Quilling for beginners – tips etc. Basics

The basics needed to get started are Quilling Paper, a slotted tool/needle, glue and a pair of sharp scissors.

Just for interest I’ve described below some tools that are used in quilling. I’ve also added a few tips on using/making substitutes. 

Paper: Quilling paper is available pre-cut in various sizes – 2mm, 3mm, 5mm etc. I usually work with 2 and 3mm. You can also cut your own. But from experience I’ve found it’s quite time consuming and I prefer to quill rather than cut J However I have resorted to cutting when I needed an odd size or colour that wasn’t available in my pre-cut lots.

There are several kinds of paper available from double sided bright colours, pastels and pearlised to gold/silver edged ones that are great for those tight coils and also one-sided  strips (coloured on one side and white on the other).

The length of pre-cuts can differ from seller to seller. But you can easily get the length you need  by cutting/tearing a strip or gluing two or three strips together for a longer piece.  (I find when gluing two pieces together that tearing the strip leaves an almost invisible seam whereas cutting it leaves a seam that is quite obvious).

Quilling Tools: Slotted or Needle. The slotted tool is used by placing the end of your paper into the slot and then twirling around. The needle is used similarly, except that the paper is twirled directly on the needle. The finer the needle the smaller the hole in the middle of your coil, which is helpful if you’re making 3D dolls etc. Some quillers also use their fingers. I did try this method and it does work after the initial struggle to get it started. Probably gets better with practice. 

If you don’t have specific tools on hand don’t fret you can substitute with a toothpick. I still use these and keep plenty of toothpicks on hand for just this purpose. I have also used the middle (thicker) part of the toothpick when I needed to make curly hair for my 3D dolls…more on that later.  

Here is a tutorial from Inna for making your own tool http://increations.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/diy-quilling-tool.html  Inna is a great quiller and I got a lot of my inspiration and tips from her blog. Thank you Inna.

Quilling Mold: 

This is a tool that’s used for creating domes of different sizes especially when making 3D objects. It helps to mold your coil into a nice rounded bowl shape. These can be quite expensive so a lot of quillers use whatever is handy like a marble, ping-pong ball, large beads etc. I have even used the rubber end of a pencil and it works fine. The size just depends on what you’re trying to make. 

Husking Tool: this is used for making various shapes using either a comb or pins stuck on a board. The further away the pins are the bigger/longer your quilled object. I have used glass headed pins stuck on a cork board and also different sizes of combs.

Glue: The best glue to use is a quick drying one that dries transparent like PVA glue. Anything else just makes a mess and might rip your paper. You can use the kind that comes with a tiny nozzle or if you’re on a tight budget you can buy the large one and tip out a little at a time and use with a toothpick (told you those things are useful!). One thing to be aware of if using the toothpick method, the glue does tend to dry out (it is quick drying after all) and thicken. So pour out what you need when you need it and try to do as much gluing in one sitting. If it does dry out  just peel off the dry layer (isn’t it cool how pva glue just peels off like a sheet of plastic?) and start again. Here’s a pix of dried pva glue that’s been peeled off the glue pot. It’s actually dry and hard and you can see the pink quilling paper underneath. 

Quilling Board:

This is handy for keeping your coils at a consistent size, which is important for a neat finish. The coil is placed in the template, allowed to unravel to size and then glued and shaped. For example, the various shapes can be used to tessellate around an object for a 3d project or for creating 2d designs such as cards. Keeping the shape and size consistent is important for a neat finish.

Again, if you don’t have a board, you can substitute with any circular object such as bottle lids of various sizes – anything that will keep the shape consistent.

I’ve added this page just out of interest for anyone that is brand new to quilling. Although most veteran quillers will be familiar with all these tools and more, if you’re a fresher like I was you might find it helpful. If you did please add a comment below. Thank you.

Check my tutorials for ideas, tips and techniques. I have also shared some mistakes I made with my initial ventures in the hope that others can learn. Perhaps if you have similar experiences you can share these so that we can all learn from each other. 

Please visit my Facebook page Quilling Away to see more examples of my work.