- What is a paper quilled circle?
- How to paper quill a coil
- Circle designs
- Transform the circle
Paper quilling scrolls vs. circles
After rolling a thin paper strip with a toothpick and letting go, the paper becomes a scroll. Scrolls are a nice spiral shape, but since they are not glued to themselves, they are not a circle yet. While scrolls seem simple, there are multiple kinds of scrolls (and I plan to cover these in future posts).
So back to circles. If you glue the scrolled paper to itself, you create a circle, or coil. You can have different coils depending on how tightly or loosely you roll them. To make a tight coil, roll the paper on the toothpick and immediately glue it together. For a loose coil, roll the paper, release the coil until it becomes the right size, and then glue it.
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Does it really matter if the coil is loose or tight? Yes, it does. Why? Because:
-Tight coils look better in certain artistic designs, while loose coils look better in other situations.
-When transforming the basic circle into other paper quilling shapes (ex: triangle), tighter coils produce smaller shapes, and looser coils form bigger shapes.
-Forming coils into other shapes is easier with loose coils, and harder with tight coils. To press a tight coil into a different shape, like a diamond, you might need tweezers.
Now you know that scrolls are unconnected spiral shapes, and circles/coils are connected but can be tight or loose.
Basic process of paper quilling a circle
1. With a toothpick or paper quilling needle, roll a thin strip of paper until it is fully rolled up
2. You now have 2 choices;
A) keep holding the paper tightly in place and glue it into a tight coil,
or B) relax your grip on the rolled up paper, and glue it into a loose coil
Keep in mind that the longer you release the coil, the bigger the circle and the looser the coil. All right, so you can create a tight coil, and different sizes of loose coils. But what do we use all these coils for?
Types of circle designs
-Create a mixed media artwork; draw a design, and put paper quilled circle(s) on it
-Use multiple coils, of the same or different sizes
-Use a multi-color strip of paper to create a multi-color, or gradient circle
-Decorate a 3D object like a vase with the same or different circles
-Create a subject made entirely out of circles (like pointilism with paper)
These are just suggestions of how to use paper quilling coils. Paper quilling is an amazing and versatile art form, because you can bend the rules as much as you want. You could apply all these design ideas to the other paper quilling shapes too, like the teardrop or the square. Don't be afraid to experiment and unleash your inner creativity.
Circle becomes anything
Paper quilling coils are the most basic form. By pinching and pressing the circle, you can create different shapes, such as the triangle or semi-circle. There are so many other types of paper quilling shapes, which I plan to cover in future posts. So stay tuned!
For your next design, you can roll unconnected scrolls, or glue together tight and loose coils. You can arrange paper quilled circles in many interesting designs (with different coil sizes, coil colors, or many circles). And last but not least, you can transform the circle into other shapes like teardrops, triangles, and squares. Now that you know some paper quilling basics, start quilling and have fun!