The art of paper filigree is not a quick, mass-produced artform nor is it a simple craft, it is much more. I'm sor glad that more people are starting to learn the art of quilling which has surprisingly been around for hundreds of years! While it is not difficult to learn how to make quilled patterns, it does require a good eye for detail, time, and patience in order to make nice eye-pleasing designs! I'm sure once you learn how to do quilling you'll find it relaxing and fun but you must give it time when you first get started.
Surprisingly, quilling is not difficult to learn how to do but it does take some time and patience since you are working with intricate designs and small pieces of paper. You just need a few proper tools and the time to work on your quilling. The great thing about the art of paper quilling is that almost anyone at any age can learn how to quill paper after just a little bit of practice. You can work on your quilling creations for a few minutes or for many hours. It depends on how quickly you want to work; although many professional quillers will suggest that quilling does take quite some time. I’m pretty sure that once you get started quilling, you won’t want to stop. However, if you are just wanting to learn quilling to add a few designs to your scrapbook or card making, you can do that in very little time and find it fairly easy to master quickly. Quilling at its basic, is rolling a strip of paper around a tool then shaping it. Quilled paper shapes are then formed into a larger design and glued together. Once you learn the basic coils and scrolls, you’ll be able to create artwork and patterns in very little time.
I was relieved to find out that it does not take long to make beautiful quilled creations once you get the basic shapes learned since that is the foundation you can really begin to have fun making larger projects. If you wanted to, you could definitely spend many hours on larger and more intricate designs if you’d like to create masterpieces and stand alone art, instead of just small quilled patterns for cards and scrapbook pages. Large quilled patterns are usually works of art that can be framed for show and that is only one small part of the way that paper filigree is used. Most of the designs you’ll probably make at home with your paper filigree will be patterns to embellish other crafts you are doing so rest assured that it does not need to take all day just to make a few quilled flowers; although anyone that looks at your artwork might think you spent a whole lot more time on it than you really did! The great thing about quilling is that it looks a lot more difficult and time consuming than it actually is to do so you can make something really impressive to show off!
I typically refer to this art as quilling but this paper craft has a few other names it is known by as well that you might see me talk about. Maybe you have heard it called one of these names such as: paper filigree, rolled paper décor,paper rolling, or filigrana. They are really all the same thing, its just that this art form goes by a variety of names depending largely on what country you live in and where you have learned this paper art. Whatever you chose to call it, try quilling once and you’ll surely be hooked on a fun paper craft that can provide many hours of enjoyment for yourself and even children. Quilling makes gorgeous artwork to add as an embellishment to another craft you currently create, especially homemade greeting card making and scrapbooking pages. Whatever name you call it, paper quilling is a lot of fun and easy to do with step by step instructions geared for beginners.
Quilling paper allows you to be creative with the basic coils and scrolls you’ll learn how to make as a beginner. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the variety of quilling patterns you can create with just a few different types of quilled basics. Just remember again that you do need to have a bit of patience (especially as a beginner quiller) since you are working with small tools and small pieces of paper, so take time and do not rush your patterns or else they will be uneven and unprofessional. Each small coil or scroll will be just one tiny portion of the overall design so you want every piece of your pattern to look nice before adding it to your final design. Remember to have fun and make your designs as detailed and intricate as you’d like. Take time for some trial and error as you learn and you’ll soon be amazed at how quickly you are able to make some really cool quilled designs.
Many advanced quilling patterns will require that you spend hours and days or even weeks and months to create a very involved and intricate design. There is really something for all ability levels with paper filigree; some of the quilled creations I've seen are even 3 dimensional which is really neat but of course takes quite a bit more time to be so detailed and intricate.
Showing posts with label free paper quilling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free paper quilling. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Quilling for Beginners
The art of paper quilling has been around for centuries and certainly regained a new appreciation as a great form of art lately. Quilling uses long strips of paper to create coils and shapes, with a quilling tool, which are then formed together to create beautiful patterns such as quilled flowers. This paper art is also known as paper filigree which comes from the way that the paper is rolled.
If you are looking to learn how to do quilling, it can be really simple. For beginners, you can use strips of paper cut on a paper cutter (if you cannot find quilling strips in your local craft store). Just be sure that you do not use a thick paper like cardstock since it is very difficult to coil nicely. Then you will need to roll the strips around a toothpick for example (if you do not yet have a quilling tool to make it easiest). You will find that although you can use some of these cheap alternatives for quilling, the best way to create professional looking and easy to make quilling designs is to invest a few dollars into quilling paper strips and a few proper quilling tools. The basic tools and supplies you need for quilling can be purchased for under $20 so it really is an inexpensive art or craft compared to most.
