Quilling Paper Art | What is Quilling Paper

What is Quilling Paper? In this article, you’ll learn everything about quilling paper art.

Quilling paper art is an art type based on the technique of carefully rolling colorful narrow strips of paper to make crafty stuff. This popular art traces it’s origin to England and has been in existence for many centuries. Paper quilling projects are usually used for picture frames, gift bags, boxes, decorative cards and for 3D stand-alone art pieces.

Tools for Quilling Paper Art

When beginning to do quilling, strips of paper, some glue, knitting needle or a toothpick should be enough. However, here are some of the tools that you should buy to make it even easier:

White glue

Most paper quillers use ordinary PVA glue. Transparent glue can also be used. The trick is to use the tiniest drops of glue.

Crimper tool

This is a tool that adds a bit of crimped texture to the quilling strips to add interest to the design.

Curling coach

This tool is used with the slotted tool. It makes it easier to curl the paper.

Needle tool

It is used for applying glue on paper. It is a handle with a needle at one end and grip on the other.

Tweezers

It is used for holding quilled shapes for applying glue.

Slotted tool

The needle tool and slotted tool do the same thing of rolling the paper. The difference between the two is that the slotted tool has a shorter tip with a slit through the center and the needle tool has plainly pointed rod.

The slot in the tool holds the paper while it’s being rolled which makes it a lot easier to work with. Although, the needle tool gives a cleaner look, its a bit difficult to use for beginners.

Paper quilling strips

A pre-cut paper that has been designed explicitly for quilling is available online or even at local craft stores. You can also make your own quilling paper by cutting the strips of colorful paper, but the benefit of using pre-cut paper strips is that they all are of the same width and it also saves a lot of time.

Tips for Quilling Paper Art

A quilted project that is complete may seem complicated. However, the basics of this beautiful craft are quite easy. The following are some tips and tricks on how to get started:

Using quilling paper

Paper quilling begins by rolling some paper strips. Pre-cut quilling paper can be readily purchased at many art and craft stores. However, it is still possible to cut paper strips of your own. The size and length of paper determine the outcome of the paper quilled project.

The right tools

Method of quilling requires the right tools. Beginners should work with a slotted tool. The supplies list should also have glue. Others are tweezers and circle template.

Best resources

Many bookstores contain quilling idea books and instructions. Some are written for a young audience so be sure to choose the right one for you. Find and use the best resources to learn fast.

Basic Shapes

The rolled paper coil is the most common shape of quilling. You can make many shapes just by pinching and adjusting the tension of the coil. Some basic shapes are s-scroll, square, asymmetric (heart scroll), curved marquise, marquise, curved teardrop, teardrop, loose coil, and tight coil.

Experiment

The most popular use of this particular art form is in the making of greeting cards and wall arts such as framed art and decorative pieces. Experiment and run your creative mind to fine-tune your skills.

Practice

Being good at paper quilling requires a lot of patience. This is because mastering the basic techniques is never enough and you have to do things with your creativity.