Submitted by Danielle Cantrel

Quilling is an old craft that involves shaping thin strips of paper around a narrow cylinder, or quill. The art form has seen resurgence in interest, as it produces beautiful handmade works of art and is easy enough for a beginning crafter. Once the paper is wound-up into a scroll it maintains a curl. The paper is wound into a spiral or coil shape, and then grouped together in a pretty arrangement. The coils can be used to decorate cards, invitations, and covers or made into their own structure.

The Basics of Quilling

Quilling is essentially wrapping a narrow strip of paper around a cylinder to produce a tightly wrapped spiral shape. You can purchase quills made for this purpose. But they are essentially just dole rods with a slot on the end. Using a plethora of different sized objects will result in coils of varying sizes. Regular household items such as screwdrivers, pens, chapstick or a pill bottle often fit the bill nicely.

When improvising, use a small piece of tape to secure the paper to the cylinder. Actual quilling tools have eyes, or slots, to hold the paper in place. Sliding paper and unraveling pieces as you work are incredibly frustrating, but you just have to keep at it.

*Image from Wikipedia

Coil Shapes

You can make a number of spiral and coil shapes. The shapes are determined by the tightness of your curls and the direction you coil the paper. All the shapes are based on a simple coil. Similar to using different types of lines in a drawing, you need different types of coils to complete a quilled work of art.

A tight coil shape is made by wrapping an 1/8 inch diameter strip of quilling paper around the tool, then gluing the end in place and sliding the paper off of the tool. Make a loose coil by relaxing your grip as you wrap the paper. You can build pretty much any shape from these two gestures.

A teardrop shape is made by slightly squishing a loose, round coil. You can make hearts by gluing to teardrop shapes together. Make a spiral by pulling a tight or loose coil out a bit.

Project Ideas

Quilling is a great way to dress up greeting cards. You can use it to make holiday décor or add 3D elements to a scrapbook. Make applications for wrapped gifts or wall art. Experiment with your process to make larger creations.

ABOUT the Author:

Danielle is an enthusiastic blogger and crafter. She blogs on behalf of Sears and other brands she uses. Danielle works primarily in paper. She loves scrapbooking, origami and quilling. Danielle has gotten paper cuts that would make your ancestors squirm.