Practice making your coils into a variety of shapes like squares, teardrops, marquises, and triangles. There are many more basic shapes you can also make to create an amazing and intricate completed pattern, but these are some of the basics.
Remember that quiling is a 3D art form so you can create layers of quilled shapes and not just lay them flat in a single level on your card. Quilling is a beautiful form of art that will certainly amaze and inspire many when they see your beautiful creation. And don’t forget that quilling is also a great craft for children since they can coil paper and create designs as well.
If you need some ideas on what to create with your quilling paper, just look around your house at some of your favorite items and begin to form those shapes with your paper strips until you have a complete pattern. If you are a beginner this will take some time, so for now just continue to practice the basic quilled coils and shapes so you can make larger designs in the future.
Quilling is a beautiful way to express your creativity with paper and a few simple tools. Remember to use a variety of colors and shapes and have fun creating quilled designs. If you need some lesson and want some patterns to follow, check out www.LearnQuilling.com for free quilling instructions and a fun quilling pattern for beginners.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
What Are Quilling Kits?
You may see quilling kits on the market and wonder if that is the right option for you. In case you are not familiar with quilling kits, they typically include the tool, the paper you need to make a few specific designs and a few patterns within one category all in one place. I typically do not recommend that you use a quilling kit for a few reasons.
First, the paper is typically cheap and that makes the glue difficult to adhere to it properly. You are sure to go crazy trying to quill with cheap paper and it will probably frustrate you immensely and drive you away from quilling.
Second, unless you are an advanced quiller, it will be difficult for you to follow the patterns without first knowing the basic steps needed to create the shapes for the complete design.
Instead, if you are looking to start quilling and want to learn how to do the art of paper quilling, I’d love for you to check out my course that is made for beginner quillers. You’ll learn all the basic steps to creating amazing quilling work plus learn how to make all kinds of great patterns with ease. You’d have to buy dozens of quilling kits to get the same amount of patterns you’ll learn how to make with my course, “Secrets to Quilling Success”. Beyond that you are going to get all my special tips which will really help you out. Check it out at learnquilling.com
First, the paper is typically cheap and that makes the glue difficult to adhere to it properly. You are sure to go crazy trying to quill with cheap paper and it will probably frustrate you immensely and drive you away from quilling.
Second, unless you are an advanced quiller, it will be difficult for you to follow the patterns without first knowing the basic steps needed to create the shapes for the complete design.
Instead, if you are looking to start quilling and want to learn how to do the art of paper quilling, I’d love for you to check out my course that is made for beginner quillers. You’ll learn all the basic steps to creating amazing quilling work plus learn how to make all kinds of great patterns with ease. You’d have to buy dozens of quilling kits to get the same amount of patterns you’ll learn how to make with my course, “Secrets to Quilling Success”. Beyond that you are going to get all my special tips which will really help you out. Check it out at learnquilling.com
How long does it take to create designs with paper quilling? It seems a very time consuming craft.
Although most popularly called quilling, this paper craft has a few other names it is known by as well. Maybe you have heard it called Paper filigree, rolled paper décor, paper rolling, or filigrana. Whatever you chose to call it, try quilling once and you’ll surely be hooked. Quilling makes gorgeous artwork to jazz up any craft. Whatever name you call it, paper quilling is a lot of fun and easy to do with my step by step instructions.
Surprising it does not take long to make beautiful quilled creations once you get the basic shapes learned. However you can certainly spend hours on larger and more intricate designs if you’d like. Large quilled patterns are usually works of art that stand alone and can be framed for show. Most of the designs you’ll probably make when you are quilling will be smaller items to embellish other crafts you are doing so rest assured that it does not need to take all day just to make a few quilled flowers; although your friends might think so! The great thing about quilling is that it looks a lot more difficult than it actually is to do!
Quilling paper is a lot of fun and a great way to be creative with the basic coils and scrolls you’ll learn how to make. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the works of art you can create with just a few different types of quilled pieces. Just remember that you need to have a bit of patience (especially as a beginner quiller) since you are working with small tools and small pieces of paper. Each small coil or scroll will be just one tiny portion of the overall design. Remember to have fun and make your designs as detailed and intricate as you’d like. Take time for some trial and error as you learn and you’ll soon be amazed at how quickly you are able to make some really cool quilled designs.
