Paper Quilling Art is an artsy craft that’s seen on everything from greeting cards to jewelry boxes. It’s an art technique that’s enjoying a resurgence due to its affordable materials and creative results. It’s a fun hobby for anyone that can benefit from a relaxing pastime that’s easy to pick up and master.
To get started with your quilling, you’ll want a few essential supplies. These are items you may already have in your home crafting collection, including a needle tool or awl (for curling the strips), a ruler and a craft knife for precision work, pre-cut strips of colorful paper that are specially made for quilling, and glue. You can choose a glue bottle that has a fine tip for precise work, or you can use a standard liquid glue and a small glass of water to keep the paper strips from drying out while you work.
Before you start gluing your pieces down, consider drawing out the design of the finished project on tracing paper. This will help you decide how large to make your paper strips and where they should go in your final design. It’s also helpful for larger designs or if you plan to frame the finished piece in a shadow box.
Paper quilling is a centuries old practice, originally used in Renaissance Europe by French and Italian nuns to decorate relics and holy artwork, often imitating more expensive metal filigree. This art form eventually came to America with settlers, and has continued to evolve over time with the advent of industrialized paper making. Paper Quilling Art