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Paper quilling is the craft of rolling narrow paper strips into coils, pinching them into shapes, and arranging them into a design. To try it, you need paper strips, a little glue, a backing such as cardstock, and something thin to roll the paper around—a pencil or dowel works, so a dedicated tool is optional.
What is paper quilling?
Also called paper filigree, quilling turns colored paper strips into decorative forms by rolling, twisting, and bending them. Individual coils and shapes can be arranged into patterns, flowers, leaves, or other designs. The Museum of Fine Arts Boston describes the technique in its Paper Quilling activity.
Quilling has a long history, but its beginnings are not certain. The Museum of Fine Arts Boston says the art has been practiced since the 15th century, possibly longer; Iowa PBS also discusses 15th-century French and Italian religious use while noting uncertainty about its origins. That supports a qualified historical account, not a precise invention date or a single known place of origin.
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What supplies do you need to start?
For a first exercise, keep the setup simple. You can use precut quilling strips or cut strips from colored paper, plus glue, a backing, and a rolling implement. Iowa PBS also lists scissors, tweezers, and tools such as a slotted needle, awl, or skewer among possible supplies, but the Museum of Fine Arts Boston’s beginner activity does not require those extras.
#1 Best Overall
- Packing Included - 9 Sets x Quilling Strips. Color: black, red, yellow, orange, blue, green, pink, purple, brown series colors. 100 Strips per pack, totally 900 strips. Each strip length is approx. 15"/ 39cm, width 0.12"/ 3mm.
- Premium Quality - Paper quilling supplies are made of 120G high quality professional paper, strong flexibility, it can be remodeled many times. These paper quilling strips are colorful and bright.
- You Will Like Paper Art - Paper quilling is a kind of hand-making that can cultivate children's creativity. These paper strips are easy curved and soft, easy to weave in many patterns, which have variety of performance skills. Using your imagination, let it rolling in the shape you want, enjoy your DIY decorating time.
- Extensive Use - Paper quilling art works are used for decorate your classroom, shop, home, wedding, party, holiday, can be fixed on the ceiling, wall, drop light, window and so on.
- Risk-Free 100 Days Trail - We offers worry-free 30 day warranty and 24 hours friendly customer service. If you are not satisfied with our product or product broken, we will provide refund or replacement.
- Paper: colored strips, either purchased precut or cut from sheets.
- Glue: liquid glue or a glue stick to secure the strip and attach the finished shape.
- Backing: cardstock or plain paper to hold the design.
- Rolling implement: a quilling tool, pencil, or thin dowel.
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston’s activity uses strips about 1/2 inch wide and at least 8 inches long. That is the specification for that particular exercise, not a universal quilling standard. For commonly sold quilling paper, Quilling.com says 1/8-inch strips are used in most cases and lists widths of 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8 inch. PaperQuilling.ca likewise identifies 1/16- and 1/8-inch strips as common, with wider strips used for some fringed flowers and three-dimensional work. Choose the width your project calls for; if you are following the Museum activity, use its wider strips.
How to make your first quilling coil
A coil is the basic starting point: roll a strip, secure its loose end, then attach it to a backing or pinch it into another shape.
Rank #2
- 30 Colors, 600 Paper Strips: Includes 6 coordinated color series, with 5 colors and 100 strips per series. All are 39 cm (15.35 in) long and approx. 120 GSM
- Shaping Board with Positioning Grid: Guides create consistent coils and forms, while the reverse-side grid aids spacing, alignment and symmetry
- Dual-Ended Tool & Precision Tip Bottle: 6 mm deep slot for rolling; embossing tip for shaping and cardstock scoring. Fill the empty bottle for precise glue application
- Carefully Selected Tools: Curling Coach, tweezers, awl, scissors and 50 pearl pins are chosen for reliable quality and practical performance in shaping, positioning and assembly
- Balanced Paper and Tool Set: Thoughtfully arranged for creating flowers, decorative patterns, framed artwork, greeting cards and other paper quilling projects
- Start the roll. Fit the strip’s end into the slot of a slotted tool, or wrap it around a pencil or thin dowel.
- Roll the strip. Keep winding the paper into a coil. A slotted tool holds the end as you roll; with a pencil or dowel, hold the strip in place as you wind.
- Secure the end. Add a small amount of glue to the loose end. An adhesive-backed surface is another option when available.
- Place the coil. Press one flat side onto cardstock or another backing if you want the coil attached to a design.