More advanced quillers may spend hours and days or even weeks to create a very involved design. Some are even 3 dimensional which is really neat but of course takes quite a bit more time to be so detailed and intricate.
If you are ready to learn the art of quilling so you can start adding some new paper designs to many of your craft projects, I’d love to teach you with your first free lesson at www.learnquilling.com
Surprising it does not take long to make beautiful quilled creations once you get the basic shapes learned. However you can certainly spend hours on larger and more intricate designs if you’d like. Large quilled patterns are usually works of art that stand alone and can be framed for show. Most of the designs you’ll probably make when you are quilling will be smaller items to embellish other crafts you are doing so rest assured that it does not need to take all day just to make a few quilled flowers; although your friends might think so! The great thing about quilling is that it looks a lot more difficult than it actually is to do!
Quilling paper is a lot of fun and a great way to be creative with the basic coils and scrolls you’ll learn how to make. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the works of art you can create with just a few different types of quilled pieces. Just remember that you need to have a bit of patience (especially as a beginner quiller) since you are working with small tools and small pieces of paper. Each small coil or scroll will be just one tiny portion of the overall design. Remember to have fun and make your designs as detailed and intricate as you’d like. Take time for some trial and error as you learn and you’ll soon be amazed at how quickly you are able to make some really cool quilled designs.
More advanced quillers may spend hours and days or even weeks to create a very involved design. Some are even 3 dimensional which is really neat but of course takes quite a bit more time to be so detailed and intricate.
If you are ready to learn the art of quilling so you can start adding some new paper designs to many of your craft projects, I’d love to teach you with your first free lesson at www.learnquilling.com
What is Quilling? (Also known as Paper Filigree Art)
Quilling (also called paper filigree) is a paper craft where you learn to coil, curl, twist, or fringe strips of paper into a variety of intricate shapes, creating patterns and pieces of artwork. Quilling takes some practice to get the hang of but is a much easier craft to do than it seems. You’ll certainly be complimented by many people when they see your quilled creations since this is a paper craft that looks very detailed and time consuming. However, you will find with simple to follow step-by-step instructions, the basics of quilling are easy to master. Then you can start to make your own patterns and designs with ease!
The history of quilling dates back hundreds of years but is recently gaining a renewed popularity since quilled paper art is a great way to embellish scrapbooks, invitations, announcements, and home-made cards. Besides that, the cost to get started with quilling is comparatively lower than almost any other craft you could do! Although this craft has been around for quite some time, it is not very popular in craft stores so you may have a hard time finding supplies unless you know where to look.
Often people wonder what types of designs they can created with quilling paper. The majority of work you will see is probably flowers since quilled flowers are a lot of fun to make and are very popular. Beyond flowers, you’ll find that you can quill almost any design you can think of! Everything from animals to letters to fire engines are great items you can learn to quill with paper! You will have a lot of fun experimenting and trying new ideas with quilling even if you don’t have a pattern to follow (although it definitely helps for beginners).
Want to start quilling right now? Grab your first lesson free at LearnQuilling.com
The history of quilling dates back hundreds of years but is recently gaining a renewed popularity since quilled paper art is a great way to embellish scrapbooks, invitations, announcements, and home-made cards. Besides that, the cost to get started with quilling is comparatively lower than almost any other craft you could do! Although this craft has been around for quite some time, it is not very popular in craft stores so you may have a hard time finding supplies unless you know where to look.
Often people wonder what types of designs they can created with quilling paper. The majority of work you will see is probably flowers since quilled flowers are a lot of fun to make and are very popular. Beyond flowers, you’ll find that you can quill almost any design you can think of! Everything from animals to letters to fire engines are great items you can learn to quill with paper! You will have a lot of fun experimenting and trying new ideas with quilling even if you don’t have a pattern to follow (although it definitely helps for beginners).
Want to start quilling right now? Grab your first lesson free at LearnQuilling.com
Friday, December 11, 2009
How Did I Discover the Art of Paper Quilling?
In this blog post I'd like to answer the question posed to me recently...by my husband who wondered "how did I discover paper quilling?" One day suddenly there were boxes of quilling tools and quilling paper in various colors and designs showing up on our doorstep and I've been talking about quilling non-stop. So how did I discover the art of paper filigree? I have no idea! :) I was looking online for some new craft projects (I keep craft stores in business with the amount of supplies I purchase every month!) and I stumbled upon quilling. And I'm GLAD I did!
