) sticks, and glue gun wax sticks. Insert the wax stick into the glue gun and turn it on. Once heated, you can squeeze about 1-2cm of wax onto the envelope.
Tips:
1.Use the low-heat setting on the glue gun.
2. Parchment paper is a great medium to use underneath your project to avoid wax sticking to other surfaces.
3. A cold compress is a great way to cool down your seals in between impressions.
4. After awhile, your glue gun will be heating the wax too much. You will notice that the wax is starting to boil, or discolor, or just not have the right texture. Just unplug the glue gun for a few minutes then try again.
5. You will be able to create 10-15 seals (or more, depending on the size of your seal) using our wax sticks.
Impressions
Once you have just enough wax, press the seal onto the wax. Then after a few seconds, slowly lift it up. The hotter the seal and the wax, the more difficult it would be to lift it up without the wax sticking to the seal.
Note: Practice makes perfect with wax seals, so you can practice with scrap paper first before going onto the real thing. Tag us at #writtenwordwaxseals so we can see how y’all are doing!