Quilling, the art of twirling paper into decorative designs, has a long history going back over 500 years ago to European monks and nuns who twirled paper into intricate ecclesiastical works of art used to decorate religious objects. The craft evolved to be largely practiced by the upper classes to pass the time and remained popular through Victorian times. The paper strips used were often cut from old books.

It wasn't until the craft, then known as Paper Filigree, came to America that the name quilling came into play, as early American settlers used to roll their paper strips around quill feathers.

Today's quillers use a quilling tool like the one pictured in the photo at right. The end of a tool has a thin piece of metal with a slit running down the middle. To roll paper strips, you merely slip the end of the paper in the slit, and start rolling (photo instructions below).

If you don't have a tool, you can roll the strips of paper with your fingers alone -- it works just as well. I did this for months before I ever got a quilling tool, although the tool makes the process much quicker and easier.

Cutting Quilling Strips
You can buy precut quilling strips, but if you have a paper trimmer (and anyone interested in paper crafts should), why go through the expense? It's simple to cut your own strips. Click here for easy photo instructions.