Though largely rendered practically redundant due to the the efficiency of modern-day envelope adhesives, old-fashioned wax seals remain a favorite way to add a touch of antique class to a letter or paper scroll. If you don't have any sealing wax on hand, crayons are a preferable alternative to candle wax as they have a high enough concentration of pigment to make the seal imprints visible. Due to their shape, crayons can also be melted through the use of a hot glue gun, avoiding any need for open flame.
Instructions
1. Obtain a glue gun that you can dedicate for use with wax; traces of wax and dye will likely remain in the gun for some time, which may interfere with other gluing tasks. Find a glue gun designed for glue sticks a little bigger in width than the crayons you will be using.
2. Prepare your letter or scroll for sealing. Fold the flap down or roll up the paper. Keep it on hand so that you can grab it quickly once the wax is hot and ready to go.
3. Plug in the glue gun and turn it on to empty it completely of glue. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then pull out the glue stick. Empty as much of the melted glue as you can by compressing the trigger. Let the glue gun sit for 30 minutes so that the remaining glue can drip out the tip.
4. Remove the paper from the crayon. Scrape of any traces of adhesive or paper with a craft knife blade or your fingernail.
5. Insert the crayon into the glue gun. Let the heat of the gun melt the crayon for several minutes (time may vary according to the gun).
6. Extrude the wax as if it were hot glue. If the trigger mechanisms of your gun can't grip the crayon due to its smaller size, press the crayon through from behind. Push out any remaining glue that may initially be mixed with the crayon.
7. Apply some wax to the seal of the letter. Position the tip of the glue gun at the center point of the area where you want the seal to be. Extrude the crayon wax and let it ooze and expand in a circular blob moving out from this point, but don't move the tip around. Make a blob about the size of a dime (adjust according to the size of your seal). Remove the glue gun from the area.
8. Immediately press the seal into the melted wax. Wait 10 seconds (or until the sheen of the wax turns opaque) and then remove.
