Jan 15 2010
Quilled Stencil Rose
In my last post (Groovy Birthday Wishes) I talked about the very popular technique of filling in an outline with quilling to form a design.Normally, your piece of quilled art would be glued on top of your background surface like I did with the boot.
But, what happens if you place the quilling under the background, cutting out pieces to reveal the quilling?
You get a very striking piece of art that almost resembles needlework.
The method is quite simple:
-
Find a stencil that you like and lightly trace it onto the card stock you will be gluing the quilling shapes to. Remember, this paper will show through the coiled pieces, so you’ll want to choose a nice neutral or coordinating color that will go with your design.
-
Trace the stencil onto the paper you want as the cover for your quilling and cut it out with a craft knife. (Note: the piece is easier to frame if the bottom card stock and the top cover sheet are the same size.)
-
Roll your quilled shapes to fit slightly over the outline and glue to the card stock. Once finished, glue the top paper over the guilling, lining up the cut out stencil with your quilling and covering up any rough rough edges of the quilled design.
-
Frame your masterpiece and wait for friends to Oooooh and Ahhhh over your latest artistic endeavor.
Quilling Tip: This would make an awesome home decor DIY project. Add coordinating art work to a room that has a stenciled border. Use the same stencil for wall art and a coordinating pillow. Or create a stencil from a fabric pattern already in the room and bring it up to the wall with your own quilled piece.
I was browsing through the bargain bins of ribbon and found a funky retro paisley design in yellow, green, and orange that simply screamed mini skirt and go-go boots. 
I used the ribbon as my inspiration for a fun retro birthday card featuring a quilled go-go boot. The boot was created using an “outline & fill-in” quilling technique. You can use this technique to create any design you wish by following these simple steps:
Tear several strips of paper (I find 6″ to be a good length) and quill them into loose coils. Starting at either the top or bottom of your design, pinch the coils into shapes that fit within the outline of your design. Glue the quills together where they touch and pin into place. 
Spread a very thin layer of glue as large as your quilllwork onto a flat surface like a plate or plastic lid. Using a pair of tweezers, pick up your quilling, touch the bottom edges of the paper to the glue, then place it on the desired backing. A thin glue (such as Elmer’s) works best for this technique. If you normally use a thick, tacky glue for quilling, you might try thinning it with a drop or two of water. You want the glue thin enough to spread thinly and evenly over your flat work surface. A foam brush helps to spread the glue. If the glue is too thick, the loose center of the coils will stick to the gluing surface, pulling them apart and ruining your piece. This method works especially well when tendrils and vines are part of the design. Once you have the glue on the back of your quillwork, you need to attach it exactly where you want it. If you try and slide your quilling into the correct placement, you will leave glue smudges. Any glue you see will turn shiny and even though it is clear, it will be noticeable.
You can also use a small paintbrush to paint the glue onto the back of your quilling. Use care in touching only the bottom edges of the paper with the glue to avoid unwanted globs or smudges. Again, a thinner glue is easier to spread with the paintbrush. Tweezers are useful to help hold the quilling and assist in placement when glued. 
I actually don’t use either of these methods. I spread glue on the back of my quilling using a toothpick. I pick up a little glue on the tip of the toothpick and roll the toothpick over the quills. Depending on the design, I apply glue to the tight rolls and centers of the quills to allow a little more “wiggle room” when placing the quilling on my background. If glue is not over the entire back, I can slide the quilling just a tad if needed without the glue showing. If I do end up with a bit of glue on the background, I slightly moisten a fresh toothpick (you don’t want it dripping) and gently wipe up the glue. 
July 4
*
Along with a bit about the background history of this fascinating art form, I’ll introduce you to the tools and supplies you’ll need to get started. Then its time to learn the basics of quilling –coils and scrolls — and how to assemble your completed piece of 
The trunk of the palm tree is made from a coil called a “rectangle” because it is, well, a rectangle. To make this quill, roll a loose coil and pinch it into a marquise. Next, move the marquise slightly between your thumbs and index fingers and pinch again, forming two more points near the original ones. You should now have a rectangle quill that has two long sides and two short sides. 
We’ll also be playing with a new tool — a paper 
Finally, I want to show you a bit about 
Free Quilling Pattern - Palm Tree & Small Goldfish
A simple, temporary board can be made from any 
For symmetrical work, a design grid can be created from a piece of graph paper cut to fit your quilling 
For example, I found the cutest matchbook notepad template from 
So instead of:
