How to use a wax seal stamp for letters

Sealing wax comes in three common forms, and the one you pick decides how you melt it.

• Sticks with a wick. The traditional kind. You light the wick, hold the stick over the paper and let the wax drip into a pool.
• Glue gun sticks. Sealing wax made to run through a glue gun. It is the tidiest way to seal a stack of envelopes. Use a low-temperature gun, since a hot one can scorch the wax.
• Beads. Small pellets you melt in a metal spoon over a tea light, or in an electric melting pot. Beads give you the most control over how much wax you pour.

Glue gun or spoon comes down to how many letters you are sealing. For one or two, a spoon and a tea light is quick. For a dozen, the gun is calmer.

Pick a stamp with a clear, simple design. A bold initial or flower presses better than a tiny crest. Work on a heat-safe surface with a bowl of water nearby, and tie back loose sleeves and hair.

To seal a letter with wax, lay the envelope flat first. With a spoon, put a few beads in the bowl and hold it over the flame until they turn glossy and smooth, with no lumps. With a glue gun, let it warm up and squeeze a small pool onto the flap, about the size of a coin.

Pour a little more than you think you need. Too little and the edges of the stamp cut through, while extra wax simply squeezes out the sides. Keep the spoon low and steady so the wax lands where you want it, and keep the flame well away from the paper. If it is your first time, practice on scrap paper.

Wait a few seconds until the pool loses its shine and thickens. Press the stamp straight down, hold it for a slow count of five, then lift straight up without twisting.

To keep the stamp from sticking to the wax:

• Dip it in cold water and dry it quickly before each seal, or wipe it on a damp cloth.
• Let the stamp cool between seals. A hot stamp melts the wax it touches and grabs it.
• If wax is stuck in the design, let it cool all the way, then pick it out with a toothpick.

Press too early and the wax floods past the edges. Press too late and the design comes out shallow.

Leave the letter flat and untouched for a minute or two. The surface sets first, but the wax underneath stays soft a little longer, so wait a few more minutes before you stack or pack it.

A raised seal can snag in sorting machines, crack or flatten in the mail. To protect it:

• Use flexible wax made for mailing, not the hard, brittle kind.
• Tuck the sealed letter inside a larger envelope, with soft padding around the seal.
• Ask the clerk at the post office counter about sending it by hand, and have them weigh it, since a lumpy envelope may need extra postage.
• Put the seal on the back flap and write the address clearly on the front.

• Runny, flat seal. The wax was too hot or you pressed too early. Wait a few seconds longer before pressing.
• Dark flecks or a burnt smell. The wax got too hot or sat in the flame too long. Hold the spoon higher and start over with fresh beads.
• Bubbles. Tap the spoon on the table before pouring, or let the melted wax rest a moment. Prick a bubble with a toothpick before pressing.
• Smeared or doubled image. You twisted or tilted the stamp. Press straight down and lift straight up.
• Seal falls off. Glossy or coated paper will not hold wax well. Seal onto plain, slightly rough paper, or add a dab of glue under the wax.

If you have no wax, no stamp or no time, you can still seal a letter. Every Open When letter closes with a wax seal in one of five colors: Letterbox red, Ink blue, Fern, Ochre and Plum. You pick the color and one of three handwriting styles (Everyday, Neat or Round), and you write the words yourself. The letter stays locked until the date you chose, and sealed until the reader breaks it.

Writing and reading are free, and nobody needs an account. A digital seal also works where a wax one cannot, such as a letter for someone far away or for a date months from now. If you want both, seal a short paper note with wax and give the digital letter as a private link or QR code. See what an Open When letter is.