How I Made Miniature Frames with Wax Seal Stamps

This wasn’t the project I originally planned to film this week. I had something else in mind, but it ended up taking longer than expected. Since I needed a quicker replacement, I decided to make these miniature frames made out of wax instead. They seemed simple, but—like always—small details take more time than you’d think.

I’m creating a booknook designed as a painter’s atelier for my mother, and I wanted the walls to have tiny framed paintings. I thought the wax seal stamps I bought a while ago could work well for this. I used three different frame-shaped seal stamps, all with intricate designs, and selected some of my mother’s illustrations to place inside them. (She’s a very talented artist, one of my biggest inspirations, and you should check out her work on her website here!)

Materials I Used

• Wax seal stamps in frame shapes (three models, all purchased from AliExpress)

• Sealing wax

• 90g matte photo paper to print the illustrations

• Hot glue gun and glue sticks (though I didn't like the results)

• Small scissors and X-acto knife to trim excess wax and glue

  
  

Making the Miniature Frames

I started by printing the illustrations on matte photo paper. I wanted good-quality prints without excessive shine since I plan to give the booknook a warm and cozy feel.

Next, I made the frames. I melted the sealing wax and poured it onto a silicone mat, pressing the seal stamp into it. Since I used three different frame designs, each had a slightly unique result. The color of the wax also made a difference—gold highlighted the details better, while brown created a softer look.

Once the frames were ready, I cut out the illustrations and started testing ways to attach them. My initial idea was to use hot glue to create a glass-like effect, but I noticed it gave the image a weird texture. So, I tried simply gluing the illustration behind the frame with PVA glue. This made the image much clearer, but it also lost some of the "framed painting" effect I was hoping for...

The finishing touches took the most time. The edges of the frames weren’t always perfect, so I had to trim the excess wax and glue with an X-acto knife and small scissors. I also had to redo a few frames because the wax didn’t set properly or the frame broke when I removed it from the silicone. It all took much longer than I had planned, but I liked the final result.

Final Thoughts

I love how these small frames will add life to the booknook. Even though they’re just tiny details. I'm sure they'll make a difference in making the miniature atelier feel more complete.

This one took longer than expected, but now that I see the finished frames, I think the extra time was worth it.