Craft Design

Quilling is an inexpensive craft that once you try, you'll be tempted to make your next
hobby. All you need is paper and glue to make things that are both pretty to look at as
well as stunning in design. The best way to get started if you're new to quilling is to
find inspiration.

Quilling is also called paper filigree, is a papercraft that has been popular since the 15th
century. This paper art has experienced a resurgence in popularity during the last
couple of years.
You can find paper quilling incorporated into scrapbooking, cardmaking,
monograms, paper flowers, jewelry and even into pieces of wall art. It is incredible how
you can make complicated shapes and patterns from simple paper strips and glue!

Although the hobby is relatively easy to master, beginners may find the following tips
and tricks helpful on their paper quilling journey.

Quilling, the coiling and shaping of narrow paper strips to create a design, has been
around for years — hundreds, in fact. During the Renaissance, nuns and monks would
roll gold-gilded paper remnants trimmed during the bookmaking process, and use them
to decorate religious objects as an alternative to costly gold filigree. Quilling later
became a pastime of 18th and 19th century young ladies in England, who would
decorate tea caddies and pieces of furniture with paper filigree. The practice crossed
the Atlantic with colonists, who added quilling to candle sconces and trays as home
decorations.

In all of that time, the process has remained very much the same, but quilling designs
and specialty supplies have definitely caught up to the 21st century. Today some
aficionados focus on making incredibly detailed 3-D figures, while others favor wall-
sized museum installations. Perhaps quilling is best known, though, as a way of
bringing personality to handmade cards.

The short list of necessities includes strips of lightweight paper, glue, and a tool with
which to roll the paper — that’s it! Even better, there’s probably no need to shop for
supplies before you try quilling, as a bamboo skewer, round toothpick, or even a cake
tester from your kitchen drawer can serve as a substitute tool. Cut your own practice
strips from a sheet of ordinary computer paper, using a paper cutter.

Many arts and crafts stores sell basic tools and packages of multicolor paper strips.
Beautiful papers and other quilling supplies are available from online suppliers. Oh, and
lastly, one requirement that’s not available for purchase, but will also be needed, is a
fair amount of patience. With a little practice, however, I can almost predict you’ll find
quilling to be creatively satisfying and fun.

THE basics of quilling (paper)

The projects in this article feature the teardrop coil, but there are many other intriguing
shapes to try — marquises, arrowheads, holly leaves, and all sorts of beautiful scrolls,
just to name a few.

Materials:

Quilling paper: 1/8″, standard width

Quilling tool needle tool or slotted tool
Ruler
Scissors
Tweezers
Glue clear-drying, suitable for paper
Plastic lid to use as a glue palette
T-pin, paper piercing tool, or round toothpick
Glass-head straight pins
Non-stick work board, cork, or styrofoam something into which you can stick pins
Damp cloth to keep fingers free of glue

Directions:

When purchasing a tool there are 2 basic types: a slotted tool and needle tool. The
slotted tool is easiest to use; its only disadvantage is that the slot leaves a tiny crimp in
the center of the coil. If this is bothersome, purchase an ultra-fine slotted tool or try a
needle tool. The needle tool is a bit more difficult to master, but the reward will be a
coil with a perfectly round center.

To roll a coil with a needle tool: Dampen fingers and curve one end of a strip across
the needle. Roll the strip around the needle with the thumb and index finger of
whichever hand feels most comfortable, applying even, firm pressure, while holding the
handle of the tool with the other hand. Be sure to roll the paper, not the tool.

Whether using a slotted tool or needle tool, when the strip is fully rolled, allow the coil
to relax, slide it off the tool, and glue the end. Use only a very small amount of glue,
applying it with the tip of a T-pin, paper piercing tool, or toothpick. Hold the end in
place for a few moments while the glue dries. This is called a loose coil, and it’s the
basic shape from which many other shapes are made.

Some examples of Nature design

Performance Task 1:

1. Design a NATURE using the art of paper quilling

CRITERIA
Description Score
CONTENT(THEME ABOUT 40 %
NATURE)
CREATIVITY 25 %
VISUAL PRESENTATION 25 %
NEATNESS 10%
TOTAL 100 %