Wax Seal Application Instructions

Applying your own wax seals is not a difficult process, but it does require some patience. Although one can melt the wax with a candle flame, the process listed below will save you much time when stamping many invitations at once.

•  Start by melting the amount of wax required in a metal or glass container over a stove top or any other heat source. It takes about 150-175 deg C (300-350 deg F) to melt the wax. The temperature does not matter too much, just melt it until it is relatively thin, and pours easily.
• Use a teaspoon to pick  up some wax and pour it slowly over the invitation in a circular fashion. Start from the center of the seal and spiral outwards until about 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter. It should not be very thick (this can be assured by not overlapping the wax when laying down in a spiral). Note that the utensils used should be considered expendable, as they will be difficult to clean completely after their use.
• Take the seal, and place it over the wax, press down slightly, but not too hard (If the wax is sufficiently hot, the weight of the seal is all the pressure that is required).
• Wait a few seconds for the wax to cool and harden, and then remove the seal.

The above should work without any problems, but some extra suggestions could help in speeding up the process.

• Placing the brass seal in the optional holder provides some degree of cooling to the seal (the holder acts as a heat sink). This lets the wax cool faster and allows separating the seal from the wax more quickly.
• Apply a thin coat of olive oil on the face of the seal, and then wipe it off with a dry cloth completely (a thin film of oil remains). This will help separate the seal from the wax even more easily.
• If some wax streak falls on an invitation away from where it is desired, don't touch it. Wait until the wax is completely dry, and then it should be easy to remove without a smudge
• All wax seals look completely unique. However, if a wax seal turns out to not look cosmetically appealing, it can be re-melted right on the invitation and a new seal applied (a paint stripping heat gun works best to re-melt the wax).

Download above instructions (printable format)