Quilling: what it is, how it is made and what it means

Quilling is a craft where thin strips of paper are rolled, shaped, and glued to create decorative designs. Originating in Europe, it was once a pastime for upper-class women and is now used worldwide to embellish cards, boxes, jewelry, and art pieces.

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Quilling uses rolled paper strips to make decorative designs.
It was a popular pastime for upper-class women in 18th- and 19th-century England.
Early quilling used gilded book edges and bird quills for coiling.
Modern quilling decorates cards, jewelry, and art pieces worldwide.
Specialist quilling paper comes in over 250 colors and several widths.

What is Quilling?

Quilling is the art of rolling, shaping, and gluing thin strips of paper into decorative patterns. Designs can be flat or three-dimensional, ranging from simple coils to intricate motifs. Finished pieces may decorate greeting cards, boxes, jewelry, or be framed as pictures. The paper strips come in many colors and widths, and the finished work often mimics the look of filigree metalwork. Tools like slotted tools, tweezers, and crimpers help shape the paper precisely.

Where does Quilling come from?

Quilling began in Europe, with early records of French and Italian nuns using the gilded edges of old books to make coiled decorations for religious objects between the 12th and 16th centuries. The craft gained popularity in England after paper mills appeared in the late 15th century, making paper more accessible. By the 18th and 19th centuries, quilling was a favored pastime among upper-class women, often used to decorate household items and signal leisure and refinement. Its name comes from the use of bird feather quills to roll the paper.

How Quilling is made

To make quilled art, strips of paper are rolled using a slotted tool or quill, then shaped into coils or other forms. These shapes are glued together to build up designs, which can be used alone or to decorate objects like cards, boxes, or frames. Tools such as tweezers, circle sizer rulers, and crimpers help in shaping and assembling the pieces. Specialist quilling paper is available in many colors and widths, but almost any paper can be used.

slotted tool used in paper quilling. Photo: Swathysuren, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tweezer used in paper quilling. Photo: Swathysuren, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Crimper Tool. Photo: Swathysuren, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When and where Quilling is used

Quilling has been used to decorate a wide range of items, from tea caddies and baskets to greeting cards and jewelry. In the past, it was a genteel hobby for women in Europe, especially in England. Today, it is popular for embellishing wedding invitations, Christmas decorations, birth announcements, and scrapbook pages. Examples of quilled art are found in museums and galleries, and the craft is practiced around the world.

Forms of Quilling

Quilling styles range from traditional flat designs to three-dimensional miniatures. Historic works often imitated metal filigree, while modern quilling includes jewelry and mixed-media art. There are also regional differences, with guilds and exhibitions in England, the United States, and Australia. Kits and handbooks, such as the 19th-century 'Mosaicon', have helped revive and spread the craft.

What Quilling means

Quilling was once a sign of refinement and leisure among upper-class women in Europe. It appears in literature, such as Jane Austen's 'Sense and Sensibility', where it is shown as both a genteel pastime and a fragile, decorative art. Today, quilling is accessible to all and is taught in schools and through online resources. It is part of craft festivals and exhibitions, with active guilds promoting its practice.

Questions people ask about Quilling

Where did quilling originate?

Quilling began in Europe, with early records from French and Italian nuns who used gilded book edges to make coiled decorations for religious objects between the 12th and 16th centuries.

What is quilling used for?

Quilling is used to decorate greeting cards, boxes, jewelry, pictures, and household items. It is also used for wedding invitations, Christmas decorations, and as framed art.

What materials do you need for quilling?

The main material is thin strips of paper, which can be specialist quilling paper or almost any kind of paper. Tools like slotted tools, tweezers, and glue are also used.

Is quilling difficult to learn?

Quilling is considered relatively easy to learn compared to many other crafts. Basic techniques can be picked up quickly, and there are many resources and videos available to help beginners.

Was quilling ever a symbol of status?

Yes, in 18th- and 19th-century England, quilling was a pastime for upper-class women and signaled wealth and leisure, as only those with money could afford the supplies and time for the craft.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Quilling", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Bonsai: Ragesoss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Vase: André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, source

Corn dolly: Renata ( talk ), Public domain, source

Paisley: Unknown author, Public domain, source

Buta: Thomas Watier, Public domain, source

Cake decorating: Michael Prudhomme, CakesMadeEasy.com, CC BY 2.5, source

Banmi Shofu-ryū: GustavoReinoso7777, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Floral design: Jmaxx37, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Quilling