Make It: Two Ways to Seal Envelopes with Wax

With wedding season just around the corner, I started thinking about wax seals again. I have two techniques that work great for wax sealing. The first technique uses traditional wax sticks that are melted with a flame. The second, uses wax "hot glue" sticks. The sticks are not hot glue, they are a wax that melts in a glue gun.

These sticks are from Scribes Delight.

Make It: Sealing Envelopes with Wax Sticks

This is from the Global Shipping episode of Creative Juice

Materials:
coffee - cooled
sealing wax stick
metal seal
envelopes
paper
matches
optional: metallic stamp pad

Steps:

1. To create an antique look, wrinkle up an envelope and soak it in a coffee bath for a few seconds. Blot to remove excess moisture and set aside to dry.



2. Light the wax stick's wick and tilt the stick at a slight angle over the envelope, lit end facing down.


3. Holding the stick over the area for the seal, let the wax flow onto the envelope until there is enough wax for a seal (10 to 15 seconds of melting wax should produce enough wax for an average 1/4"-diameter seal). Be careful not to get soot in the wax.



4. Press the seal into the wax; remove by lifting straight up. If the wax won't let go of the seal, rest the seal on the wax until it's completely cool, then lift the seal off.


5. Highlight ink (from a metallic stamp pad) can be used on the seal before embossing to help the wax release the seal, as well as to create a dimensional look. Or you can add a little ink to a paintbrush and brush it into the seal.

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These sticks are from Save-on-Crafts

Make It: Sealing Envelopes with Wax Glue Sticks

Materials:

wax glue sticks
metal seal
low-temp glue gun (dedicated for this type of project)
paper
optional: metallic stamp pad

Steps:

1. Insert a wax stick into a standard-size low-temp glue gun (use a second wax stick in the gun to help advance the first stick). Bring the gun to the desired temperature and rest it on a piece of foil to help reduce drips or wax strings on the work area.


2. Use a few test pulls to get a feel for the quantity of wax to use with the seal. Two firm pulls of the trigger will produce a full seal for larger sealing coins. Waiting for 10-15 seconds before embossing the wax with a seal will create a better definition in the wax. Experiment to find the correct waiting period based on temperature conditions.


3. Emboss with a seal; remove by lifting straight up out of the wax. If the wax won't let go of the seal, rest the seal on the wax until it's completely cool, then lift the seal off. Highlighting ink (from a metallic stamp pad) can be used on the seal before embossing to help the wax release the seal, as well as creating a dimensional look on the seal.

Tips and Tricks: Alternating 1" plugs of different colors of glue-gun wax sticks can create a unique marbling effect. Glue plugs can be created by cutting the glue sticks into sections with craft scissors.

Handmade Wedding Favor Boxes

Paper Wrapped Box Favors

Handmade wedding or shower favors are a thoughtful way to show how much you appreciate your attendees. You don’t need to be “super” crafty in order to make this simple and fun design. All you need is a little time, imagination and a few helpful friends or family members.

This favor design, begins with a plain clear box. Clear boxes are available from many online retailers or at craft and container stores. The box can be filled with anything from hard candies, chocolates, mints, tea bags, mulling spices or even hot coco. For this design, I filled the box with 3 bags of herbal tea.

The outer paper and ribbon can be color coordinated to your event and the monogram seal can easily be printed from a sheet of cardstock on an inkjet printer.

Look for bulk ribbon on larger spools in the bridal section of any craft or fabric store. Decorative paper can be purchased in large sheets from art, stationary or paper stores. You can also use scrapbook paper or heavy wrapping paper. The paper in this design was purchased from Paper Source.

When trying to determine the exact amount of supplies needed to make multiple favors, I like to make a sample design and then calculate the materials need based on the sample.

Materials:
Clear plastic box
Decorative paper
Goodies: 3 tea bags
Glue stick
Ribbon
Hot glue
Printed cardstock sheet of monograms
Circle punch

Steps:

Begin by measuring and trimming your paper to fit around the clear box. Leave a little extra space at the top and bottom for your goodies to peek through. Add an extra half-inch to the width for gluing.

Fill the box with the goodies and seal with the lid.

Center the box on the cut paper, wrap the paper around the box, crease the edges against the box, use a glue stick to seal at the back.




To add a monogram, wrap a ribbon around the box, add a drop of hot glue to the back of the ribbon to secure it to the back of the box. Wrap the sides of the ribbon to the front of the box, overlap them and secure with a drop of hot glue, trim the ends on an angle.



Print a sheet of monograms from an inkjet printer that are small enough to fit in your circle punch.


Line up your punch over the monogram and punch.

Secure the monogram over the ribbon with a drop of hot glue.

And repeat! haha

Weddings - Showers - Receptions!

So the new Paper Crafts mag arrived in my mailbox yesterday and I was thrilled to see the wedding section - actually 2 weddings sections - One section is "All Dressed in White" and it is loaded with project ideas for weddings. Everything from guest bags, frames, guest books, favor boxes, mini bags etc. I love page 70 & 71 - the designs are so cute and the soft butter yellow ,silver and black combo is so sharp! The designers Wendy Gallamore, Daniela Dobson (you can see her card if you scroll down her blog), Lisa Nichols and Mimi Schramm really did a bang up job.

If you are looking for some creative ideas/supplies for weddings check out the links below.

Pretty Wedding Stamps
My Favorite Paper Shop
Bottles and Containers for Favors
Bulk Bags, Boxes & Bows
Floral Supplies On line
Dupioni Silk Fabric

Here is a funny pic from my wedding - Nothing like fresh breath!

Wedding Ideas

My sisters wedding is this weekend and a summers worth of wedding creativity will finally all come together. We have made so many things for the wedding - programs, favors, aisle decorations, place cards, table numbers, centerpieces, necklaces, you name it we have made it.

One of my favorite projects is the aisle decorations. They were so easy to make and because we used silk hydrangea petals for them, they were are great make ahead.

We are hanging them from hooks about every 3 rows down each side of the aisle.

Here are the supplies needed:
Styrofoam ball (8-10 inches)
green spray paint
sheet moss
spray adhesive
silk hydrangea flower
green floral wire
2 yards wide ribbon
long pearl pins

Steps:
Spray paint the Styrofoam ball with a green color. This prevents any "peek a boos" through the moss.



Working outside and on a protected surface, spray the spray adhesive on the backside of the moss and attach around the ball. The sheet style moss works really well. Fill in any holes with smaller pieces of moss.



Wrap a piece of floral wire around the ball, twist the wire to secure, and trim the edges.

Break apart the silk hydrangea flower and pin the petals to the ball by piercing through the center of the petal and into the ball. Continue until the entire ball is covered. The longer pins stay really well. You could use a drop of glue for security.




Cut the ribbon in half so you have 2 - 1 yard pieces. Thread one piece through the wire (move a pin if needed) and and tie a knot at the desired hanging length. Bring the knot toward the base of the ball and trim the ends of the ribbon. Hide the knot by using the remaining ribbon to tie a bow at the base of the ball. Trim the ribbon ends.


We have done tons of wedding projects on Creative Juice....here is a link to some of the ideas - Bridal Ideas and Floral Ideas.

Well my folks just called and they are on their way over so I better run and get ready!

Have a creative week and for all you brides and grooms - wedding wishes.

Cathie