How to Use Quilling for Scrapbook Embellishments

Use cut up pieces of paper to add quilling to your scrapbook pages.

Quilling is an age-old technique used in sewing and paper crafts alike. It involves tightly winding paper around a tool to make different patterns. The process involves a meticulous approach that includes cutting paper to the appropriate dimensions, winding it tightly and evenly and adding just enough glue to adhere to your scrapbook page without showing through. When you have all of your quilled papers, you have the opportunity to make different three-dimensional embellishments such as hearts, flowers, picture frames, borders and words.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Scissors
• Tape measure
• Quilling tool
• Glue
• Paper plate
• Tweezers
• Scrapbook page

Instructions

1. Decide on an image to create with your quilled paper. Many options are available, including flowers, holly, sun, words, animals, hearts or any other image of your choosing.

2. Cut colored papers that match your design into thin strips. Strips should typically be 1/16-inch wide for intricate pieces or 1/4 inch for a wider pattern and to the length determined by your pattern. Cut several strips so that you have extra in case of mistakes.

3. Download or draw your image on a scrapbook page. This image will be completely covered when you're finished, but it gives you a tangible pattern to follow. Quilling stencils are available if you want to make a larger pattern.

4. Thread a strip of paper through your quilling needle. The paper should be face down. Add a dab of water to the end of the paper that goes through the hole to get it through more easily. This also helps attach the paper to the quilling tool when you begin to roll it around the tool.

5. Roll the strip of paper around your quilling tool. Turn the quilling hand in a counterclockwise motion with your dominant hand. Hold the excess portion of paper with the other hand and gently guide it during the rolling process. This prevents any air bubbles and keeps the rotations even.

6. Add a dab of glue to a paper plate. Grab the quilling with a pair of tweezers and dip the bottom of it into the glue. Add to the appropriate portion of your scrapbook page.

7. Continue the process of making quilled papers for your pattern, being sure to use different colors for different portions of the pattern. Place the quilling down before applying glue to it to allow it to loosen for larger circles. Keep it snug inside of a pair of tweezers to retain the shape until you glue it. You can also add glue to the inner circles to retain the shape for a longer period of time.

8. Place the quilling on the edge of a paper for a border, to the top of the page for the title or around a picture for a frame. Flowers and suns are appropriate embellishments for spring and summer pages. Hearts provide a fitting embellishment for Valentine's Day or love-themed pages.

References

• Scrapjazz; Tips for Quilling; Stacy McFadden; Aug., 2009
• The Art of Quilling; How To Quill - Beginning Instructions; May, 2009
• The Art of Quilling; How To Glue Your Quilling to a Background Surface; July, 2009
• Scrapbooks Etc.: Holiday Gift Tags
• Scrapbook.com; Scrapbooking Technique: Quilling; Sep., 2008
• Life Tips: Scrapbook Resources Tips