Homemade Sealing Wax - EASY! PICTURES!

In this instructable I am going to show to how to make your very own sealing wax for signing documents and such. Sorry for the lengthy instructions, it is mostly pictures.

SEE MY OTHER INSTRUCTABLES FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO CARVE A SEALING STAMP

Step 1: Preparation

Everything you need and MORE!

FABRIC HOT GLUE: It looks like hot glue, except it's white. the stuff I use is called "fabristick" or something.
DYE: Any kind of colorant can be used. I prefer RIT dye (very cheep).
BEE'S WAX: You only need a tiny bit. If you don't have this, paraffin works OK.
MORTAR AND PESTLE: You will need it for grinding the RIT dye into fine dust.
A CANDLE SETUP: It is featured in the picture below. Looks like a candle under a metal tripod.
ALUMINUM DISH (OR EQUIVALENT): Use one that is small enough to be used in the candle setup.
WORK PAPER: Something that you won't mind getting wax on. your going to work on top of it.

BEGIN!

Step 2: Candle Setup

This is the heating element I used to melt the ingredients together.

Step 3: Wax and Glue

Melt a tiny bit of bee's wax in the aluminum tin. Also cut two(2) one inch lengths of fabric glue stick and put it into the tin with the melted bee's wax.

Remember: after the bee's wax melts, swirl it around the tin to thoroughly coat the inside. After you do that put the fabric glue sticks in.

If the wax bubbles or pops at any time in this procedure, it is too hot! Take it away from the flame for a minute.

Step 4: Melting Stuff = YAY!!

Because the fabric glue stick does not melt well without help, you may need to push it against the bottom of the tin with a toothpick. The reason it does not melt well is because of density... the not melted part of the glue stick seems to float on top of the the melted parts, keeping it away from the heat.

If the wax bubbles or pops at any time in this procedure, it is too hot! Take it away from the flame for a minute.

Step 5: Mix Mix Mix Mix...

Mix everything together with a tooth pick. Sort of twirl the tooth pick like a blender would (takes mad skills). When you stir it use pliers to hold the tin to keep it from moving about.



If the wax bubbles or pops at any time in this procedure, it is too hot! Take it away from the flame for a minute.

Step 6: Grinding the Dye

Measure out about 1/4 tea spoon of dye and grind it with the mortar and pestle.

Step 7: Mixing in the Dye

Pour in the ground up dye into the tin of melted glue and bee's wax. I poured it all in, but I recommend pouring a little bit at a time and then mixing it up.

I also poured in copper bronze powder after I mixed in the dye. Copper bronze powder is finely ground copper (sparkles dude!).




If the wax bubbles or pops at any time in this procedure, it is too hot! Take it away from the flame for a minute.

Step 8: Prepare for Pouring

Now you need to get some aluminum foil. Prepare to pour the mixture onto the aluminum by heating it very hot. Leave it above the candle until small bubbles start to appear or the mixture is very runny.

Step 9: Foil Time

Prepare your foil by folding it into an upside down tent. Then prop it up so it won't move...

Step 10: Pouring the Wax Into a Stick Shape

Pour the very HOT wax into the "V" shaped piece of aluminum foil. Allow it to cool and do not move it before it has cooled.

Step 11: Removing Foil and Finishing Touches

After it is cooled, do not try to remove the foil. Put it into the freezer to make the wax super cold then remove the foil. If any foil remains stuck to the wax, use an X-Acto knife to cut it away.

I also melted the bottom of the wax stick and impressed my wax seal onto it...


This wax is different to use than other varieties. Mainly it differs because it has no wick. To use this wax there are 2 ways:

1: Using a butane torch, heat up the end of the wax stick until it melts. Drip the blob of melted wax onto the object you are sealing and stamp it with you seal.

2: Cut the amount of wax you want to make a seal with and place it in a spoon. Put the spoon above a small open flame (i.e. candle flame) until the wax in the spoon melts. Drip the wax in the spoon onto the document you are going to seal and stamp it with you seal.

Have fun and be safe!

Comments

[Tactical_Fatty]

I know this is probably dead and gone now, but were the glue sticks you used by any chance of the SureBonder brand? Ive tried three different types of glue sticks and cannot seem to get this to work.

