Give your loved ones a quilling postcard

If you need to go to visit, and there is no gift at hand, the main thing is not to panic. Of course, stores offer a lot of interesting ideas for every taste. But you can make an original gift with your own hands, and it really will be a real surprise for the one to whom it is intended.

What does the name mean?

Recently, a lot of different techniques for needlework, one of them quickly burst into our lives - this is quilling. From the English word quilling, which means "bird feather", there was a Russian word for quilling or the technique of making different compositions of paper strips, which are twisted into spirals.

Paper spirals are used to create colors and patterns, very reminiscent of filigree. Usually the technique is used for decoration, for example, quilling postcards, albums, gifts.

From the history

The art of twisting thin strips of paper originated at the junction of the centuries XIV and XV in Europe. In the beginning, the monks used a similar design for medallions and twisted a gold-plated paper on the tip of a bird's feather. In this way, tiny works of art resembling the finest threads of gold were obtained.

Through the centuries, quilling has become especially popular in high society, and new trends are immediately picked up by secular ladies and use it as handicrafts in a new way. Some time later they forget about paper plastic . The twentieth century is a time of new trends and technical discoveries. At the end of the century, art finds a second life and becomes popular all over the world.

Make by yourself

If you try to create postcards in the quilling technique, then you will find an interesting lesson for which you will not need so many materials:

• A set of ready-made paper strips (they can be purchased in special shops, or manually cut paper of different colors). The length of the strip is from 30 to 60 cm, width - from 1 to 9 mm.
• Shilo with a diameter of no more than 1 mm (you can use a toothpick or rod from a ballpoint pen, but then the spirals for card quilling will turn out to be thick).
• Tweezers, which should be with sharp and flat ends.
• Scissors (desirable small with sharp, well-ground ends).
• Glue (it is possible PVA, but it is better to use one that does not leave traces on the surface).

In order to apply the required layout to the quilling of the postcard, you will need a compass, a stencil for circles, different in diameter, a ruler and a simple pencil.

Choose paper with a density of at least 60 g per 1 sq. M. (See the information on the packaging). Only the paper with the optimum density will twist well and not lose its shape quickly.

So simple, and the flower is ready!

Making postcards by the quilling technique is quite simple. In addition to the listed materials, a thick paper is required, bent in half, on the title side of which a pattern or flowers will be fixed. Screw the strip of paper tightly onto the awl or toothpick. The resulting spiral should be carefully removed from the rod, left either dense, or slightly loosened curls. Pressing on the sides of the spiral, it can be made oval, in the form of a leaf, or elongated. Now accurately paste it on the contour of the pattern. To make a flower for a quilling postcard, you need to place the most dense spiral in the center, and the other (petals), stretching on one side, glued to the central part. Leaves on the flower stalk make like petals.

Final part

Once you try this technique, you will certainly want to experiment and create your own unique postcard or picture.