Quilling for beginners +101 photos, charts and master classes

Quilling is the art of making by hand from narrow paper strips of beautiful handicrafts, even real masterpieces. This ancient art can be a great hobby for almost the whole family. Quilling for beginners is often taught in labor classes in elementary school so that children develop different skills, learn paperwork skills. It is quite easy to learn quilling by yourself, having studied master classes, which are listed step by step on the Internet, on the pages of printed publications on hand-made.

Quilling history

The term "quilling" comes from the English "quil" - "bird feather", since in the 14th-15th century medieval monks and nuns engaged in it twisted thin gilded paper on the tips of feathers, creating medallions, framing icons. The finished design seemed completely made of gold, although it was not.

A little later, in the 18th century, the art of paper-twisting spread throughout all European countries, but only in the most materially secure strata of society, because high-quality, colored paper suitable for making handicrafts was an expensive pleasure. Princess Elizabeth also became fascinated by quilling, which immediately became a popular hobby among the female population. By the beginning of the 20th century, the art of paper filigree was almost forgotten for a while, in order to be revived again in the 21st.

Those who have never encountered a quilling, it seems that everything that is made of paper, even the most dense, will be fragile, literally "disposable." This is not at all the case: you can put a pair of tea on a coaster made in the paper-twisting technique, put a pair of books and it does not even deform. Quilling-vase for pencils, sweets, sewing accessories for a long time used for its intended purpose, without becoming unusable.

In modern times, there are two main quilling schools: European and South Korean. The eastern direction is replete with a lot of intricate details, difficult elements, representing jewelry masterpieces from a huge number of parts, slowly created by weeks-months. The western is simpler, more rigorous, concise, and runs much faster, as it is always customary in Europe to rush. This last option is best suited for those who are just starting to get acquainted with paper plastics.

Tools, materials for starting work

In order to start creating crafts in the technique of quilling, you need some simple materials, tools that are available in almost every home:

narrow strips of paper;
paper or cardboard for the base of the product;
knitting needles for winding;
glue stick and PVA;
sharp scissors;
tweezers;
cork board;
crimper;
patterns;
ridges;
mat for modeling.

If there is a shortage of any material, it is easy to get it at the nearest office or "hand-made" store.

About paper

Paper strips are the main material for work. They are cut from not the thinnest, preferably colored on both sides, paper. The width ranges from one to two mm., To one and a half to two cm., The most commonly used is four to seven mm. They are cut by hand with sharp scissors or bought in handicraft stores at once in whole sets. The most commonly used material is Korean-made, sold through online stores.

The most important properties of quilling paper:

color - monophonic, with gradient tints, small pattern, gold, silver shimmer, etc .;
width - in the purchase sets there are strips of 1-15 mm, less often - wider, intended for leaves;
density - paper with a density of 120-140 grams is the most convenient in operation. per square meter. If the density indicator is less, the product will come out easily deformable, more - the paper will exfoliate at the first attempt at twisting;
the length of the strips depends on what size of the work is planned. The most convenient options are about 30 cm long, but in some cases longer ones are required - 50-60 cm;
the price is the cheapest way to buy simple colored paper and cut it yourself, but not everybody can make even strips, so it’s better to use the purchase sets, the cost of which depends on the number, width of the strips offered by colormakers, the manufacturer’s popularity.

You will also need a paper, any other basis - everything that is twisted from strips will later be glued to a tight base, chosen depending on the purpose of the product that you plan to perform. It can be not just a flat sheet, but a box, a box, a bank.
Advice: in specialized stores they buy ready-made paper-twisting kits, which include not only stripes, but also all the tools necessary for work.

Instruments

Such a tool as a torsion wand is the main one. You can do it yourself by cutting off the tip of a toothpick, a ball (but not gel) stick, a cotton swab, splitting the foundation in the middle, or buying a special metal awl in the specialty store with a fork at the end.

Glue is also needed - for different purposes you need glue-stick or PVA. Scissors will need a small, but very sharp, with fine tips, they, among other things, cut into fringe. Tweezers fit medical, cosmetic, used to work with radio components, etc. To have it is not necessary, but when handling small parts tweezers greatly facilitates the work.

A special stencil ruler with circles, ovals, hearts, droplets of different diameters is also useful, especially if it has at least two elements of the same size. To create large-scale compositions, you need pins with multi-colored heads. A rug made of cork or foam will allow ready-made elements not to stick to the table, since they can be fastened on it with pins. Crimper - a tool for corrugating paper, which is needed when creating bulk work.

Comb with long teeth is perfect for looped paper twisting. If you decide to cut the strips yourself, then you will need a mock knife, a ruler, a special rug in a cage for cutting. All sorts of décor is used as additional elements - colored threads, yarn, ribbons, wire, rhinestones, plastic eyes-noses, etc.

For cutting the fringe, a special tool is sometimes used, at the same time slicing and pushing the quilling strip.