Paper filigree (quiling) is one of the coolest paper crafts I've ever seen! And believe it or not, its one of the easiest! I'd never tackle origami, but quilling is something that can be easy to learn how to do if you have the proper instructions. And paper quilling looks AMAZING; it seems that I put so much more work into than I actually did. And its a relaxing craft that I simply enjoy.
I hope you will discover a new craft that can really help jazz up and complement what you are currently doing. Check it out at www.LearnQuilling.com
Enjoy your paper filigree crafts!
Jenn
Paper filigree (quiling) is one of the coolest paper crafts I've ever seen! And believe it or not, its one of the easiest! I'd never tackle origami, but quilling is something that can be easy to learn how to do if you have the proper instructions. And paper quilling looks AMAZING; it seems that I put so much more work into than I actually did. And its a relaxing craft that I simply enjoy.
I hope you will discover a new craft that can really help jazz up and complement what you are currently doing. Check it out at www.LearnQuilling.com
Enjoy your paper filigree crafts!
Jenn
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The History of Paper Quilling
Paper Quilling is an art form believed to have evolved over many centuries. Once known as 'paper filigree', the term 'quilling' was derived from the feather quill used to roll out narrow pieces of paper. Quilling is deeply rooted in world history, popularly believed to have come into being in China, after the discovery of papermaking. Members of spiritual communities were the first inventors and users of the quilling process. Gradually, this enjoyable art form spread to other countries and eventually became an important part of the common persons’ life.
Quillings’ main concept involves the use of a hatpin, rolling fingers, or quilling tools to roll paper into desired shapes. Multiple shapes are rolled individually and then connected to one another to construct a final shape or design. Finishing touches are then made to add to the beauty of the piece and to secure it in place. These finishing touches might include using acid free matte board or shadow box framing.
Now that you’re aware of the origin and some aspects of quilling, let’s explore some details of quilling history.
Research has established that a form of quilling metals was performed as early as the mid-4th and 5th centuries. Gold and silver wires were applied to pillars, vases and other objects and jewelry was also fashioned using this technique. By the 13th century this form of metal quilling had become well-known and was practiced world wide.
The conversion from metal to paper use probably occurred as materials became scarce, or were unavailable to the lay person wanting to create pieces. Metal quilling was commonly referred to as metal filigree, and as the technique incorporated the use of paper, was commonly referred to as paper filigree. Early use of paper filigree was primarily confined to religious groups promoting their beliefs and embellishing sacred messages. The shift to the common folk practicing this art brought the term ‘quilling’ into regular use. Paper quilling implemented many techniques similar to jewelry styles, utilizing strips of paper, free rolls and edging. In the 17th and 18th centuries, quilling art expanded to tea caddies, coat of arms designs and photo frames.
There are few facts, but many stories, attributed to the origins of quilling. Some say it was developed in ancient times, not long after making paper was discovered. Others claim paper quilling was born in the 13th century when nuns were unable to purchase metal filigree due to its’ high cost. Still others believe that quilling began in the Americas. And yet, further evidence points to quilling being used in the Mediterranean region. With so many conflicting claims, no one can say for certain where quilling originated, but clearly it carries a truly international history.
Books of the Victorian Age and quilled pieces of that time indicate that proper young women practiced quilling to decorate furniture or purses and to create jewelry. Similar to the artwork of handicrafts, it has found difficultly surviving in present day times and its’ popularity has decreased. However, it is regaining its’ lost glory as an ancient art, practiced for centuries, since the technique can be used throughout the world for nearly limitless purposes.
Learn paper quilling to jazz up your scrapbooks and card making creations!!
Grab a free lesson on paper quilling at www.LearnQuilling.com
Quillings’ main concept involves the use of a hatpin, rolling fingers, or quilling tools to roll paper into desired shapes. Multiple shapes are rolled individually and then connected to one another to construct a final shape or design. Finishing touches are then made to add to the beauty of the piece and to secure it in place. These finishing touches might include using acid free matte board or shadow box framing.
Now that you’re aware of the origin and some aspects of quilling, let’s explore some details of quilling history.
Research has established that a form of quilling metals was performed as early as the mid-4th and 5th centuries. Gold and silver wires were applied to pillars, vases and other objects and jewelry was also fashioned using this technique. By the 13th century this form of metal quilling had become well-known and was practiced world wide.
