How to Create Your Own Wedding Seals

In a bygone era, wax seals were used to seal envelopes, hold parchment scrolls together and as a signature on important documents. Today, many couples use a wax seal with their last name's initial as an added touch to wedding invitation envelopes. Wax seals add a touch of elegance to almost any wedding invitation ensemble and can fit appropriately into Victorian or Renaissance wedding themes. With a few supplies from a local wedding stationary or craft store, you can easily create your own wedding seals.

Things You'll Need

• Last name initial seal stamp
• Sealing wax sticks matching wedding colors
• Matches or lighter
• Wedding invitation or envelope

Instructions

1. Lay the envelope or other wedding stationery you'll be sealing on a flat surface.

2. Melt the wax. Hold the wax stick about 2 inches from the point on the paper where you want to place the seal. Hold a lit match or lighter to one end of the wax stick so that the melted wax drips onto the paper at the designated spot. Allow approximately 1/4 inch of melted wax to land on the paper.

3. Stamp the wax. Use the small seal stamp of your initial and press it into the melted wax. Hold the press for about one second and then gently remove the stamp from the hardened wax.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice creating a couple of seals on a regular sheet of paper before trying it on your wedding stationery.

• Make sure to have some extra envelopes on hand in case you make mistakes sealing them shut.

• If you use matches to melt the wax, you'll need one match stick for each wax seal.

• Wax seals also make nice accents for wedding invitations. If you're creating your own wedding invitations or want to add an accent to existing ones, you can use the wax initial seal as part of your invitation design. Then coordinate the envelope wax seal with the invitation.

• Be careful not to move the flame of the match or lighter too close to the paper.

References

• Wax Seal Supplies
• DIY Seals