# How do I seal an envelope? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2004, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467 "2004-03-15T17:25:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467/1 "2004-03-15T17:25:16Z")
With wax, that is. I got a metal seal stamp and a stick of seal wax and I tried to attach a wax seal on my envelope, but it didn’t quite work out. What I did was this: I lighted a match and held it below the wax stick. I waited until the head of the stick had molten, and then I spread the stick on the envelope to get the wax in its place. It resulted in a mess. Then I tried again, waiting until drops of molten wax would drop on the envelope, but if I hold the match too close to the stick the wax itself will start to burn and the drops falling down too, so I had some burning wax on my envelope (I extinguished it immediately, but it left ugly black traces on the red wax). If there’s too much distance between match and stick, the wax won’t melt. Anybody can tell me just how to do this so the results looks proper? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467/2 "2004-03-15T17:41:18Z")
Don’t wait until the wax is completely liquid, just heat it up enough so it’s sticky. Then jam the end of the wax stick onto the envelope, and press the mold into it. You won’t get a perfect circle, but it should still look groovy. Don’t send wax-sealed enveloped through the mail, though. They hate that. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467/3 "2004-03-15T18:23:20Z")
Yeah, but they’re still cool if you want to Issue a Proclamation. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467/4 "2004-03-15T18:37:32Z")
Try using a lighted candle to soften your sealing wax. You won’t have to worry about burning your fingers. To do this and turn out even halfway decent looking seals, you need to practice a LOT. Get some typing/printer paper (newspaper doesn’t act the same way) and make lots of seals. Some people dip the metal stamp in ice water first, and then stamp the wax, and some people use an ink stamp. This forms a vapor barrier between the stamp and the seal, and makes it easier to remove the stamp without cracking the seal. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467/5 "2004-03-15T18:38:30Z")
- - - Another good tip is to use only natural beeswax. Current modern wax is made from motor oil and recycled plastic and dead bugs and fingernail clippings and all kinds of gross stuff. - Seriously I have noticed that while 99% of all “store bought” scented candles just about make me vomit anymore, I went somewhere once and they were burning candles that had a smell that didn’t bother me at all, but were an ugly putrid-yellow/white color. I asked about them and they said that the candles were natural beeswax. And the people who first thought that wax seals were neato used natural wax, too… so it might work quite a bit better. Modern stuff is synthetic/oil-based. ~ ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467/6 "2004-03-15T19:23:56Z")
Just don’t get sealing wax on your skin. It is not the same composition as regular candlewax and will burn the bejayzis out of you. It is like dropping melted plastic on your skin. Just so you know. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467/7 "2004-03-16T11:32:36Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > Some people dip the metal stamp in ice water first, and then stamp the wax There’s no need to do that. It’s enough to just breathe on the stamp. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467/8 "2004-03-16T19:42:56Z")
Thanks to everyone here for your advice! I appreciate your help a lot. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-seal-an-envelope/234467/9 "2004-03-16T20:08:14Z")
Well, I thought it was obvious that you just lick the adhesive on the envelope flap, and press to the appropriate place. Regarding the envelopes you are using for sealing wax + seal = envelope, do you fold your own? or do you buy adhesive-less envelopes? or do you use regular ones?