Types of quilling

Technically, all types of paper-twisting are divided into:

contour or graphic - in this technique paper strips are glued on a pre-drawn contour, cut out the silhouette. These can be letters, geometric shapes, etc .;
volumetric - mainly corrugated paper, corrugated cardboard is used for it. Products come out three-dimensional, usually vases, napkin holders, toys, etc .;
Hasting technique or looped, allows you to create more elegant, but very fragile products. It will not be possible for a beginner, since certain skills and great patience will be required;
Beehive or "beehive" allows you to create large and small spaces with the help of not whole strips, but their small segments.

The main forms used for quilling

In paper circulation, all sorts of forms are used:

spirals or rolls;
drops, leaves;
eyes, ovals;
hearts, crescents;
triangles, rhombuses, squares;
circles, semi-circles, ovals;
"wings", "legs";
"tulips", stars, arrows, etc.

Master classes for beginners

Beginner girls, boys, adults are encouraged to use quality paper, tools for paper crafts - so they quickly learn this art, having mastered its basics. Children will be most interested in making something they understand - figures of animals, birds, fish, doll furniture, Christmas decorations, a postcard for mom or dad.

The basic basic shape is a spiral. To create such a dense roll, a quilling strip is wound tightly on a stick, and then fixed with glue. The free helix is also wound on a stick, but after that it is given the opportunity to slightly unwind, after which it is manually shaped into the right shape and glued to the right place.

Quilling flowers

In the technique of quilling, it is easy to make almost any kinds of flowers - dandelions, daisies, gerberas, roses, tulips, sunflowers and many others. To make the simplest flower, you need a square of colored paper with a side of 12-15 cm. Inside the square, starting from the center, a pencil is drawn in pencil, which is wound on a stick, fixed with glue. It turned out something like a rose.

More complex flowers are formed from several strips twisted into rolls using stencils with circles. On one edge of the strips should be cut into a small fringe. For the middle of the flower, a pink, red or yellow stripe measuring one by 30 cm is taken, for a bud it is light green, one by 10 cm. At first the center is tightly twisted, fixed with a drop of glue, after which the strip forming the bud is attached. Fringe should be gently "fluff".

Snowflake making

Christmas snowflakes are performed in stages as follows:

seven “loose” rolls are twisted, the tips of which are fixed. One will be the core, the rest - "rays" of snowflakes. Rays need to manually shape the droplets;
then six more rolls are performed, which are flattened as an eye. They are glued between the details of the previous row;
after making six spirals in the shape of hearts, which are glued to the "rays" of the previous row;
A thin thread is passed into the finished product - it can be hung on the Christmas tree.

Quilling for kids - ladybug

The ladybug is made from strips of paper of red and black colors - for the shell you will need nine red strips one cm wide, the other details - an oval in black for the muzzle, four or five circles for spots on the back, six legs in the shape of corners, two antennae, a red arc mouth, two white circles with dots in the middle - for the peepholes.

First, a symmetrical snowflake is glued together from red stripes, in the center of which a black circle is glued. After the opposite edges of the bands are assembled so that a ball is formed, the bottom of which is pressed down, forming a plane. From the black oval, pasted on the lower part with a protrusion on one of the sides, you get a belly and a muzzle. After the rest of the spots, antennae, eyes are attached.

Using a similar scheme, you can perform the figures of a spider, ant, bee.

Butterfly making

To make a butterfly, you will need:

strips of paper in yellow, black;
cork board;
sharp scissors;
curly patterns;
winding rod;
PVA glue;
six safety pins;
scheme with traced product contour;
acrylic lacquer.

Working process:

four yellow strips are taken one by five cm, six by the size of one by 10 cm;
the strips twist into a spiral, fit to a certain size, after which a bend is created on one side;
finished parts are laid in accordance with the scheme, glued together among themselves - large in the middle, small - closer to the edges;
the contours of the wings are framed by a black color scheme in two layers;
a butterfly body will come out of a short strip bent in half - the wings are glued to it in the middle, the upper part is shaped with curled tendrils. To prevent the butterfly from falling apart, the parts are glued together, fastened with pins to a rug;
at the final stage, for durability, the structure is coated with a transparent varnish.

To make the butterfly more beautiful, use a greater number of multi-colored stripes.

Quilling Ideas

In the technique of quilling, volumetric cards, vases, gift wrapping, toys, individual flowers, bouquets and much more are made. These can be hearts decorated with ribbons for a declaration of love, framing photos of white curls for a wedding, Christmas wreaths on the wall, colorful panels with the theme of nature, costume jewelry in the form of animals, birds, interior design of a children's room.

Interior quilling decor is selected for a specific design. Abundant decoration of mirrors, picture frames with volumetric flowers, birds, oriental style paper flowering cherry blossoms, located on an empty plain wall, will be appropriate for the Baroque. The style of the country will draw a lot of small flowers, fragments with rustic motifs - wicker, roosters, sunflowers. For the loft fit sharp broken shapes, stylized bricks.

Paper products should not be used in wet areas - even varnished, they quickly deform, become unusable.

Quilling decorative wall panel

To make a colorful quilling panel, an A3 format sheet is taken, on which a simple sketchy still life with a jug and draperies in the background is painted with gouache or watercolor. It is important that the entire surface is covered with paint, and there are no gaps at all. Further, curls are formed from colored paper strips, and from them - all sorts of flowers on intricate stalks. When the product is ready, it is placed in a cardboard or wooden frame.

