What is quilling?

Paper strips and an idea – that’s where it all starts.

Quilling paper can be cut yourself with a ruler and a craft knife, made with a plotter, or purchased pre-cut.

But even here, the choices begin: How wide should the strips be? How long? And how thick should the paper be?

These decisions depend on what you want to create. For beginners, wider strips of about 1 cm are often easier to work with. The smaller the strips, the more challenging the work becomes. The length of the strips also depends on the shape you want to quill. Sometimes a short strip of a few centimeters is enough, while other times you need to glue several strips together to achieve the required length.

These are all pieces of experience you gather over time as you discover what works well and what doesn’t.

Okay, so you have paper strips and the idea to quill a letter filled with flowers and leaves.

For this project, you need a template, like the letter "A." You can either draw it yourself or use various fonts on your computer for inspiration. Keep in mind: not every font is equally suitable for quilling. Some designs might be too complex or too thin to work with precisely.

Start by adhering the outline of the letter. Here’s a tip: use shorter paper strips rather than long ones. Shorter strips are easier to control and shape, which is especially useful for detailed work. It's also a good idea to place the strips evenly and without large gaps to achieve a clean result.

Make sure the outlines are securely adhered before you start filling in and refining. And remember: patience is just as important as precision in quilling!

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