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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Quilling: Paper craft lends elegance to Valentine’s cards

In this image provided by Kari Cronbaugh-Auld of Olathe, Kan., two teardrop coils and two smaller bent teardrop coils combine with an open coil scroll to create a heartfelt message. Quilling, which involves rolling thin strips of paper into various coil shapes and many other techniques, adds extra elegance to a Valentine's Day greeting. (Kari Cronbaugh-Auld / AP)
By Jennifer Forker Associated Press

Want to add a little panache to your Valentine’s Day cards? Learn how to roll a few quilling shapes – hearts, teardrops and petals, for starters – to convey your love.

Quilling – an ancient craft also known as paper filigree – doesn’t require any special tools to get started. It’s essentially the rolling of narrow strips of paper to make simple shapes for use in artwork and handmade cards. Complementary techniques have developed over time, such as delicately cut and curled or fringed flowers.

A quilled card that she received several years ago fascinated Kari Cronbaugh-Auld, of Olathe, Kansas, so she got to experimenting – and then perfecting – her craft. Today, she sells handmade cards and other gifts at her online Etsy shop, Quillique. Wedding invitations framed by intricate, quilled details are a top seller for her.

“It looks easy, but it’s time-intensive,” said Cronbaugh-Auld, a social worker and grant writer who quills in her spare time.

A simple Valentine’s Day card – one heart or a few scrolls – is a good project for beginners.

Cronbaugh-Auld, who is self-taught, recommends picking up a quilling kit at a craft store and watching tutorials on YouTube. Quilling books include supply lists and basic techniques.

Quilling paper and equipment, such as a slotted tool – the slot at the tip helps start paper rolling – are sold at craft stores. Beginners also need fine-tipped tweezers and craft glue that dries clear and quickly. And that’s about it.

After all, none of these supplies were even available to the Renaissance monks and nuns who decorated holy pictures and relic vessels with the precious strips of gold-edged paper that resulted from bookmaking. Their paper filigree – created by wrapping thin paper strips around a feather quill – replicated ironwork patterns of the day.

During the Victorian era, well-heeled young ladies learned quilling in addition to needlework. The craft traveled to the Americas, where it was used to decorate cabinets, cribbage boards and picture frames, Cronbaugh-Auld said.

“Hundreds of years ago, quilling was done by people who wanted to make decorative things for their homes,” said Hannah Milman, a Martha Stewart Living contributing editor. “Paper was precious. I’m sure every scrap was kept.”

Decades before she wrote about quilling for Martha Stewart Living magazine, Milman quilled paper beads as a child. She strung them on elastic thread to make necklaces.

“I never knew it was quilling,” Milman recalled. “I just did this instinctively, and I’m sure a lot of people did this around the world.”

Milman fondly recalls using the glossy pages of her parents’ New Yorker magazines.

“It was such perfect paper and smooth. It rolled up really well,” she said.

A reuse-and-recycle advocate, Milman recommends cutting one’s own quilling strips – 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch widths are common – with scissors, paper cutter or shredder. Scrapbook and construction papers are too thick, but simple white craft paper works well, Milman said. Dye it, splatter it with paint – make it your own.

“It looks amazing, really elegant,” Milman said.

She recommends “going big.” Although quilling was traditionally a delicate craft for small projects, Milman now sees it used in home decor. For parties, decorate with giant coils instead of the ubiquitous tissue-paper pompoms, or quill a giant wall heart.

Think outside of traditional quilling colors, too, she said. For Valentine’s Day, insert some silver in among the pinks and reds, or accent a traditionally white-quilled card with a smattering of color.

When you get more involved in quilling, Cronbaugh-Auld said, there are more tools that might help, many that cross over from scrapbooking and other crafts.

The key ingredient? Patience.

“It’s like learning how to knit or crochet. When you start out, you have to be patient with yourself,” Cronbaugh-Auld said.