Paper quilling is an art form that uses coiled strips of thin paper to create unique designs. It’s an affordable hobby that can be used to make stunning and elegant jewelry, and the results can be even more impressive than those created with metal filigree. The earliest examples of this art date back to the 1200s and 1600s, when nuns wrapped goose quills around their hands to create coiled shapes. The resulting work replicated the expensive intricacies of wrought iron and carved ivory and was often gilded to further enhance the appearance. With the advent of paper mills and the availability of paper with different colors, the technique was adapted to using paper instead of goose feathers.
Today, quilling is still popular amongst women of all ages and backgrounds as a creative outlet and a relaxing pastime. All you need is a few simple tools and pieces of colorful paper to get started. Whether you choose a standard or metallic edge strip, a few basic shapes and a few simple tips are all you need to start creating show-stopping pieces of paper jewelry.
This article features three pairs of paper quilled earrings. The smallest pair is made with two large domed tight coils and eight small domed tight coils, while the largest pair includes four sets of three teardrop ring coils. Each design is framed in a shadowbox frame to add height and showcase the detailed spirals. Paper Quilling Jewelry