I had a good time learning and writing about scratchboard last week so I decided to continue the "unfamiliar art" theme this month. Paper quilling is the topic here. I actually am familiar with this creative endeavor. I have a vague memory of doing this with Mom when I was a kid. I can see in my mind's eye white paper coils on a red paper. I wonder what ever happened to that? Anyway, I went down the internet rabbit hole again and found amazing works of art made with paper and glue. (Much more sophisticated art than what I remember making.) Here's a little how-to and paper quilling inspiration for you.
What is paper quilling?
Paper quilling involves rolling strips of paper into coils, manipulating the coils into various geometric shapes, and then gluing them together to create designs. The designs can be used to decorate objects or make wall art, greeting cards, jewelry, and more. Here's a simple example.
Tools and materials
The only things you really need to do paper quilling are paper, scissors, glue, and a tool to roll the paper strips around. Something as simple as a toothpick can work for the tool, but it's worth it to invest in an inexpensive quilling tool designed for the job. If you really get into this, there are additional tools to help you make more complex designs. Here's a rundown.
I've included some product images and links from Amazon here for illustration purposes. I haven't purchased these products and can't personally speak to their quality but they are all 4 stars or better. (paid links)
Paper. Something heavier than printer paper (does anyone use the term "typing paper" anymore?) and lighter than cardstock. It's easy to find pre-cut strips in varying widths and many, many, colors, including metallics. Widths range from about 1/16 to 1 inch with 1/8 inch being the most common. They're often marked in millimeters (mm). 1/8 inch is about 3 mm. (See the image at the beginning of the post.)
Scissors. If you're cutting strips rather than buying them, choose your favorite pair and get into flow. A paper cutter might be faster (and definitely easier). Otherwise, you just need something to cut the strips to the right length.
Glue. Most any craft glue can work here. The important thing is that it dries clear and is acid-free. Even more important than that is being able to apply the glue with precision (less is more). There are special glues and glue bottles you can purchase with a "needle tip" applicator. Or, you can use something like a needle or toothpick to dab it on.
Quilling tool. There are a couple of versions of the tool used to coil the paper strips. One is a simple "needle tool" (essentially a blunt needle with a handle, second from the right in the image below). The other is a "slotted tool" which is a lot like the needle tool with a slot in the end. With the slotted tool, you stick the end of the paper strip in the slot to aid in rolling the coil. And of course, there are various slot sizes. A fine slot allows for a tighter, cleaner coil in the middle. I was even able to find a battery-operated quilling tool that spins a coil with the push of a button. I can't, in good conscience, recommend that.
Pinning board. Typically, this is a corkboard used to lay out your design and pin it in place. It also provides a level surface that helps keep the artwork equally level. (Image below.)
Tweezers. A necessity to place coils and strips with precision into a design. And it helps limit the amount of glue that ends up on your fingers.
Crimping tool. This is a little machine that you can run the paper strips through to give them a crimped look rather than smooth.
Coaches, molds, templates, and border buddies. All of these tools are used to help shape and form coils and paper strips. Coaches and templates help you get the right size and shape for your coil. Molds are half-spheres of various sizes that help form a coil into a bump or cup shape. Border buddies are used to form borders from paper strips. (Images below.)
Patterns. Patterns provide a full quilling design to follow. Rather than creating your art from scratch, you can use designs printed on paper to guide where to place your coils, strips, and shapes and build your work of art. Here's one on Etsy.
Comb. This reminds me of the hair pick I carried in my back pocket in junior high. You know, to puff up my terrible perm. For quilling, the comb prongs are used to create loops from the paper strips. By the way, you can use a regular hair comb in the same way. See the tutorial listed below. (Image below.)
Grid board (a.k.a., husking board). This is a board with peg holes. By placing pegs in specific places, you can create more intricate shapes by wrapping the paper strips around the pegs. (Image below.)
Here's a beginner's kit that's available on Amazon (paid link) that includes many of the tools listed above. I include it here as a point of reference. I can't speak to the quality of this product, though it gets good reviews. Note that it includes one of those electric quilling tools I mentioned above!
This video, 14 Quilling Tools Demo & How to Use Basic Quilling Tools | Tutorial from AV Visuals (6:47) is the most comprehensive one I could find. It covers how to use all of the tools above, plus a few more.
Basic shapes
You make shapes from coils by pinching or folding them. Here's a partial view of the official shape chart from the North American Quilling Guild (NAQG). View and download the full guide on their site.
See paper quilling in action in 35 Paper Quilling Shapes: Art & Craft Tutorials by HandiWorks (16:33). I watched in double speed and loved it!
How to make a quill design
To make a paper quill design you essentially roll your coils, make your shapes, and glue everything together into a design on a flat surface. If you're like me, you now consider yourself to have enough information to jump in and start paper quilling. Go for it! Quilling is an accessible art form but you're probably not going to nail it right away. That's okay...if you're having fun, keep going. Try, fail, learn, get a little better, repeat.
If you'd prefer a little more direction before you dive in, these videos will help.
Quilling Glue - 5 Basic Tips to Avoid Showing Glue, Paper Zen - Cecelia Louie (7:04)
Quilling: How to Make 10 Flowers Using a Teardrop Shape, Annigan Creates (27:56)
Paper Quilling for Beginners | Paper Crafts, HGTV Handmade (9:08)
DIY Quilling Greeting Card: Paper Quilling Flower Card, Craftylity (6:47)
Quilling Sprigs of Leaves with Hair Brush, Azlina Abdul (9:06)
Okay, that's enough. There are thousands of how-to quilling videos you can find on YouTube. Go down your own rabbit hole!
Paper quilling eye candy
There are remarkable quilling artists out there. I want to share one of my Pinterest boards so you can appreciate and enjoy them. But remember, if you have intentions to try your hand at this art form, do not start by setting the bar according to what you see here. One artist's art has nothing to do with your art. Take a look, imagine what's possible, and make your own version of remarkable art.
Resources
If you're ready to pursue quilling as a new creative endeavor, you won't have a hard time finding instruction and supplies. Refer to these resources to get started. Let me know how it goes and share your work!
Quilling supplies and tools on Amazon (paid link)
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