- Shape or arrange it. Gently pinch the coil to make a square, diamond, oval, or another simple form, or combine coils to build a larger design.
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston demonstrates rolling, securing, attaching coils, combining colors, and pinching rolls into shapes in its step-by-step activity. A first coil may not be perfectly even; the process is simple, but consistent results take practice.
Which quilling tool should you use?
A slotted tool grips the paper’s end, making it easier to hold while rolling. According to PaperQuilling.ca’s quilling basics guide, coils made with a slotted tool have a small bend at the center. A needle tool makes coils without that bend. Choose based on the look you want and which method feels manageable.
Rank #3
- Packing Included - 9 Sets x Quilling Strips. Color: black, red, yellow, orange, blue, green, pink, purple, brown series colors. 100 Strips per pack, totally 900 strips. Each strip length is approx. 15"/ 39cm, width 0.19"/ 5mm.
- Premium Quality - Paper quilling supplies are made of 120G high quality professional paper, strong flexibility, it can be remodeled many times. These paper quilling strips are colorful and bright.
- You Will Like Paper Art - Paper quilling is a kind of hand-making that can cultivate children's creativity. These paper strips are easy curved and soft, easy to weave in many patterns, which have variety of performance skills. Using your imagination, let it rolling in the shape you want, enjoy your DIY decorating time.
- Extensive Use - Paper quilling art works are used for decorate your classroom, shop, home, wedding, party, holiday, can be fixed on the ceiling, wall, drop light, window and so on.
- Risk-Free 100 Days Trail - We offers worry-free 30 day warranty and 24 hours friendly customer service. If you are not satisfied with our product or product broken, we will provide refund or replacement.
You do not have to buy either tool to begin: the Museum of Fine Arts Boston recommends a pencil or thin dowel as a substitute. Tweezers can help place small pieces, while scissors are useful if you are cutting strips yourself, but neither is essential for the basic coil exercise.
Do you need a quilling kit or book?
No. A kit is a convenience, not a requirement. Quilling.com recommends a beginner starter kit, which can bundle paper and tools, while the basic supplies above are enough to try the craft with a household rolling substitute. If you decide you want dedicated materials, look for a kit that includes the strip widths your projects use.
Rank #4
- Paper Strips: Approx 45 colors 900 strips, enough quilling paper strips colors to meet your needs
- Material: Made of good quality paper, including 10 kinds of tools, perfect kits for paper quilling artwork
- Paper Size(LW): Single paper strips approx 39cm X 0.5cm
- Quantity: included 9pcs Quilling Paper set (total 45 colors,900 Strips) and 10pcs different quilling tool
- Suitable for DIY crafts, decorate home, classroom, shop, wedding party, holiday decoration, etc
For a structured sequence of projects, Tuttle Publishing lists Paper Quilling for Beginners by Motoko Maggie Nakatani, a hardcover published September 3, 2024 (ISBN 9780804857666). The publisher listing describes more than 30 projects and over 800 step-by-step color photos. Availability and price can change, so check the listing before buying.
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Once you have a few coils, turn them into a small paper composition on cardstock. Start with loose shapes rather than a complicated pattern: a few round coils can become flower centers, while pinched coils can suggest petals or leaves. Use two paper colors if you want contrast.
Best Value
- Material: made of good quality paper, including 9 kinds of tools, perfect kits for paper quilling artwork
- Paper strips: approx 29 colors 600 strips, enough quilling paper strips colors and size to meet your needs convenient
- Paper size(LW): single paper strips approx 15.5 x 0.2 inches (39cm X 0.5cm)
- FULL EQUIPMENT YOU NEED：Our item contains 6pcs quilling paper set (totally 600 pieces, 29 colors)，40 x pearl pins，1 x awl，1 x scissors，1 x clip，1 x paper quilling pen，1 x glue bottle(no glue)，1 x quilling board，1 x curling coach，1 x quilling flower pattern .With these item, it will be convenient to make an artwork. Perfect all-in-one kit for making paper quilling crafts
- Quantity: included 6pcs quilling paper set (total 29 colors,600 Strips) and 9pcs different quilling tool
- Roll and glue several coils, varying their sizes if you like.
- Pinch some coils into simple shapes, leaving others round.
- Arrange the pieces on your backing before gluing them down, adjusting their spacing and orientation.
- Glue each shape in place when you are happy with the layout.
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston’s activity provides a free, hands-on way to practice the same basic process of making and arranging coils.
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