Paper quilling is a form of paper craft that uses strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create 3D decorative designs. This simple art form has been practiced for many years with various types of paper throughout history. Today it is most commonly done with strips cut from colored paper or other thin materials like vellum or tissue paper. The quilled pieces are often used as decorations on greeting cards or bookmarks and some artists even sell their creations at craft fairs
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What is quilling?
Quilling is the art of creating shapes and patterns with paper strips. It can be used to create flowers, animals, and other designs. It is also known as a paper filigree.
A quilled piece of art is made by rolling up thin strips of paper into a tight coil. Then you use an awl to poke tiny holes through them so that they will stay together when you glue them down on your work surface.
Quilling can be used for all sorts of projects like bookmarks, cards, and scrapbooks. The possibilities are endless!
Tools needed for quilling
To get started, you’ll need the following:
- Paper quilling tools
- Quilling paper
- Glue (optional)
- Paint or ink (optional)
- A quilling board. This is a small piece of wood with grooves carved in it that helps you keep your coils and create patterns. If you don’t have one, you can make do by simply rolling your coils onto a flat surface before gluing them down.
How to make an “S” scroll
- Cut a length of paper about 9 inches (23 cm) long.
- Hold the two ends in your hands, then begin to gently stretch the middle part.
- Wrap the piece of paper around itself like a scroll, then use a pin to push it into shape, as shown in Figure 7-2. The pin will hold the rolled-up shape in place while you work on other parts of your project or until you’re ready to glue it down permanently.
If you’re making multiple scrolls for one project, try setting them aside so that they can dry overnight before gluing them together into one larger piece of art.
How to make a Marquise
To make a marquise, you’ll need to use a long quilling strip. Fold your strip in half and roll it into a loop shape. Make one or two more loops of the same length to create the marquise. Use glue to hold everything together.
How to make an open teardrop
An open teardrop is made with a single pinch pleat (see how to make a pinch pleat above).
- Begin by making an “S” scroll, then turn the paper around so that you are holding it horizontally.
- Pinch down at the halfway point and roll outward until you have an even round shape (this will be the bottom of your teardrop). The pinch should end in a diagonal line across this circle shape – this will be your left side of your open teardrop (if you’re right-handed, it’ll be on your right).3 Hold onto this point where you’ve just secured your pinch with one hand while using another finger of that same hand to hold onto part of the scroll below what was just pinched down on top – pull up some more length from within this fold until there’s enough space between them for another pinch! 4 Continue pulling up length from within folds until all that remains is about an inch left before reaching back into those last few folds again (this extra inch will become part of our closed teardrop).
How to make a pinch pleat
To make a pinch pleat, you’ll need:
- A paper quilling tool. You can buy one or make one from a dowel, or even use your fingers. If you’re using your fingers, cover them with latex gloves to protect against any splinters.
- Paper quilling paper.
- A pencil (preferably a thin HB). The best pencils are #2 pencils that you can sharpen easily; get several of them if you’re going to be making pleats for an extended period of time!
How to make a loose coil
What is a loose coil? A loose coil is a type of coil that has been made with paper quilling strips, and it has an open center. What are the benefits of making a loose coil? Loose coils can be made with many different types of paper, such as colored cardstock or patterned scrapbook paper. It’s easy to make several at once in different colors and sizes if you want to use them for decorating your home.
How to make a loose pleat
To make a loose pleat, you need a quilling tool. Place the paper between your thumb and index finger and pinch it with the tool. Pinching creates tension in the paper that allows you to easily move it while keeping it folded in place. You don’t want to move the paper while pinching because that will cause your pleats to fall apart!
How to make a closed teardrop
To make a closed teardrop, you will need:
- A quilling tool
- A glue stick
To make this shape, you should:
- Roll your paper into a tight coil with the quilling tool and then flatten both ends of the coil so that it looks like an hourglass.2. Flatten one end of your flattened piece of paper and press it down against your work surface so that each side has equal thicknesses.3. Using your fingers or a quilling tool, roll the outside edge of your piece toward the center until it is fully rolled up into itself (this may seem difficult at first).4. Repeat steps 2-5 until all sides have been rolled up completely into themselves; then lightly tuck each end under itself to secure them in place before using any additional glue if needed!
How to make circles and arms of stars.
To make the circles, use a quilling tool to roll thin strips of paper into balls. Then, make the arms of stars by rolling thin strips around a quilling tool and securing them in place with tape. Finally, add tips to your finished stars by making an extra-long strip that’s twisted along its length and then secured onto the top of your star shape.
To create a center for your star shape, use an extra long strip of paper that has been rolled into an evenly shaped spiral (this will become your center). Attach this piece onto the backside of one arm’s tip so that it balances perfectly on both sides when you hold it up (if this doesn’t work well enough for you, try adding some glue too).
This can be fun and rewarding.
Paper quilling is a fun and easy hobby that can be done by anyone. It’s a great way to relax, relieve stress, and exercise your hands.
It’s also a good way to make art for yourself or for friends and family. You can make cards with them, create small sculptures like flowers or animals, or even try making more intricate designs like faces and people.
What to do next?
Practice! Practice! Practice! You can also check out the various art and craft workshops we have running weekly or explore some of our online art tutorials!
Guest Post Bio – Artezaar
Artezaar.com is an online art gallery that connects artists in Dubai and artists across the UAE with art enthusiasts, art lovers, collectors, and art professionals. They have over 1600 paintings from 150+ artists in the UAE. Artezaar.com’s instructors teach watercolor painting, acrylic painting, digital art, oil painting, sketching, and resin – including online classes and much more! Log on to www.artezaar.com to find out more
