How to Use a Wax Seal – A Simple Step-by-Step Guide

Want to learn how to create super fancy and old-fashioned wax seals? It’s easy! Here’s everything you need to learn how to use a wax seal.

Touch of the Past

There is nothing quite as mysterious, dramatic, and impressive as a wax sealed envelope. It beckons you to open it and satiate your curiosity. Who knows what it could contain? The inheritance from a long-lost relative in an old mansion? An acceptance letter to a magical school? Perhaps it contains a secret that only you may know.

Whether the inside contains a party invite or a letter from an old friend, a wax seal provides a bit of magic to an otherwise ordinary piece of paper. You can master this old-fashioned style with just a few supplies and no skill at all! Allow me to show you how to use a wax seal in this easy step-by-step guide.

Sealing Wax

First, you’ll need some sealing wax! Wax typically comes in three different options. Let me break them down for you so you know what to get.

Sealing Wax Sticks with Wicks

These are like tiny candlesticks, basically. They are columns of sealing wax with a wick in the middle. You light the wick, which melts the wax so you can use. Sticks are good for when you are using a single color.

Sealing Wax Beads

You can also opt for the wax bead route. These small beads of wax melt in a spoon for you to pour onto your envelope. This is a great overall option but is especially useful if you want to melt multiple colors together into the same seal.

Sealing Wax Sticks without Wicks

Much like the aforementioned wax sticks with wicks, these simply have no wicks at all. That is because you can use them with a glue gun to melt a lot of wax quickly. Sticks like this are ideal for professional calligraphers that do a lot of wax seals for events like weddings. That’s not to say that you can’t use them if you aren’t a professional! This is an excellent option for anyone creating a lot of seals. But if you’re just starting, I wouldn’t recommend going with this method just yet.

Gather Your Other Wax Seal Materials

Besides the wax itself, you’ll need a handful of other supplies before you can jump into the fun.

Stamp Head

In order to create wax seals, you need a stamp. You can order a myriad of different stamp styles, like a Game of Thrones sigil, the Hogwarts coat of arms, your initial, or other various designs. You can even get a custom stamp head made for a reasonable price! That’s how I ended up getting my Little Coffee Fox logo as a wax seal. There are tons of options to choose from. Grab one or collect a few for different occasions!

Stamp Head Handle

Of course, you’re going to need a handle for your wax seal. You can usually purchase the head and handle in one package. If you’re wanting to get a few heads, you only need one handle. That makes storing your sealing wax kit much easier.

Wax Spoon

If you’re using wax beads (or cutting chunks out of your wax sticks), you’ll want a wax seal spoon. Make sure to grab one with something covering the handle like wood or plastic. A naked metal handle can get quite warm while you’re working.

Envelopes

While you are more than welcome to press wax seals into anything and everything you desire, envelopes are the go-to choice. You can use whatever envelopes you want, but I personally like ones with pointy flaps like the black envelopes I’m using here.

Tealight

If you are using wax beads and a spoon, you need something to heat your wax. A tealight (or any candle, really) is an excellent and cheap option.

Glue Gun

While I wouldn’t recommend getting started with a glue gun, who am I to hold you back? If you go with this option, make sure to either use a glue gun you’re not attached to or buy a gun just for sealing wax. The wax is messy and will leave a residue in your gun.

Lighter or Matches

You gotta light your flame somehow, so grab a lighter and keep it nearby.

How to Use a Wax Seal with Wax Sticks

Now that we’ve gone over all the materials you need, let’s dive right into the process of sealing with wax sticks!

Step 1: Prep

Once you light the wick on your wax stick, things will move quickly. So make sure you’re ready! Get your envelope in front of you, attach your seal head to the handle, and grab your lighter.

Step 2: Light

Hold the wax stick in your dominant hand and light the wick. It will begin melting quickly. Try to keep as much accumulated melted wax on the stick as long as possible before you let it drip.

Step 3: Drip

Hold the tip of the stick over the spot you want your seal to be. Allow the wax to drip onto that spot until you get a pool that is about the size of a nickel (a little smaller than an inch). Blow out the flame on the wax stick, allow the last few drops to fall onto the paper. Set aside.

Step 4: Stamp

Get your wax seal and check that the top of the design is oriented correctly. Push the seal into the pool of wax. Try to make sure there is excess wax all around the outside of the seal.

