I have used Varathane on my handpainted candle mats. I haven't had any complaints about any problems. My mats are flexible, but they are generally lying flat on a surface. I love the Varathane because it is water based. I had some spill on my sealed table where I work (which isn't a valuable table), and it leaked through a hole in the plastic tablecloth. It dried on, and there is now way I am getting it off without an electric sander. So, you can see that it is quite durable once it is dried on a surface. It is fairly expensive. I think it is just under $50 dollars a gallon, but I only use maybe two gallons a year. Cheryl