A Paper Quilling Quest
An introduction to Paper Quilling for Beginners
Each month I learn a new craft, create a unique design and make up awesome video guided kits to introduce my wonderful subscribers to a the craft.There’s magic in this method as it means that I have all the mistakes, the hard parts and how to solve problems fresh in my mind. It also means that every month I get to share how it feels to learn a new technique and use it to create something I’m proud of.
Err… what is Paper Quilling?
So, yeah, it sounds like a naughty word right? Anyone else? So quilling is art made from long strips of colourful paper that is often coiled using a quilling needle. You can see the effect you get in the photo at the top of this page. Once the paper is shaped as you want it, you can stick it to the page using pretty much any glue and you get these beautiful 3D pictures.
Why Paper Quilling?
I was attracted to quilling ages ago because of the brightly coloured paper and the amazing range of designs you can make. I’ve had my quilling paper sitting on a shelf for about a year but just never found the time to get making. Since going plastic free at the start of this year I thought paper quilling would be the perfect eco craft kit. But, it was harder than I thought to make this kit plastic free as most of the stuff you can buy is made of plastic and the paper always comes plastic wrapped. Luckily I found someone who will make wooden quilling needles for me, the other half I’m making myself, in house. So exciting!
What’s it like to do?
I loved doing it! I’ve never done it before and I’m pretty happy with my first attempt at the top of the page. It’s really suited to organic forms like trees and flowers as you can use the paper strips to get all the curves of the tree without much fuss. I really can’t draw so I’d find it really tough to get all the curves the way I wanted them using a pencil, but the paper strips are perfect!
Above all, it feels great. Making the paper circles is a lovely action and super relaxing and it’s so beginner friendly. Definitely one to try!
Beginner quilling top tips
Go freestyle - Don’t worry too much about a set design. Do for something organic like trees, leaves or flowers.
Make your paper quills/circles first - before you get into your design, make up a load of circles using your quilling tool so they’re ready to use.
Dip don’t spread - it’s way easier to have a little pool of glue to dip your paper into rather than trying to spread the glue directly onto the paper.
I’m working on a final design and a guide for this craft now so follow me on social media to hear when it’s going live. Once that’s done, the kit will be going out to all my lovely subscribers! Can’t wait for you all to have a go!