[PaulaJ36]

I love this tutorial. I didn't use rit dye, but food coloring paste that I had on hand. I mixed it in after the wax and glue stick had melted. I used a regular hot glue stick that I had cut into small pieces. The low temp glue stick melts much faster. I used a ratio of 1/2 beeswax and 1/2 glue stick. I poured the melted wax into a silicone cupcake liner. Once hardened, I cut it into small pieces for easier use in a spoon later.

[SusanD179]

This recipe is the best I have tried to date. I found the mortar and pestle wasn't giving me good results to fine grind the Rit dye, so I used an electric coffee/spice grinder and got a perfect fine dust! I use silicone candy molds to form my wax (I had a weak moment and went for gummy bears and hearts) and store them in jars. I am going to try making my next batch in a silicone chocolate melting pitcher using the microwave. I tried using grape Kool Aid powder for getting a purple batch and it turned out so dark that my little gummy bears look brown. I will also try using dollar store eye shadows for color and shine (from the mica). I replaced the candle as heat source with a home made alcohol lamp because I hate the sooty deposit from candles. I made a small lamp for heating my spoon and a larger lamp for some serious heat for making the batch of sealing wax. Bottom line is - thanks for sharing this information.

[NabiyahY]

Well it is in the freezer..I tried fabric glue (fabritack) and that melts but does not disappear. I tried to just pour the hot wax directly on the doc, but did not make it thick enough. The impression was great, but did not seal the doc.

[Auryin]

Does it have to be fabric hot glue stick, can any low temp stick work?

[RebeccaN4]

Could I use acrylic paints instead of dyes?

[starwarsgeek1]

I crushed a lava rock into red powder and it died it perfectly fine. but acrylic wouldn't work. it was a failed attempt

[AngelaL18]

Hi guys, as the daughter of a beekeeper please let me tell you that aluminium can alter the beeswax. This may not be an issue with the small amount of beeswax in this instructional video though.

Big question... Would this be ok for sealing wine bottles??

[DaYodadude]

Hey could I use a candle?

[jordan.enright.35]

You seem like a pretty cool guy! Thanks for this!

[SparkySolar]

I brought over a wax stick from Europe,

I was considering casting a silicone or Air drying cast from this wax mold.

I do like to make my wax as well as my Soaps look professional

[baronbrian]

You might try shaving the glue into slivers some how (pocket knife, kitchen grater, whatever). That way it will melt better. You can do the same thing with wax to make it melt easier.

[SIRJAMES09]

and old kitchen peeler just might do the trick too....

I like your idea BaronBrian...

Sweet Jesus!! Y'All have any idea how much trouble I have caused because of this website?? *evil laugh*

But it has been a ton of fun tho...8P

[nepheron]

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that!

[eranox]

Fantastic 'ible! Great photos, and really easy to follow. Finally I can make this stuff myself without getting scammed at the store! One question, could a wick be added to the wax, or would the hot glue part prevent this from working?

[nepheron]

No, a wick would not work .. I have tried it XD.

[eranox]

Y'know, I wonder if you could actually just pour the stuff into a tube the same diameter as the original glue stick, and then use the glue gun to apply it. The beeswax might make the melting point too low to pull this off, but it'd be super sweet if this works.

[SIRJAMES09]

That would be sweet...just one trivial problem tho.

What if, what if it melts the entire stick all at one time INSIDE the glue gun?

Even with a low temp gun, this is something to think about....

the possibility of the mess it could create, & how it MIGHT ruin the gun....

if you make an attempt at this, I suggest that you either...

#1) test this outside

#2) inside a box lined with old rags/newspapers

#3) One of the first two options but wearing some gloves of some kind to keep you from getting burned by the hot mixture.

Not trying to tell you wha to do, just give you something to think about B4 you do this.

[bespectacled]

Maybe if you used a high temp glue stick and low temp glue gun?

[SIRJAMES09]

scammed at the store?? NAWWWWW, they wouldn't do that....

Yeah right.

They'd do it in a New York Minute....a Mississippi heartbeat...faster than you can bat an eye...etc., etc., etc......