Quilling | The Best Papercraft You Must Try!

At a very basic level, filigree or quilling is a form of craft that includes rolling paper to create intricate artwork. The rolled or quilled pieces of paper can be shaped into various structures and glued onto thick paper like canvas, cardstock, and chipboard. These little rolls of paper can also be stuck to bigger objects or made into jewelry.

You can cut the thin or varying thickness of paper by yourself or buy pre-cut quilling paper. With very few supplies like paper, glue, and quilling tools you can start your quilling journey. Thunderbolt Paper has a surprisingly extensive bright text paper range of colorful paper that is perfect for quilling or similar papercrafts.

The inception of the Art

Initially, Italian nuns are known to have used quilling for decorating church items such as books or crosses. They would use strips of paper cut from gilded books giving shape to golden quilled artwork. Later, quilling spread across Europe as a leisure time activity for women and gained massive popularity. With time, however, the craft lost its popularity to sewing, jewelry making, or drawing. 

The internet has proven to be quite a revolutionary help for crafts like quilling to be seen and learned by millions today. It is a beautiful craft showcasing enhanced and yet delicate flowers or typography. 

What do you need to start quilling today?

Get ready to be surprised each time you end up making incredibly simple and yet beautiful shapes and patterns from simple paper strips. If you are thinking of starting your quilling project simply incorporate it into a handmade card or a scrapbook. Here are a few ways you can start:

• You do not need too many things to start your quilling project. Beginners can start by making sure you use pre-cut paper strips to practice. A lot can be accomplished by using a quilling tool such as a toothpick or knitting needle and, of course, some glue. Once you find yourself completely comfortable with the art of quilling you can go ahead and splurge in proper quilling tools.

• Just like any craft or art project- start small. Make sure that you do not overwhelm yourself by undertaking a project that is too big for a beginner and ends up pushing you to quit. Art and craft are supposed to help you relax and qualitatively pass free time. Starting small, such as making greeting cards, small jewelry, or decorative accessories with quilling paper, can help you become a master in due course of time.

• One of the most common tips that a lot of crafters agree upon is to be stingy with glue. Quilling paper is very thin and the rolls of paper are delicate so using a lot of glue to attach it to the base paper can ruin your project as quickly as you started. Use as little glue as possible or consider a pointed glue bottle to use only dot-sized glue. Remember you can always add a little bit of glue if needed but it can be nearly impossible to remove the excess adhesive without ruining the project. 

As with any art, practice to perfection! 

Indulging yourself in arts and crafts can be a therapeutic process for a lot of us. Anything can feel overwhelming in the beginning but make sure you don't give up and practice until you slowly pass your beginner's steps of quilling. The designs and patterns that emerge with this particular craft are very unique on their own and you will surely enjoy yourself through the process of learning.

Lastly, follow relevant artists for inspiration.

One of the greatest advantages that we have at our hands is the internet. Inspire yourself to use the internet in a more mindful manner by following people and practices that inspire you. In your quilling journey follow artists that master the art helping you to feel inspired and continue to learn yourself. Tell us in the comments about the art or crafts that you enjoy. Or did you practice any kind of art today?