Tutorial: Homemade Faux Hogwarts Wax Seals

A few years ago at MIPS we celebrated March is Magic Month and I posted the photo above on Facebook. Recently, I got an email asking how I sealed 45 Hogwarts acceptance letters with red sealing wax with out breaking the bank. (At about $1.00 per stick that wax is expensive.) I'd read about using crayons in a glue gun, but I didn't want to ruin mine, so I had to get creative. The truth is, I didn't actually use red sealing wax...

I used hot glue.

I also used a Teflon pressing sheet, a button, cooking spray, and red spray paint. I could have bought a real Hogwarts seal, but I was on a budget...

I started by gluing the button onto an old empty thread spool so I could hold onto it more easily. Not exactly the Hogwarts crest but it was close enough.

Next, I used my glue gun to make dabs of hot glue on the pressing sheet, which I quickly sprayed with Pam cooking spray and then squished flat with the button. The Pam spray is really important - otherwise the glue will stick to the button. I also discovered dipping the button into cold water between each press helped it release from the glue more easily. It wasn't exactly a quick process, but it was March, on Mackinac Island, so I had the time.

After the seals cooled, they needed a good washing with Dawn dish soap to remove the cooking spray. I also needed to cut off those little glue tails you get with hot glue.

They were done after two quick coats of cheap red spray paint - which cost about $5.00.

A quick drop or two of Elmer's Glue  and the envelopes were sealed and ready to go...