Quilling Guidelines

The ancient art of quilling has seen the rise and fall of its’ popularity over hundreds of years and throughout the world, proving its’ durability as an art form. In this section, we’ll have a healthy discussion the fascinating techniques under the concept of quilling.

Fundamental Quilling
Essentially, quilling is the act of rolling a strip of paper around a quilling tool to create a tight coil. Always work with strips of the correct length and width for your pattern requirements and for the shape you wish to produce. If you use a slotted tool, but sure to insert your strip correctly and then hold the tool firmly while turning it to roll the paper strip into a coil. Use your other hand to guide the strip and keep the coil tight. Then slip the coil from the tool and glue the end to the coil to hold it, or leave it unattached for use as a loose, or tailed, scroll.

Coil
Roll your paper strip tightly using your needle tool and then let the coil release and expand slightly. Next glue the strip end to the roll. This is the most basic quilling shape that nearly all other shapes start off as, and is also known as a relaxed, filler or loose coil.

Teardrop
Roll and glue a loose coil, then, while holding it with the thumb and finger of one hand, use the thumb and finger of the other hand to pinch one side of the coil to a point, creating a teardrop shape—also known as a peacock eye.

Marquise
Roll and glue a loose coil, then holding the coil with both hands, pinch each side of the coil simultaneously to create double points. This distinctive shape is also known as a diamond.

Half Circle
Roll and glue a loose coil, then create a teardrop. Next, pinch a second point near the first point that made the teardrop shape. The distance between the two points determines the height of the shape.

Loose Scroll
Roll a loose coil, leaving a substantial portion, or whatever your pattern or desire calls for, unrolled. These shapes are also known as ‘tailed’ scrolls.

V-Scroll
Fold your strip in half lengthwise. Then roll a coil from each end of the strip. You may roll towards the inside of the fold to create a heart scroll, or towards the outside of the fold, to create a ‘V’ scroll.

T-Scrolls
Roll a ‘V’ scroll, then glue the unrolled ‘legs’ of the shape together to create a ‘T’ shape.

Fringed Loose Scroll
Roll a loose, or tailed, scroll, then carefully holding the shape with tweezers, cut the unrolled end, or ‘tail’ lengthwise with scissors. This creates a fringed ‘tail’.

Cutting Quill Strips Lengthwise
This technique, if carefully done, can reduce the bulk in your coils, and ultimately in your entire piece.