Quilling Tools And Basics
What Is Quilling?
Quilling Tools And Supplies
You do not have to spend lots of money to try and practice the art of quilling. There are many freebies that can help you enjoy this papercraft that will give you hours of enjoyment.
Slotted Quilling Tool
The slotted tool comes with a slot at the head of the needle. You slip one end of the paper into the slot. Once the paper is inserted into the slot, you rotate the tool to create the paper shape. The other of your hands is used to hold the coil while you are winding the paper The end of the paper once rolled is glued to the shape.
The slotted tool comes in different sizes to accommodate different widths of paper.
Quilling Needle
The quilling needle is an alternative to the slotted tool. It is a little more difficult to handle, especially for beginners.
Electric Quilling Tool
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| https://www.thepaperycraftery.com/ |
This tool is very similar to the slotted tool, except thar the tool winds the coils for you. It runs on batteries so it can be used anywhere. It requires less effort and speeds up the process. This tool can be handy when you are doing larger projects. It gives crafters an alternative to still craft, even when they have difficulty with their hands.
Tweezers
These are not the same type of tweezers that you night use in your personal toiletry needs. Craft tweezers are an entirely different tool.
The art of quilling requires careful placement, transfer and the gripping of delicate coils.
Quilling Shape Board
In my mind, the quilling shape board is a must have tool, even for beginners.
This tool features a cork board backing with numerous slots that have an assortment of outlines designs. There are circles, squares, triangles, ovals, teardrops and more.
This tool helps you shape your coils into different shapes in the exact size that you need. The coil is placed in the slot and then sculpted to the right shape,
Border Buddy
Paper Crimper
This is a tool that adds dimension and texture to your paper strips.
Q-Tip Quilling Tool
If you would like to try quilling but do not want to invest in a lot of tools till you know if this is something you want to pursue, then this quilling tool is a perfect way to test the water. More than likely you have this tool in your home in your bathroom.
It is a Q-Tip. This is so simple it will take you under 5 minutes to make it. All you need is a q-tip and a pair of scissors.
- Cut one end off of the Q-Tip just below the cotton tip.
- With the scissors cut down into the stem about 1/4 of an inch
- Gently pry the slot open just enough to get the paper into it.
- An optional idea is to make a handle with a wine cork.
- Just make a hole with an awl in the wine cork
- Cut the other cotton head off with the scissors.
- Add some craft glue to the end that you just cut off.
- Insert into the wine cork.
DIY Quilling Paper
Now that you have a quilling tool, of course, you are going to need some quilling paper. You can buy packs of quilling paper, or you can cut your own strips from paper that you have on hand. This is a great way to use the larger paper scraps that you may have.
Quilling paper are long narrow strips of paper. They are the heart of every quilling project. Quilling paper can have widths between 3mm to 10mm. The paper is sculpted and shaped with a quilling tool to create art.
Using A Shredder
If you have a shredder in your home, you can just run the paper through your shredder in the colors that you want or need. The edges may be rough, but they can be clipped off. Viola! You now have all the strips in the colors that you need.
Creating Quilling Strips With A Knife
All you need is a blade (a cutting knife) and a ruler to create quilling strips. The nice thing about this technique is that you can make the width of the paper strips any variation that suits your needs.
The only downside of this technique is that you might not always get the paper straight. But, practice makes perfect.
How To Do Basic Quilling
Supplies
- A thin sharp blade (like an x-acto knife
- A craft cutting mat
- A pencil
- A ruler
- Paper
- Use the ruler and mark off 1/8″ intervals on one edge of the paper.
- Then mark the other side of the paper.
- Line the ruler up to both ends of the paper.
- With one hand hold the ruler firmly in place on the paper
- Using the blade, Cut the paper along the edge of the paper.
- Keep cutting strips till you have what you need.
Notes And Tips
- You can make the strips as wide as you want by changing the widths of the marks on your paper.
Make sure that the entire length of the paper fits onto your mat and is not longer than your ruler.
Create Your Own DIY Quilling Templates
If you quill as I do, then you will find this free template an exciting addition to your toolbox. You can actually create this template right on your Cricut. It will also work on the Silhouette machines as well.
Go here to get more information and the free SVG file for this project
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Until next time, Happy Crafting
Linda