Step 5: Rest and Remove

Allow the wax to cool for at least 30-60 seconds. Then gently pull your stamp away, revealing the design left behind.

How to Use a Wax Seal with Wax Beads and a Spoon

Now that you’ve seen how sealing wax works with the wax sticks, let me show you this fun alternative.

Step 1: Prep

Just like before, you want to gather your materials.

Step 2: Light

Light your tealight or candle.

Step 3: Melt

Add three or four wax beads into your spoon and hold about an inch above the flame. Don’t put the spoon directly in the flame because you will get a black sooty residue on the underside of the spoon, which might end up in the wax. Hold the spoon over the flame for a minute or two until the beads have all melted.

Step 4: Pour

Pour the contents of your spoon over the lip of the envelope, getting as much onto the paper as possible. Set spoon aside (but mind that it’s still hot).

Step 5: Stamp

Check that your stamp is oriented correctly. Then push the stamp into the pool of wax, taking care to get wax excess all around the stamp.

Step 6: Rest and Remove

Allow the wax to cool for a minute or so, then gently pull the stamp away to reveal your wax seal.

Don’t Forget to Clean Up

If you want your materials to last, then you need to make sure to properly clean all of your tools. Cleaning a wax seal set can be a bit tricky, so make sure to check out how to clean a wax seal spoon.

How to Send Your Wax Sealed Envelopes in the Mail

Now that you have the know-how to create beautiful wax seals on your stationery, you need to know how to successfully deliver your envelopes in one piece. It’s always a good idea to check with your local post rules and regulations to see if they have any guidance on the matter, as the rules might change from region to region. I can share some of my experiences sending wax seals here in the USA.

Can you Send Your Wax Seals Through the Mail?

As far as I know, where I live, your letter won’t be rejected because it has a wax seal. And many waxes you can purchase for wax seals are pliable enough that they can bend and flex while being transported without breaking or crumbling.

However, even if you can just stick your envelope in the mailbox, that isn’t necessarily the best method. Mail sorting machines are built for flat pieces of mail, and the extra bulk of a wax seal could cause complications. The machine could jam, or more likely, the machine will damage or potentially destroy your beautiful envelope.

I have sent my wax sealed envelopes through the mail only to hear from the recipients that the seal was squished, scuffed, or otherwise ruined. That’s a frustrating thing to discover after all that hard work!

Hand Canceling Your Mail

The first thing you can do to prevent messed up mail is to pay a little extra for hand sorting or hand canceling the envelope. This basically means that the postal workers will not run your pretty envelopes through the machine, and will instead handle them with a bit more care. Always call ahead to your post office to ask if they offer this service and how much it will cost.

However, this isn’t a surefire way to keep your envelopes from getting chewed up in the machines. When I sent out wax sealed invitations for a Halloween party a few years ago, I paid extra for hand canceling and I found out that several invitations were clearly run through the mail sorters. One friend didn’t get her invitation until two months after the party!

Protect Your Package

The best way to protect your letters and invitations is to simply deliver them by hand when possible. For example, when I had my Halloween party, I was inviting friends who I saw on a regular basis. So a few weeks before the party, I brought a bunch of their invitations to a gathering and handed them out to many “oohs” and “ahhs”.

If you must send your letters and invitations through the mail, I would recommend you slip the letter with the wax seal into a slightly larger envelope. This will be the very best way to protect the stationery you worked so hard on creating because the outer envelope will take the brunt of any travel damage.

As a way to split the difference, you can mix your methods! When I hosted a baby shower a while back, I sent out invitations in the mail sans wax seal to the people who lived far away. For the local friends and family, I added a fancy wax seal to their invitations and hand-delivered as many as I could. That allowed me some pizzazz with the invitation without worrying about envelopes getting lost or chewed up in the mail.

Wax Seals Ain’t So Hard

This old-fashioned method of sealing envelopes might look extra fancy, but it’s not hard at all to pick up. With only a few materials, you can begin sending special letters in no time. Wax seals are perfect for weddings, baby showers, Halloween parties, or plain ol’ letters. You will delight your recipients when they pull your envelope out of their mailbox. Give this wax seal tutorial a try and see just how fun it can be!