Quilling is the technique of creating designs by rolling thin strips of paper into swirls and flourishes that can be combined to form ornate designs. You will be taking strips of paper and rolling, gluing, and shaping them to create patterns and designs. What better use for that old colored paper that you only have a few sheets of which isn't enough for an entire office project? Quilling can be used to decorate boxes, cards, frames, mirrors, scrapbook pages, etc. People have seen quilling used to decorate framed wedding invitations and baby announcements.
For your project you will need some basic things. You will need paper and glue. You can cut your own paper or buy your paper pre-cut. Cutting your own will save you money. Quilling papers come in many colors and styles in addition to widths. The patterns that you use will generally indicate the width and length of the paper to use. To glue your shapes you will need a white, liquid glue that dries clear.
Some tools you can use when quilling are:
- Slotted tool: named because of the tiny slit (or slot) at the top that holds the paper as you turn it to create your shapes
- Needle tool: generally has a metal or wooden handle with a long, thin piece of metal extending from the top that looks like a needle
- Your hands: you can always use your hands for a technique called finger rolling
- Straight pins, hat pins, and those "T" pins (office supply products)
Some other tools that you will find helpful (but not required) and are probably around your house are: - wax paper
- clear sheet protectors, to protect your work surface when gluing pieces together
- cardboard
- a book, styrofoam, or corkboard for a firm portable work surface
- scissors for cutting shapes or paper strips
- a small plate, bottle cap, or something that you can use to put a little bit of glue on so that your glue bottle doesn’t dry out
- a ruler – this will help you with keeping your lines straight or measuring your shapes to ensure they are the same size
- A damp cloth or sponge (even baby wipes) help you keep your fingers from getting glued together
- Tweezers are helpful to help you pick up your pieces and place them in a specific location
There are plenty of places to find free quilling templates and ideas. Try your hand at it and see how creative you can be while you use up that colored paper sitting there collecting dust bunnies.
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