DIY Wax Seals Using Play Dough!

Hey everyone!

In this Instructable, I want to show you how to make wax seals without wax stamps or wax seal candle sticks. With this method you can turn any object that you have lying around into a wax seal - without damaging it.

• play dough (store-bought or homemade, see step 2)
• random small items
• circle cutter or round object
• either glue gun or small melting pot / spoon
• silicone or baking paper
• hot glue sticks (clear or colored)

Optional:

• crayons
• nail polish
• eye shadow
• thin cardboard
• craft knife
• candle

For the single-use wax stamps, all you will need is some sort of water soluble play dough.

I recommend using a store-bought one (I used the classic Play-Doh), but homemade play dough is an option too (see next step).

Start by flattening out the play dough and use a round object or circle cutter to cut out a circle.

You can smooth out little cracks with water.

Store-bought play dough is easier to work with (unless maybe you make really fancy homemade play dough), but I tried out a lazy homemade version for those of you who don't want to go out and buy play dough.

All you need is flour and water: Add water to flour until it forms a dough. Add more flour if it's too sticky. I also added green food coloring for aesthetic reasons ;)

This play dough is not made to last long, but it probably keeps best in the fridge.

Next it’s time to hunt for random objects that would look nice as a wax seal. You will be surprised what treasures you can find at home!

Earrings worked quite well for me. Simply push your item into the dough and your wax stamp is ready!

The play dough can pick up details surprisingly well.

You can also use thin cardboard to create letters and other shapes.

Keep in mind that letters have to be mirrored, so a transparent template can help (because you can flip it and see the mirror image).

Unfortunately, letter stamps face the wrong way, so they don’t work!

Let’s talk about the wax next. You may be wondering: Can I not just use normal candle wax?

Unfortunately, it’s too thin, brittle and oily to create seals.

That’s why the 4 methods I show you will all include hot glue. You can melt it with a pot/spoon or use a glue gun.

Method 1 is squeezing out some hot glue onto silicone or baking paper and placing the play dough stamp on top.

Once the glue has cooled down, you can remove most of the play dough and wash off the rest with a brush and water.

Then you can paint the seal with nail polish. If the nail polish isn't pigmented enough, you may need multiple coats.

I highlighted the details of some wax seals with acrylic paint.

Method 2 is creating crayon shavings with scissors and forming little piles. You can add glitter too. Then add (transparent) hot glue on top and add the stamp. That way, you get an interesting marbling effect from the crayons.

With this method, you will most likely have to highlight the details of the seal.

Probably the easiest method is using colored glue sticks. 

You can create a seal directly on an envelope, but it’s a bit more effort to clean the seal without making the paper wet.

If you don’t have a glue gun, you can use a pot or a spoon to make wax seals. 

You will need crayons for the color, glue sticks and optionally eyeshadow for some shimmer.

Cut a glue stick and crayons into small pieces so they melt faster.

I think this method gives you the most authentic looking wax seals. You have a lot of control over the thickness and color of the wax.

I really like adding shimmery eyeshadow to the mix, it’s quite satisfying.

More hot glue makes the wax thicker, and adding crayons or candle wax makes it thinner. 

We want to avoid creating smoke, so try not to overheat or even burn the wax.

The loose wax seals can be attached to envelopes using hot glue, superglue, double-sided tape or a small roll of tape.

I hope this Instructable was informative for you - maybe your next letter or gift will have a wax seal? ;)