With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, now is the time to start creating gifts for your loved ones. Handwritten valentines are an excellent way to show love and appreciation; I’m a firm believer in the power of a well written card! This year, make your love note one to remember with a dramatic wax seal.
Sealant wax is commonly comprised of beeswax and resin to create an incredibly hard, sticky wax. Without resin, this combination of waxes is not as hard and brittle as traditional sealant wax, but it’s perfect for adding a decorative touch to your letters.
Because these seals are slightly delicate, they may not survive transit. Instead, I recommend delivering these Valentines in person. A touch of Heavy Metal Gold Mica adds a bit of shimmer and really helps the stamp design pop. The mica also helps the stamp release easily from the wax, rather than sticking or pulling the wax off the paper. I can’t wait to use this technique for other occasions, such as thank you and birthday cards.
What You’ll Need:
1 oz. Candelilla Wax
.5 oz. Cera Bellina Wax
Red Wax Dye Block
Heavy Metal Gold Mica
Heart Stamp (discontinued)
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: Place the cera bellina wax and candelilla wax into a heat safe container, and melt in the microwave using 45 second bursts. Once fully melted, be careful hen removing from the microwave, as the container will be very hot.
TWO: Shave off approximately 1/2 tsp. of Red Wax Dye Block, and add to the melted wax. Use a spoon to thoroughly incorporate the color. If you’d like a lighter or darker red color, use can use more or less red colorant.
THREE: Place a small amount of Heavy Metal Gold Mica into a small dish. Spray the stamp with isopropyl alcohol, and dip the stamp into the mica. Blow off any excess mica from the stamp. In addition to giving the wax shimmer, the mica also helps the stamp release from the hot wax easily.
FOUR: Using a spoon, pour a small amount of the wax into the center of the envelope. This step is easier when the wax has cooled slightly; if the wax is extremely hot, it may run off the envelope instead of pooling in the center.
Note: The Heart Stamp has been discontinued. Find more stamps here.
FIVE: Place the stamp into the hot wax, and allow the wax to cool around the stamp. Gently pull the stamp up and out of the wax. Set aside and allow to fully cool.
Note: A small percentage of the seals may come off the paper. If this happens can be “glued” back on with a small drop of hot wax.
How are you planning on showing your love this Valentine’s Day?
- 1 oz. Candelilla Wax
- .5 oz. Cera Bellina Wax
- Red Wax Dye Block
- Heavy Metal Gold Mica
- Heart Stamp
- Place the cera bellina wax and candelilla wax into a heat safe container, and melt in the microwave using 45 second bursts. Once fully melted, be careful hen removing from the microwave, as the container will be very hot.
- Shave off ½ tsp. of Red Wax Dye Block, and add to the melted wax. Use a spoon to thoroughly incorporate the color.
- Place a small amount of Heavy Metal Gold Mica into a small dish. Spray the stamp with isopropyl alcohol, and dip the stamp into the mica. Blow off any excess mica from the stamp. In addition to giving the wax shimmer, the mica also helps the stamp release from the hot wax easily. NOTE: The Heart Stamp has been discontinued.
- Using a spoon, pour a small amount of the wax into the center of the envelope. This step is easier when the wax has cooled slightly; if the wax is extremely hot, it may run off the envelope instead of pooling in the center.
- Place the stamp into the hot wax, and allow the wax to cool around the stamp. Gently pull the stamp up and out of the wax.
Can you use plain beeswax for these seals?
Hi Lily!
We did test plain beeswax and didn’t have a lot of luck! Because it’s quite firm, it didn’t stick very well to the envelopes. We had the best luck with cera bellina and candelilla wax. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi there,
I’m so glad that this was posted, I’ve decided to use the wax seals for a launch party that is coming up in the new year. I had no idea how to do the wax part, without having to buy it pre- made. One question, can I use another color then red.
Thank you,
Aileen Motto
So glad you like the tutorial Aileen! Also, you can definitely use another color besides red. You can use any of our wax dye blocks for your wax seals: https://www.brambleberry.com/Colorants-C18.aspx
Have fun! I think they will be a big hit at your launch party. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi!
Would plain soy wax work to seal envelopes?
Thanks, Cadence.
Hi Cadence!
We found that candelilla and cera bellina wax worked the best at sealing the envelopes. Soy wax on its own may be a bit too soft. I would recommend melting a small amount and seeing if it seals those envelopes nicely. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I’m making wedding invites and have a lot of wax. Do i have to use this blend or will any wax do? Thanks
Hi Anntoinette!
That sounds like such a fun project! In our tests and recipes, we found a mix of candelilla wax and cera bellina wax worked the best. It created the perfect texture to stick to the paper and seal the envelopes. What kind of wax blend were you thinking? Let me know and I can help you out. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
hi , I have a question, started making soap and body products as a hobby, now doing it as a business (just getting started). I was wondering if you could help me with preservatives,
a little over whelmed. I am making body scrubs, candle massage, bath bombs, soap, lip balms,
shaving cream, if you can just tell me what you think would work best..
thank you so much for your time!!!!
penny coy,
ps, love your videos!!
Hi Penny!
Absolutely! Knowing when to add a preservative can be overwhelming for sure.
Generally, you want to add a preservative if your product has water. For instance, lotion needs a preservative to prevent mold and bacteria growth. However, products without water – lip balm, massage candles and bath bombs – don’t need a preservative. Yay!
Soap also doesn’t need a preservative. Although it has water in it, is has a pH level that doesn’t allow mold to grow.
Also, while scrubs don’t have water in them, we typically add one to be safe. This is because it will probably get water splashed into it during use.
You can find out more about preservatives and which ones we carry in the Talk It Out Tuesday: Preservatives post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This is a very cute idea!
Hi Olivia!
So happy you like the recipe! I hope you get a chance to try it out. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I’m excited about this! I love sealing wax and seals but I’d never known how to make the wax blend
Hi Jenny!
So happy you enjoy the recipe! I hope you get a chance to try it out. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This is so adorable! I have such wonderful memories of sealing my notes and letters with wax and a brass stamp. Thank you so much for this fun recipe!!
Hi Gwendolyn!
So glad you like the recipe! It was a lot of fun trying out wax combinations and sealing envelopes. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry