DIY Wooden Wax Seal
I finally got the chance to put together a how-to guide for creating a wax seal out of a wooden dowel. This started out as an idea that even Derek was skeptical of. I have to admit that I get a lot of ideas that work in my head, but not so much in real life. However, once it was finished and actually worked, well, let’s just say we were both psyched that I was able to pull it off.
Before you begin, make sure you have access to all of these items:
wooden dowel
wood burning tool with a fine tip
pencil
printout of design
xacto knife
sandpaper
tape
stain
old rag
vegetable oil
paper towels
sealing wax
matches
TIP: Measure the diameter of your wooden dowel and don’t rely on the diameter that is written on the package or tag. If you are familiar with buying wood products, you know that the item you bought, whether it’s a 2′x4′, a piece of plywood or a dowel, is almost never the exact size. It usually falls just under the size it is sold as. Knowing the exact diameter is very important for this project when designing the seal. In my case, the 1 inch dowel I bought was actually 13/16th’s of an inch.
STEPS:
1. Prep the dowel by sanding the end you plan on using as the seal. Try to get out the little dings and scratches, otherwise they will show up in the wax impression.
2. Measure the exact diameter of the wooden dowel and design your seal. If you are designing a simple monogram, such as our RageHaus seal, you can easily design it in a variety of computer applications. Start by drawing a circle that is the exact diameter of the dowel with a thin stroke. Then arrange the letters within the circle. Keep in mind that you should keep the detail relatively simple unless you have a lot of experience wood burning small detail into wood.
3. Print the final design and cut out the letters with an xacto knife. Think of this step as making a stencil. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be perfect, but you do want to capture the structure of the design.
4. Flip your stencil so it reads backwards and trace the image onto the dowel. Remember that your design needs to be backwards on the seal so the impression it leaves reads correctly. Tape the stencil onto the dowel and trace your design. Once you have a good trace, take off the stencil and fill out the design where you see fit.
5. Carve out the design with the wood burning tool. I found that this tool works well for this task. They are readily available in most craft stores and come with a fine point tip that can capture small detail. I will warn you that this is the hardest part of the tutorial. I went through about three dowels before I was able to get a carving I was happy with. As you carve your design, keep the depth you carve relativity the same for the entire design so you can create an even, smooth impression in the wax.
6. Seal the wood with stain. As I mentioned in a previous post about this seal, I was very concerned about using wood because of it’s porous nature. And yes, I did lose one dowel to wax. On my second attempt, I had the idea to seal the wood with stain. My dowel was small enough that I was able to dip it in the stain and give it a good rub down with an old rag. Once you have stained your seal, put it in a warm place to dry overnight. You don’t want to worry about getting stain on your hands or on your envelope.
7. Gather the sealing wax, matches, oil, paper towels and an envelope. This process goes quickly and it is important that you have everything you need right in front of you. After you are sure your seal is dry, you can test it. I tried testing mine with candle wax at first, just to see if the impression was coming out correctly. However, if you seriously want to seal envelopes, then I would invest in proper sealing wax. You will find that it has a thick viscosity that creates a strong seal.
8. Have your envelope in front of you with the back facing up. If the flap you want to seal doesn’t lay flat then you should weight it down. I used my xacto knife to do this.
9. Hold the sealing wax over the area you want to seal and light the wick. Give the flame a chance to strengthen before you tip the wax to begin dripping it. Once you get a good drip going, keep an eye on the diameter of the wax puddle in relation to the diameter of the seal. This will take practice figuring out how much wax you will need, so don’t get frustrated if you don’t get it on the first try.
10. Give the wax about 15 seconds to set up, in the meanwhile prep the seal for action. While I let the wax set-up a bit, I like to take this time to prep my seal by dipping the tip in oil. This gives you double the protection from having the wax stick to the seal. Blot the excess oil on a paper towel and make sure you wipe down the edges of the seal.
11. Press your seal gently, but firmly in the wax and let it sit. Let the wax dry completely before removing the seal. When you are sure that the wax is completely dry, start to wiggle the seal back and forth gently until you feel the seal release from the wax.
12. Voilà! A seal is made. With a little practice it will get easier. You can also use this impression to go back and fix anything you might not have noticed while carving out the design.
This seal is part of the S’amuser Avec Le Français project RageHaus released at the end of August.
WOW! I want to go make one right now. I had no idea it was even a possibility to make your own stamp like that.
awesome! I’ll have to try this at home! Thank you for sharing.
That is lovely! Think I might try that this weekend. Thanks for the DIY!
Wow! I just stopped by here because Holly at decor8 linked to you! What a great tutorial. Thanks so much for posting this!
I have a wood burning tool! WHOO HOO! I’m so going to try it.
What a great idea!! I just might add that you can do a bunch of wax imprints at once, on something like tinfoil or a plate and then when they are cool, pop them off. Then when you want to use them later, you can glue them on the letter or invite. And no one can tell the difference. I find it easier to deal with the flame/hot wax without adding paper to the mix. I’ve burnt way too many letters that way. Maybe it’s just me!
Great Tutorial! Can’t wait to get some supplied and do it myself! I am worried about running these through the mail….do the usps scanners break or damage them? Or do you generally put them in an outer envelope to protect them?
thanks!!
I’m thrilled you posted this! I have been wanting a personalized wax seal for a long time and now I can make one myself. Perfect!
Thank you everyone for all the lovely comments! If you get the chance to make one yourself, I’d love to see it.
@Debra: That’s a fantastic idea! While sealing my prints I was very cautious about not setting anything on fire but your idea prevents that concern altogether.
@Lindsey: I package these in another envelope before sending them through the mail to prevent damage to the seal. I don’t think they would be treated kindly by the mail system.
This is great! I’m definitely going to try this soon. Thank you for the tutorial!
Wow, this is fantastic! I just clicked over from Design Sponge. What a fun project. I would love to link to this if you didn’t mind. Off to explore the rest of your blog…
this is a fantastic diy! i love the cute personal touch of a wax seal on a letter and i can’t wait to try it out!
this is amazing…
Thank you so much!! I’ve always been on the lookout for a really cool wax seal that would “speak to me” but never thought of making one myself. How awesome!! THanks for the directions
Thank you sooo much for posting this! This a fun project I will try this week. And great tip by @Debra. Knowing my luck, I would also burn the paper!
Ooh, I just may have to try this! I have a HUGE stick of sealing wax that has just been drug around over the years…it would be great to use it!
what a great project! can’t wait to try it myself. i think i’ll use graphite transfer paper to transfer my reversed motif to the dowel, though. i’m sure it will be much easier for me than cutting out a tiny stencil with my xacto.
A very good way of doing somehting that lots of people want to use but there is one major problem with wax seals is the are VERY brittile and if sent through the post they will crack.
Debra had a brilliant suggestion to do a batch of the first and stick them on. I would like to add something to that.
If you intend on posting them you might want to consider getting the read glue for hot glue guns – there is an antique red – it looks a little bit plastic (because it is) but you can happily put these through the post and not have them crack – and use Debra’s suggestion of making upa few before hand.
Paul
This is gorgeous! I think I may have to stop by the craft store and pick up a wood burning tool today!
Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic idea and the DIY for it. Very cleaver. I posted it on my blog with a link to your site. Found on design sponge.
crestagronbach.com/blog/
sounds so easy! thanks for sharing this, I can’t wait to make my own
This is awesome! I’m definitely trying it out =)
thanks for this fun project. I actually have a cool seal, but haven’t seen the wax anywhere lately. Did you buy it online?
Again, everyone thanks for the comments and suggestions!
@Beth: I actually bought the wax at Micheals in the wedding section, and I’ll warn you that it’s about $5 for four little sticks. I always bring a coupon when I go to Micheals so it only cost $3.
Thanks this is great I have always wanted one of these and it is very hard to find over here, never thought of making it from wood, great idea!!!
Thanks again!!!
Oh this is exactly what I have been looking for. I’ve been able to find wax-initial kits at various places, but never anything that would show me how to make my own custom seal, so I didn’t have to be stuck with uncustomizable premades; thank you so much!
I just thought I’d let you know of a good source for wax. It’s handmade, flexible and I’ve never had a problem mailing sealed envelopes and having them arrive all cracked or nonexistent. It’s incredible!!! Here is the site:
http://www.ateliergargoyle.com/pages/waxes/agsealingwax.html
They are fellow calligraphers and they also specialize in remaking antique seals and making custom ones with the help of a man in England.
Trust me! You will not regret trying their sealing wax. I love, love, love it and it smells good too, like cinnamon and cloves. Mmmmm! I recommend using with a kitchen torch, just FYI.
Thanks for sharing and I can’t wait to try this out!
What a GREAT idea!!
I am an RH! And it is definitely makes a beautiful seal. I must try it!
Great idea, I’ve always wanted a wax seal but didn’t want just the usual. Found you via Design Sponge and am linking back to you from my blog.
Who’d have thought??? I linked to this on my weekly link round up, post is here. Thanks for sharing!
This makes my head spin. What an excellent, excellent tutorial.
My two cents would be to use a blender marker and photocopy of the initials or image to transfer. Here’s a link to using one, but for the seal stamp, there would be no need to reverse the image as I show.
http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/2009/07/custom-wooden-nickels-poker-chips-more.html
I found you as we were both featured today on Nettacow : )
Cathe, that transfer technique is awesome! Thanks for the tip.
very rad!! thanks for the expert tutorial. You left nothing out.
omg thats great!! one thing though.. where can i purchse the cylinder wood, that size specifically.. ive been to b&q.. no luck. =(.
Hey Mursal, I noticed from your email that you’re from the UK. Honestly, I wouldn’t know the names of the stores over there, but check out a hardware or lumber store, they should sell wooden dowels. A craft hobby store would have them too! Sizes will probably depend on what the store offers but lumber stores tend to have a good range.
yeah ive been looking online as well.. the diameter i want is almost impossible to find. but im sure ill find something! =D. thanks a lot!
Hi! I was wondering what wood you recommend for this seal. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while and I chanced upon your site. If I buy wood online (seemingly the best way to go about it price-wise) my options appear to be: Birch, Cedar, Maple and Oak.
I think any of those would be fine. Honestly, I just went with the cheapest I could find which was Poplar wood. Just stick to a hardwood because I think the wood burning tool would quickly eat through softwood.
Was wondering if you have to use wax especially for seals or if you can recycle your old candles and use the wax from them for these projects (that is if you glue them like Debra suggested)
If you plan on doing a direct seal with wax, you should definitely go with proper sealing wax because candle wax won’t hold, I tried. However, I do like the idea of recycling old candle wax by creating the seal on tin foil and them gluing them on like Debra suggest. That should work, just make sure that your candle wax isn’t brittle, because if it is it might crumble in the mail.
This is a great idea – thank you! But where do you get sealing wax from?
Sorry after I posted that I found a link to Inscriber – shopping now. Thanks!
[...] cute. When I first saw this I was so excited. The idea was thought up by the geniuses over at Ragehaus. Check out that link to get a full tutorial on how to make your very [...]
[...] Check out the full instructions here: RageHaus.com [...]
I’ve been wanting an excuse to buy a wood burning tool, thanks!
A tip on inexpensive and easy wax seals, I was a little obsessive with my wedding invitations and decided all 120 needed to have wax seals. I was able to pull it off without going mad, by using bronze colored hot glue instead of wax. It’s so easy to handle, is light weight and takes a print perfectly. I actually used rubber stamps and got so carried away I did all my wedding favors too. Plus the glue sticks are sooo cheap, especially with that Michaels coupon.
[...] DIY Wooden Wax Seal: A how-to guide for creating a wax seal out of a wooden dowel. [...]
Hey, I have a seal of my own, but I had a question about the paper/wax. Is there any particular combination you use that bonds strongly?
I’m using proper sealing wax, not the glue stick trash.. and I’ve tried laid paper and standard xerox paper, and either way, I find that you can peel the seal off the paper.. defeating its ‘seal’ing capability.. one could just open it, then give a little heat to the back of the (wax) seal, and it’d stick right back to the paper.
That doesn’t sound right.. this was a system of ‘you cant open the letter without physically breaking the seal’ for hundreds of years, any tips to get mine to become more permanently bonded to the paper they’re poured on?
Email me if you get the chance.
Thanks,
-Matt
Hi Matt, great question! I emailed this response to you, but I thought I’d share it with everyone as well.
I use the proper sealing wax and as you have mentioned, you can peal it up from the paper. I think you find this to be true with most sealing waxes that you can find on the market because people are using it as a decorative element, rather than the way it was once used. I would assume that if people are using it as a decorative element, they would want to keep the seal intact to preserve the beauty of it. You might have to do some research on the matter or contact a company that creates sealing wax to see if anyone provides that kind anymore.
Great Question Matt! I’ve emailed you this response, but I thought I’d also share it with everyone else.
I use the proper sealing wax and as you have mentioned, you can peal it up from the paper. I think you find this to be true with most sealing waxes that you can find on the market because people are using it as a decorative element, rather than the way it was once used. I would assume that if people are using it as a decorative element, they would want to keep the seal intact to preserve the beauty of it. You might have to do some research on the matter or contact a company that creates sealing wax to see if anyone provides that kind anymore.
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by ellieofmint: RT @okaygreat Tutorial: how to make a fancy wax seal from a dowel. Trying this tonightttt. http://bit.ly/1PmXks [via @ragehaus]…
That’s really cool…
Amazing post. Thanks for inspiration
Some years ago I made a few personal seals using soapstone instead of wood. Soapstone is a soft stone which can be easily carved with precision knives and chisels and can be worked to a much greater degree of accuracy and finesse.
Soapstone can often be obtained from an art-supply store where it is sold for sculpting and carving material.
wonderful … thanks
[...] http://ragehaus.com [...]
What font did you use? I am looking to make a seal and can’t find a font that is elegant, and simple.
[...] having a hard time figuring out how to affix these things to my outgoing e-mails, but this tutorial from Derek & Kim at Ragehaus on how to make a monogram signet from a wooden dowel is pretty cool, anyway. It's well-written, has [...]
[...] having a hard time figuring out how to affix these things to my outgoing e-mails, but this tutorial from Derek & Kim at Ragehaus on how to make a monogram signet from a wooden dowel is pretty cool, anyway. It's well-written, has [...]
[...] a comment » RageHaus has published a DIY guide for making your own wooden wax seal! I’m gonna give this a spin [...]
[...] DIY Wooden Wax Seal This is so awesome, just not sure what I would use it for. I think I'll have to organise a dinner party with fancy invites. [...]
[...] having a hard time figuring out how to affix these things to my outgoing e-mails, but this tutorial from Derek & Kim at Ragehaus on how to make a monogram signet from a wooden dowel is pretty cool, anyway. It’s [...]
@Evan I used Adobe Garamond Italic and it’s italic alternates.
[...] on how to make a Wooden Wax Seal. This is right up my [...]
Nice trick, I will try it with my son
Thanks
[...] DIY Wooden Wax Seal [Ragehaus] Tagged:craftdiymail [...]
Wood burning has never been an idea to me, even being crafty. I already have a set of awesome brass wax seals, but now I think I’ll make my own for signatures.
[...] having a hard time figuring out how to affix these things to my outgoing e-mails, but this tutorial from Derek & Kim at Ragehaus on how to make a monogram signet from a wooden dowel is pretty cool, anyway. It’s [...]
wow this is great!!
i will definately try it…
if i send a letter w/ this wax seal to my friends, they will love it!!!
Well done!
[...] Neat DIY wax seal – I want to try this. http://ragehaus.com/?p=1215 [...]
…. a great tutorial for those of you needing a “seal” for your “physical documents & snail-mail”…. or for anything else that you may want to seal !!
[...] having a hard time figuring out how to affix these things to my outgoing e-mails, but this tutorial from Derek & Kim at Ragehaus on how to make a monogram signet from a wooden dowel is pretty cool, anyway. It’s [...]
[...] sometimes difficult (or expensive) to find the perfect design. The RageHaus blog has a great tutorial on making a custom seal using a wooden [...]
Looks like a fun project for a rainy night.
Ben Koshkin
COOL!! It’s such an amazing idea to revive these seals. It looks real beautiful. I just wish there were a way to send something like that in the mail without the seal coming off :/
This is awsome!I’m brazilian and here in Brazil wax seal is something so expensive!!I’m glad to know how to do my own wax seal!Thanks!
[...] even found a tutorial for making your own Wooden wax seal here. Photo Credit: [...]
these are my initials! Make me love it more! thanks for sharing!!!!
That is pretty classy.
This is an awesome tutorial, kinda makes my squidoo article on how to make wax seals look like child’s play. The high quality photos really give it that little bit extra that pushes this post into greatness.
If you want to send wax-sealed letters in the mail, you should put them in one of those bubble-wrap-lined envelopes. It seems like it would ruin the style, but the person will still be surprised when they pull the letter out. At least this way you don’t have to use a fake plastic seal, and the mail processing machines won’t crack or rip off the seal.
Actually, this works much better in aluminum. Take a small piece of aluminum from a scrap yard, carve cut grind and sand it to the shape you want and carve your impression with a Dremel tool. Lasts forever, easier to clean out the wax particles that stick–and they will. I have made perhaps 200 of these, many as rings (not really wearable–aluminum will discolor your finger) and they look great on a necklace or in your writing desk by your sealing wax. I like the two toned sealing waxes, preferably black with gold or red.
John, that’s a fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing.
[...] a seal with my initial on it, but I have no idea where it went. Now it’s as simple as making my own wooden wax seal. Now go write a letter! Read the Full Story » | More on CRAFT » [...]
I bet you could also use this blood-red hot glue stick instead of wax. It would make a tougher seal that might withstand the postal service better.
http://www.minionsweb.com/osStore/bloodstix-hot-glue-sticks-p-39.html
Hi! This is a fantastic idea! However, can wood primer be used to seal the wood instead of using a stain?
@Scott, A lot of people have suggested glue sticks and I think it’s totally worth a try.
@Sheralynn I don’t know if wood primer would work with this project. It certainly doesn’t hurt to try it. My concern would be evenly coating the seal and making sure the primer doesn’t clog up the seal’s design. If you try it and have luck with it, I would love to see the results.
Nice tutorial! Certainly easier than trying to make your own brass one!
Thanks, indeed it is.
I am so blown away when I see people make such an effort to reproduce the methods of days long past. I really get a kick out of all the “Maker” efforts to do all sorts of things as done in the past. This one makes me really want to try it. I think it would be very cool to present clients with an invoice sealed with wax!
Glad you like the tutorial. I hope you get the chance to make one of your own, I think a wax seal adds a nice touch to any type of correspondence.
Excellent tutorial. I love the wax stamp and have used it on a couple of projects. I can’t ever seem to get paying clients to like the idea, though I think its very classy.
What an excellent tutorial. May have a go at these myself when it comes time for wedding invitations, although I’ll probably get a few years practice on christmas cards before then.
[...] try making your own wood seal, there’s a great tutorial available from a blog called Ragehaus here. For even more seal goodness, check out the wax seal rings at Blind Spot Jewelry’s Etsy store [...]
WOW! This is amaizng, i didnt know you can make this at home, and its not hard at all, thanks alot for sharing this
i have to try this …Thanks again
Sweeeeet, I should really try than sometime.
The whole idea really appeals to me, thanks for the lovely tutorial.
my dear friend
O how time flies when your having fun with different projects. In the arena of the graphics and design. I tried to recollect on how to design this very project. I could not think this page enough.
I have an abundance of sealing wax.. NOW I know what to do with it! Birthday gifts for EVERYONE YAY!
AWESOME! I want to write letters now
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[...] Originally done by: DIY Wooden Wax Seal [...]
What a expectant thought!! I just could add up that you are able to do a bunch of wax imprints at at one time, on something alike aluminum foil or a plate and so when they’re chill, pop them away.
Very interesting and useful tutorial, I must try this amazing stamp.
[...] Source [...]
This is a very nice thing for christmas cards
very cool!
You’re a great pair and this is a great project, but wouldn’t the initial transfer be easier with carbon paper or a piece of onion skin paper with a graphite “carbon” side? Thanks again!
@Clint That’s a great idea. Thanks for sharing.
A fantastic way to customise your signature, I had no idea that this could be done so easily.
OMG! I am so excited about this tutorial! I designed my own vintage/glam wedding invitations and I could NOT figure out how to package the invitation suite together in the outer envelope. But now I know I am going to use a translucent vellum band to hold all the components together and seal it with a wax seal with our monogram in it! I can’t WAIT to try this!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
@Lizz So glad our tutorial could help!
Hey. Good idea.
[...] I thought it was an absolutely brilliant tutorial. So it is my turn to share with you all! So go to Ragehaus for the full diy project! It’s simply [...]
Looks great, although instead of tediously cutting out the letters with an x-acto knife, you could just transfer your printout with an acetone pen. Might save some time.
@ Jill, that’s definitely a great idea. Originally I had planned on using one, but I ended up having trouble finding an acetone pen.
The characters look like congealed blood. How is the seal holding up after repeated use?
The seal has held up very well! I’ve done over 100 seals with it and it still works beautifully.
Hi! We mentioned your tutorial on our blog this week. Thanks for the inspiration! You can find the post here: http://thebewitchedclosetofutah.blogspot.com/2010/12/have-yourself-merry-little-christmas.html
[...] ragehaus.com [...]
Creo que el resultado es realmente fantástico y muy inspirador.
Thanks for mentioning us!
Thanks for the kind words David!
Great tut! I can’t wait to try this. I’ve always wanted a personalized wax seal! Can’t wait to see what other projects you’ll be posting in this section.
[...] out the whole DIY article here at RageHaus GA_googleAddAttr("AdOpt", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Origin", "other"); GA_googleAddAttr("LangId", [...]
try making your own wood seal, there’s a great tutorial available from a blog called Ragehaus here. For even more seal goodness, check out the wax seal rings at Blind Spot Jewelry’s Etsy store
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i really like this. i am going to do it for my wedding invites, thanks so much.
Really nice to try this, like the medievel touch!
[...] Faux Wax Seals Tips and Tricks DIY Wooden Wax Seal [...]
That’s ace, I might make one to seal all my post from now one, it’s worth sending snail mail rather than email just to have something like this on it.
Failing that my girlfriend works in Law so she can take it to work
I’m a 17yo boy, and i had only 1 schooltask to make on this fine tuesday, so i got an old broom, sawed the tip of the long piece off, made it nice and smooth with a machine in our basement, and because i don’t have a wood burning tool, carved a nice copperplate initial A into the cut
and i must say, it is lovely.
thanks alot for the toturial!
will a soldering iron work instead of a wood buring tool? that’s what i have at home. i use it for jewelry. melting small metals and stuff.
will a soldering iron work instead of a wood burning tool? that’s what i have. i use it to melt small pieces of metal.
@ Pixie – Yes, that should work. The tool I use can also be used for soldering and has a few other applications.
Great collection of Wooden Wax Seal http://keeplookingbusy.com/itmSearch.aspx?kw=Wooden+Wax+Seal
Wooden Wax Seal http://keeplookingbusy.com/itmSearch.aspx?kw=Wooden+Wax+Seal
[...] Image via RageHaus [...]
[...] custom wax seal” and “DIY wax seal” I stumbled on a site with straight forward step by step instructions on making our own wax seal out of a dowel rod and some wood stain. Hooray! Those custom seals with [...]
Awesome! Mines drying
wow, i’ve been looking for ways to make my own seal for years! thank you so much for this! just a thought though, wouldnt it be easier if i cut the wooden dowel, say, a few cms from the end into a thin disk, use the wood burning tool to burn the print all the way through, and then glue the whole thing back together? that way we can get that even surface easily without wasting any. but, its gonna look a bit too rigid i guess..
love you’ro tut. any question left is what type of letters did you use? thanks!
Hello Eurydice, I used Adobe Garamond for the letters on the seal.
Hey Kim, thanks for sharing. Unfortunately my Adobe Garamond is without the nice features you have on your stamp. Anyways thanks for the help!
Eurydice, I forgot to mention that the letters I used were under the italics for Adobe Garamond Pro. Plus you have to open the glyphs for the font to access the alternate letters. If you have illustrator, you can open the glyphs by going to the type menu.
What kind of wood did you use for the dowel? I have an oak dowel, a bit hard to burn through.
My dowels were pine.
This is awesome! Found your tutorial after seeing photos on Design Sponge of the workshops on the book tour – I thought ‘this can’t be wood they’re making these from!’ but it is! What a brilliant idea!
Thanks so much Naomi!
[...] Custom Wax Seal: [...]
hi to all ragehaus.comers this is my frst post and thought i would say hi –
thank yous speak soon
gazza
This worked so well! Thank you!
Sarah, I’m so glad to hear that!
One warning: I made the seals on a separate plate first (GOOD idea since a handful of the seals didn’t work out) but make sure to wait a sec for the glue to cool before applying your seal. If it’s so hot it might melt the seal wax of leave an unsightly dark spot where it melts just a bit.
Getting lots of compliments from my card recipients!
[...] http://ragehaus.com/?p=1215 [...]
Being old-school I LOVE this! My dream is to open a card shop. If I do would love to ‘stream your demonstrations’ on a video screen (not so old-school). I have metal stamps but there must be wooden ones in NYC, or on-line). Would love to see a post about the ‘best sealing waxes.’ Thanks!
[...] DIY Wooden Wax Seal – StumbleUpon sandpaper [...]
[...] wood wax seal made from a dowel is such an elegant way to seal an envelope (@ [...]
[...] Ragehaus has step by step instructions for turning a wooden dowel into a cool wax seal stamp using a wood burning tool. Note:I originally linked from another site but it was brought to my attention this post originated from Rage Haus so I’ve redirected, sorry for any confusion. [...]
[...] DIY Wooden Wax Seal – StumbleUpon sandpaper tape xacto knife [...]
[...] you want to make your own wooden stamp so you can annually create your own wax amulet, check out this page for some guidance. But before you do, I recommend sitting down and thinking through what wearing such an amulet would [...]
This is great, & I think I may adapt the technique to making a stone hanko, or Japanese seal. I have a blank one that came with a sumi-e set, but I’ve never carved it, because I was afraid of trying to carve the kanji backwards.
[...] wax letter seal with a dowel and woodburning kit – detailed instructions with photos can be found here, on RageHaus blog. Posted by Ruth | Concertina Press at 8:00 AM Email [...]
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I used to have a wax seal set like this when I was a teenager. Everything I sent out had my official seal, very dramatic. I am going to do this and start using the seal again! Wonderful, love your entire site~~
[...] DIY Wooden Wax Seal – StumbleUpon Please try exploring another interest. No Results Found. [...]
Thank you so much Lisa!
[...] Design, Life and Happy Accidents sandpaper tape xacto knife stain [...]
[...] Please try exploring another interest. No Results Found. DIY Wooden Wax Seal – StumbleUpon [...]
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[...] it later < davidjose65 Get flash to fully experience Pearltrees DIY Wooden Wax Seal I finally got the chance to put together a how-to guide for creating a wax seal out of a wooden [...]
Hi I wanted to know if I mail a letter with this seal, would it break in transit or will it remain in tact?
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that the seal will hold up in the mail system. But the seals are really sturdy and take some effort to open. I’ve received them intact in the mail before. To prevent some of the rough handling from the post office, you can ask them to hand cancel the letter and that would prevent them from sending it through their sorting machines. Although they offer this service, they can’t guarantee that it won’t ever go though a machine.
[...] for a wax seal on my CD cover. I looked up “DIY wax seal” online and tried to follow this from Rage Haus. Big [...]
Thanks for the instructions! I just made a personalized stamp with my wood burner and it turned out well. I still haven’t finished it yet, but trial runs are functional and nice-looking. For my “dowel,” I used the cutoff stock from the production of wooden baseball bats from the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory in Louisville, Kentucky. They have bins full of these 3″ long pieces that visitors can take as a souvenir/memento. My wife told me not to bother to take one because it doesn’t look like much and neither one of us could come up with a use for it (except to collect dust). But now I’m glad I grabbed one – my stamp is unique on several levels!!
[...] Omaha Reads events to go with our 2012 Omaha Reads selection, The Age of Innocence (we’re making personalized wooden wax seal stamps for envelopes, having a lawn party at the Joslyn Castle…it’s going to be great). When I’m not [...]
Instead of using an exacto knife to cut out the stencil, you could use a transfer pen to transfer the carbon from the print out onto the wood. You can buy transfer pens for a few bucks at an art supply store — they are pretty easy to find! I haven’t tried it out, so I’m not sure how well it will work, but I can’t imagine it not working!
[...] any color under the sun, but burgundy, browns and greens are perfect for fall invitations. Also, personalized decorative seals and fall-themed seals such as fall leaves, sunflowers, acorns and other natural elements work. [...]
What font did you use for your seal design
The font used was Adobe Garamond Pro. It’s the Swash Caps.
[...] DIY Wooden Wax Seal [...]
[...] upon a time I bought one. I was going to attempt to create a wax seal from this tutorial on RageHaus. However, for some reason it never happened (aka it was for a school project and I probably ran out [...]
[...] Image Photo by ragehaus.com [...]
Thanks for this great tutorial. I burned my first image today and am excited to try it out!
Glad to hear it Ashley!
Since I only had access to a small portion of these items I still tried it. And was very pleased. I used a flat head screwdriver to carve a basic M into mine and it still came out lovely. For mine I used a tree limb about the size of a quarter. I cut it to about 3 or 4 inches in length. Peeled the bark after that standard all of it smooth. About half inch cut a outline all the way around them whittle just above the out line to form handle. I taped off the head to keep it clean and painted the handle black then danced rough edges. To finish I used a flat head and hammer to tap the letter M into it. I love the way it looks. Can’t wait to get a little fancier with the design.
Thanks for this tutorial.
Sorry for the bad grammer darn touch screen. Standard should be sanded. About half inch cut should be about half inch up. And danced should be sanded. Again sorry for my touch screen
[...] homeworking < jorgos Get flash to fully experience Pearltrees Design, Life and Happy Accidents I finally got the chance to put together a how-to guide for creating a wax seal out of a wooden [...]
Just in case you all were wondering, I think the font used here is called Monotype Corsiva. Thanks for this tutorial, these will make great gifts!
Hello Chris! The font we used was the Italic Alternate for Adobe Garamond.
Thank you for the excellent idea. I found it a bit more tedious, though a more precise result, using a Dremel to make the impression in the wood. Also, covering the stain with about 2 coats of polyurethane prevents sticking. I finished my stain with 2 light coats of Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane, Clear Semi-Gloss and I no longer require oil to prevent the wood from sticking to the seal. Essentially you just want to remove the porous nature of the wood.
Thank you
God bless
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Thank you so much for this DIY Tutorial. I’m definitely making this for my invitations. It has been so difficult finding already pre-made, so I’m grateful you posted this.