How to Make Simple, Flexible Sealing Wax

Make your own sealing wax to seal envelopes or invitations.

Sealing wax was used to seal correspondence and important documents in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries--before envelopes were invented. While sealing wax is no longer a necessity, some people enjoy adding a wax seal to letters or invitations. You can purchase ready-to-use sealing wax or mix up your own at home. Making your own sealing wax gives you more control over the color of your wax seals and allows you to add fragrance to the wax, if desired.

Things You'll Need

• Beeswax
• Microwave-safe bowl
• Microwave
• Pot holder
• Wooden spoon
• Dry shellac flakes
• Coconut oil
• Dry artists' pigments
• Essential oils
• Candle or crayon mold

Instructions

1. Pour approximately 1/2 oz. beeswax pellets or solid beeswax, coarsely chopped, into a microwave-safe bowl.

2. Microwave the beeswax on high for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave with a pot holder and stir the beeswax with a wooden spoon. Return the bowl to the microwave and continue to melt at 30-second intervals until the beeswax is smooth and melted.

3. Stir 3 oz. of dry shellac flakes into the melted beeswax. Shellac flakes are available in several colors, so you can choose the appropriate color for your sealing wax. If you would like to add your own pigments, select blond shellac flakes, which are very pale.

4. Return the bowl to the microwave and continue to cook at 30-second intervals until the shellac flakes have melted.

5. Stir 1 tsp. coconut oil into the melted beeswax and shellac flakes. The coconut oil will melt in the hot wax but become solid again when the wax cools. This will add flexibility to your wax without preventing it from hardening in your molds.

6. Stir in small amounts of dry artists' pigments until the wax is the desired color. Dry pigments are available at art supply stores. Add a few drops of essential oil at this time if you would like to add fragrance to your sealing wax.

7. Pour the wax into a votive candle mold or several crayon molds.

8. Let the wax cool completely and then remove it from the mold.

Tips & Warnings

• Melt one end of the wax with the open flame of a lighter and allow it to drip onto your envelope. Press a stamp into the wax before it cools to leave an imprint and personalize your wax seal.

• You can replace the shellac flakes with powdered resin, but the finished sealing wax will be less flexible and may result in brittle envelope seals.

References

• U.S. National Archives and Records Administration: The Flip Side of History
• Soulshine Beeswax: Beeswax Recipe
• Alchemy Works: Beeswax