Quilling or paper filigree is an art form that involves the use of thin strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. The paper is wound around a quill to create a basic coil shape. The paper is then glued at the tip and the coil shaped, these shaped coils are arranged to form flowers, leaves, and various ornamental patterns similar to ironwork.

The name Quilling is derived from the feather quill, on which the strips of paper were originally rolled. Quilling seems to be connected with the invention of paper in China around 105 AD. Quilling is an art form that came of age over five hundred years ago. During the Renaissance, French and Italian nuns and monks used quilling to decorate book covers and religious items. The paper most commonly used was strips of paper trimmed from the gilded edges of books. These gilded paper strips were then rolled to create the quilled shapes. Quilling often imitated the original ironwork of the day.

In the 18th century, quilling became popular in Europe where "ladies of leisure" practiced the art. Quilling also spread to the Americas and there are a few examples from Colonial times. Today, quilling is seeing resurgence in popularity. The craft has become increasingly popular due to the low cost of the basic material, paper, that is required to make the shapes. It is used to decorate wedding invitations, birth announcements, greeting cards, scrapbook pages, and more.

Mushroom Quilling Card

Mushroom Quilling Card

Subscribe to my emails