How to use a wax seal in 4 simple steps

Last March we launched our beautiful collection of Great British Countryside wax seals from wax makers Stamptitude. The collection is comprised of all the best elements of British summertime flora - from barley, to thistle, blackberry, wildberry and fern, as well as some gorgeous pastel colour sealing wax to pair it with.

Sealing wax has been used for hundreds of years throughout postal history as a method for sealing an envelope, and whilst its practical use in modern day letter writing is now largely redundant, we still use it because it creates the most perfect finishing touch to your letters, and adds a little of your personality too.

Although they may look a little intimidating to use, the process could not be simpler, so here's our step-by-step guide to wax sealing your correspondence.

STEP ONE - GATHER YOUR MATERIALS

Alongside your chosen envelope, you're going to need some sealing wax, a candle or tea light, a metal spoon, and a wax stamp of your choice. In this guide we'll be using our Stamptitude ivory wax sticks, and so we'll also need a knife or scissors, but if you're using the wax pebbles, you can skip this tool.

STEP TWO - GETTING HOT

If using a wax stick, cut a segment off using your scissors or knife that's just under a centimetre wide, and place it into your wax spoon. If using a pebble, just place one pebble into your spoon. Hold your spoon over your tea light at a safe distance - not too close otherwise your spoon will start to blacken and your wax will be too hot - and wait for your wax to melt. Patience is a virtue here! It should only take a minute or so but try to avoid holding it too close to the flame.

STEP THREE - TIME TO SERVE

Once your wax has fully melted, it's time to pour that over your envelope seal. Hold down your paper with one hand and have your stamp nearby. Pour the wax over in a gentle, in a circular motion. You'll want your wax to be about the size of a two-pence coin. Once it's poured on, place your spoon to one side.

STEP FOUR - STAMP!

Pick up your wax stamp by the handle and press it down into the wax. You don't need to press too hard, just enough to allow it to stand by itself. Hold it down for a few seconds and then remove, and voilá! Your seal is complete. Just allow it a couple of minutes to dry to ensure the wax is fully formed before you post it.

To view our full collection of wax stamps and sealing wax, click here.