The conversion from metal to paper use probably occurred as materials became scarce, or were unavailable to the lay person wanting to create pieces. Metal quilling was commonly referred to as metal filigree, and as the technique incorporated the use of paper, was commonly referred to as paper filigree. Early use of paper filigree was primarily confined to religious groups promoting their beliefs and embellishing sacred messages. The shift to the common folk practicing this art brought the term ‘quilling’ into regular use. Paper quilling implemented many techniques similar to jewelry styles, utilizing strips of paper, free rolls and edging. In the 17th and 18th centuries, quilling art expanded to tea caddies, coat of arms designs and photo frames.
There are few facts, but many stories, attributed to the origins of quilling. Some say it was developed in ancient times, not long after making paper was discovered. Others claim paper quilling was born in the 13th century when nuns were unable to purchase metal filigree due to its’ high cost. Still others believe that quilling began in the Americas. And yet, further evidence points to quilling being used in the Mediterranean region. With so many conflicting claims, no one can say for certain where quilling originated, but clearly it carries a truly international history.
Books of the Victorian Age and quilled pieces of that time indicate that proper young women practiced quilling to decorate furniture or purses and to create jewelry. Similar to the artwork of handicrafts, it has found difficultly surviving in present day times and its’ popularity has decreased. However, it is regaining its’ lost glory as an ancient art, practiced for centuries, since the technique can be used throughout the world for nearly limitless purposes.
Learn paper quilling to jazz up your scrapbooks and card making creations!!
Grab a free lesson on paper quilling at www.LearnQuilling.com
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Strip Length: A Quilling Article by Paula
I just stumbled across this article by Paula Bauer which answers the question, "How do you decide what length of strip or what width of strip to use when you create a design?"
Although my blog is geared more towards beginner and intermediate quillers, I thought this article would be helpful for advanced quillers who find my blog!
http://customquillingbydenise.com/FreePattern/PaulaStripLength.pdf
enjoy!
Jenn
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Looking for Paper Quilling Instructions to Jazz Up Your Homemade Cards or Scrapbooks?
I have to tell you, it is DIFFICULT to try to follow patterns or so called "instructions" that so many websites provide for you to learn the art of paper quilling. I even tried numerous craft stores (the ones that even had any quilling supplies) and didn't find a single book that made instructions for quiling that are easy enough to follow and learn.
If you are as frustrated as I am with paper quilling and just want to know how to do quilling with simple and DETAILED instructions with DVD and photos, you have come to the right place. Check out LearnQuilling.com for more info.
enjoy!
Jenn
LearnQuilling.com
Friday, December 4, 2009
Paper Quilling Flower Designs
www.LearnQuilling.com
Want to learn the art of paper quilling with easy to follow instructions on DVD? Check out www.LearnQuilling.com
Want to learn the art of paper quilling with easy to follow instructions on DVD? Check out www.LearnQuilling.com
What is Paper Quilling? (Paper Filigree)
The art of paper quilling is a paper craft that uses a small tool (quilling tool) to coil strips of paper into a variety of shapes and patterns. (see photos on this blog post to see what I'm talking about..its really neat!!)
http://www.LearnQuilling.com
It definitely takes some practice to get the hang of this paper quilling craft but it is also a lot of fun and can be used to make paper designs for scrapbooking and card making crafts - the two most popular uses for paper quilling designs.
http://www.LearnQuilling.com
Basic tools needed for the art of Paper Quilling
• Proper instructions to roll and shape the quilling paper
• Quilling paper (comes in a variety of widths)
• Quilling Needle
• Slotted quilling tool
• Cork workboard for quilling
• Glue
• Ruler
• A pattern or design in mind
These are the basic tools needed for the art of paper filigree. If you want to learn more, check out LearnQuilling.com to help me make sure I have everything included in my new paper quilling instructions course on ebook and DVD.
Thanks!
Jenn
LearnQuilling.com
• Quilling paper (comes in a variety of widths)
• Quilling Needle
• Slotted quilling tool
• Cork workboard for quilling
• Glue
• Ruler
• A pattern or design in mind
These are the basic tools needed for the art of paper filigree. If you want to learn more, check out LearnQuilling.com to help me make sure I have everything included in my new paper quilling instructions course on ebook and DVD.
Thanks!
Jenn
LearnQuilling.com
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