Known for its fancy flourishes and florals, paper quilling is enjoying a resurgence in popularity and has become a creative craft popular for a variety of uses. This decorative art is simple to master and uses readily available materials. It’s also affordable and can be done in the comfort of your own home. It’s a perfect way to relieve stress, as the repetitive motion of rolling the paper into coils can be very meditative.
While the resurgence of this paper craft is relatively recent, it’s an art form that goes back centuries. It’s believed that the craft originated in the 15th century, or possibly even earlier, when nuns decorated reliquaries and holy pictures with rolled filigree. The nuns used the technique as a cost-saving alternative to carved ivory and wrought iron, which were too expensive.
To get started, gather all your supplies, such as a quilling kit or your own tools and the paper strips that you need for your project. Look for patterns or templates to pre-plan your design or simply draw one yourself. If you’re working on a complex design, it’s helpful to outline the pieces with a sheet of tracing paper so that you can figure out where each piece will go on the final piece.
When you’re ready to add your glued paper quilled shapes, start with the smallest ones first. This will help you gain confidence and speed as you work your way up to bigger, more complicated pieces. Paper Quilling Art