Postcard design

On postcards destined for birthdays, memorable dates, floral motifs are most often placed, hearts are suitable for lovers' day, snowmen and snowflakes are suitable for Christmas and New Years. If the card is intended for a woman, it is carried out in soft pink, red, yellow-orange tones; a blue, gray, protective green, light brown will suit the man as a gift.

Create an unusual jewelry

For the manufacture of earrings you will need two special metal blanks, earrings, which will cling to the ears, two flat rhinestone pearls. To make a pentagonal construction, for each of the earrings, ten rolls are twisted, which are flattened in the form of peepholes, glued together in pairs. Each pair is framed by a separate contrasting strip, all five parts are assembled into a "star", decorated with a common frame, a pearl is glued to the center, and a metal blank is attached to the upper part. Approximately the same design, only of a larger size, is used as a pendant on the neck, a key fob.

The necklace is made of simple circles, fastened together with the help of small metal links. A more original one will come out, if you take yellow and orange paper, twist from yellow rolls, flatten them in the form of orange slices, turn over parts with a few orange paper, fasten with iron brackets, attach a special fastener.

Christmas decorations for the Christmas tree

New Year's décor can be enjoyed by the whole family. From several rolls of white color, a fantasy tree will come out, which will be placed in a two-layer circle, the Christmas tree will be made of green rolls, flattened in the form of droplets, glued on all sides of a paper tube. Of the five red eyes, decorated with a tight border, there will be a star, of three simple but dense spirals of different sizes - a snowman.

Finished items on the Christmas tree are varnished with glitter, made of silver paper, hung with the help of thread, decorated with rhinestones, sequins.

Easter decoration

One of the main symbols of Easter is the egg. To complete it, you will need an empty chicken shell or a package from a kinder surprise. Next, a lot of small rolls are rolled, which are tightly glued over the surface of the egg. On one of the sides place the volumetric flower, made of strips with fringe. For the Easter panel, the outline of a chicken and several eggs are drawn on a piece of cardboard, then the figures are filled with rolls, customized in shape. The chicken has legs from a spiral, bent in the form of a three-toed foot, an acute-angled wing, a forked beak, and a flat puppet eye. In the lower part of the picture place the curlicues in the form of green grass or yellow-beige hay.

Stylish decoration of candlesticks

For the manufacture of the original candlestick-water lily, a metal base is taken that will protect the paper from fire when the candle is lit. Further, large spirals are twisted, having a contrast edging, in total they are 20-30 pieces, depending on the size of the structure, a droplet is formed from each. After that, exactly half of the rolls-drops are taken, with a wide side glued to the bottom of the candlestick - flush with its bottom. The second layer of rolls is attached a little higher, but at an angle of about 70 degrees relative to the bottom row. The finished product is decorated with pearls, transparent beads, symbolizing water droplets.

To make the water lily more realistic, several leaflets of plausible shape are cut out of green paper.

We make photo frames, watches, mirrors

The original photo frame is made on a rectangular, oval, round, other suitable cardboard base, which is pre-painted. Then the space is filled with round rolls of various sizes, randomly arranged spirals, triangles, eyes, droplets.

Часы предпочтительно оформлять симметрично, для этого вырезается основа, на пять-девять см больше, чем часики с каждой стороны. Пространство заполняется роллами в форме сердечек, полумесяцев, заранее изготовленными цветами. Quilling flowers, butterflies, curls are also glued to the surface of a large mirror, usually in one or two of its corners - the product decorated in this way resembles a window with frosty patterns.

Other twisted strip crafts

Napkin holder is made of two vertical walls and bottom. For the sides, two flowers are made of oblate rolls, with several leaves on both sides. Contrast edging in two layers is necessary to ensure that the design was strong. The bottom is assembled from about ten large rolls with edging, glued between the walls. The finished product is varnished. If the napkin holder is made for a children's room, its sides are made in the form of dolls - each consists of two large rolls with eyes and handles, there will be curls or smaller dolls around.

It is easiest to make a small vase using a base around which the product will be formed. Initially, a sufficient number of elements of various shapes are formed, after which they are glued to each other, framing the base. From green paper you get a vase-leaflet, from brown rolls - a vase in the form of a stump. More complex products are made from a variety of three-dimensional corrugated parts, assembling like a puzzle.

The box consists of a box in which you can put something and a lid, which is done a little more so that the product can be freely closed. The bottom is made of simple round spirals, walls are made of any figured ones. The lid is first made simple, and the top is decorated, for example, in the form of a cake — green kiwi slices, orange mandarins, red raspberries, purple grapes.

In the technique of quilling, it is easy to decorate ready-made boxes for various trifles - both match and shoe, glass, plastic figured bottles, cans.

Conclusion

Simple and complex applications, caskets, paintings, toys in the technique of quilling, made with your own hands, can be a unique gift to decorate the original interior of different styles - both everyday and festive. Since paper is a very easy-to-work material, even a child with a little help from adults can make products out of it, with certain skills.