Paper Quilled Monogram - Inexpensive Home Decor

by Susan Myers

Paper quilling is a simple craft with spectacular results. I made a monogram out of quilled paper for a wedding gift.
I'm always on the look out for crafts that I haven't tried. Paper quilling has always inspired me. It is amazing what you can make with a simple piece of paper. You can make something beautiful and not spend much more than pennies.
That's my kind of project.

paper quilled monogram inexpensive home decor, crafts, home decor, wall decor

Paper Quilling is the art of taking thin strips of paper of varying widths, and rolling, gluing and shaping them into different shapes. While quilling seems to still be around on some handmade cards, you really don't see it much these days.

The technique is actually pretty simple. Cut your paper into strips. I cut mine in 1/4" strips because I wanted my quilling to really pop.

You then take your cut strip, put one end in the eye of your quilling tool and wind it tightly around the needle. If you want a tight wind, hold the wound paper while you pull the needle out, then put a drop of white glue on the end and glue.

If you want a looser wind, let go of the paper after winding, remove the needle and then glue. You can pinch one end for a petal effect, two ends for leaves or go crazy with so many other options.

I had bought some larger cardstock in brown for the background, but wasn't pleased with the color. So I got out my acrylic paints and added more browns to it, blending to give it a leather look.

I then used a ruler to draw the letter H. Using dark blue paper strips, I created the outline by folding the paper to fit and glueing it down on it's side with tacky glue. My plan then was to fill in the H with white scrollwork.

Naturally, I got carried away. The scrollwork looked like leaves to me, so we really needed some flowers. And then we needed some green leaves.

To create the butterfly wings, I drew a wing outline on a piece of wax paper, then filled in the outline with my paper scrolls, gluing them together as I went. I then flipped the wax paper over and made the opposite wing so that they matched.

Here you can see the butterfly glued in place on top of the scroll work of the letter H.

I finally had to make myself stop at one point. I didn't want to lose the definition of the H. And I do know how carried away I can get. I'm hoping she enjoys her wedding gift. It was incredibly fun to make.

For more paper quilled projects, a full list of materials and more quilling details, be sure to check out my website!

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Frequently asked questions

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2 questions

Mary on Sep 11, 2016
Do you cut your own paper strips? If yes, how do you make them an even width the whole length? Where do you buy a quilling tool? You do such beautiful work! Thank you for sharing. Mary at amerimix@gmail.com.

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Denise Cryer on Sep 12, 2016
what glue did you use for this

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2 of 37 comments

John Bower on Sep 25, 2016
try a paper shredder

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Laurie Laurent-Hyland on Oct 16, 2016
Beautiful work! My mother used to quill and made the most gorgeous ornaments, place cards and pictures. I love the look.

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