Quilling Technique - Easy!

What is quilling? Simply put, quilling (also known as paper filigreeing) is rolling thin strips of papers into simple shapes to create a unique art form. The word quilling was probably originally derived from using a feather quill as the tool for rolling the paper.

You will find that the quilling technique is ideal for cards, framed art, and even scrapbook pages.

Supplies
One of the great things about quilling is how inexpensive it is and how elaborate you can make your art. There are only a few supplies needed which are as follows:

• Light weight paper, 1/8” thick and 1/4" thick (quilling papers can be purchased and are well worth the slight investment)
• White glue (that dries clear)
• A quilling tool—either a wooden handle with metal point or slotted metal tool
• Wax paper
• Toothpicks (for glue)
• Tweezers (for arranging pieces)

Quilling Technique, The Basic Building Blocks
The two basic forms you need to make are a tight coil and a loose coil. These two forms are used to create a variety of other shapes and together can make any design you choose.

To start, trim a 4” section off a strip. Wet the end and curl it around the end of your quilling tool. (If you use a slotted tool, you just slide the end in the slot and begin to turn.) Tightly coil the strip around itself until completed. Keeping tightly curled, slide the coil from the tool and using a toothpick, add a dot of glue to the end to secure. You have now completed a tight coil.

A loose coil is made the same way except when you pull the coil from the quilling tool, place it on the table, letting it unspool into a looser coil. Once again, you glue the end of the strip when it is the desired size.

These two basic building blocks are the foundations for most of the different quilling shapes.

Quilling Techniques, Advanced Coil Shapes
Once you have made a large selection of tight and loose coils, it is time to more onto advanced shapes.

- For a tear drop, take a loose coil and pinch the end where it was glued.
- For a marquise, pinch the end where it was glued, just like a tear drop, and then pinch the opposite end for a cat’s eye shape.
- For a heart shape, make another tear drop shape and then using your fingernail, indent the top to make a heart.
- For a square, carefully pinch all four corners to create a square.

By creating these many shapes, you can glue these onto a base paper, creating a mosaic type design. There is no end to the possibilities.