Quilling. Concept, history of development, types

In this article we will tell you the history of quilling. At the turn of the 14th – 15th centuries, an art called quilling appeared. Quilling is the making of compositions (both flat and three-dimensional) from twisted paper strips.

Although most paper crafts originated in the East, the art of paper rolling is believed to have originated in Europe during the Middle Ages. Monks are considered the creators of quilling. They wound the stripes obtained after cutting the edges of books onto the tip of a pen, imitating a golden miniature. This formed the basis for the name - “quill”, which in English language means " bird feather" Afterwards, the monks decorated icons and pendants, books and much more with these golden curls.

Over time, quilling has gained great popularity. Craftsmen began to use it not only to decorate paintings and medallions, but also to decorate furniture and other interior elements.

This art is common in many countries. In particular, it came to Russia at the end of the 20th century.

Quilling, judging by history, was perceived as an art throughout the 15th-16th centuries. In the 19th century, quilling was a pastime for noble ladies. Quilling was inaccessible to many segments of the population due to the high cost of paper. In the 20th century, quilling was forgotten until the end of the century.

Unfortunately, paper is not a very durable material, so many works of art using the quilling technique have not survived to this day and have already “faded into history,” but you can still find some surviving works in museums. Thus, in London museums you can see the works of a great fan of quilling - Princess Elizabeth.

In the art of paper rolling, two schools can be distinguished. The first, European, is distinguished by its simplicity and few details that decorate postcards or anything else. The masters of the second, Korean school create incredible beautiful pictures, where thousands of curls are woven together to form a masterpiece. Their work can rightfully be called jewelry.

Working techniques also differ. So, in Europe, strips are twisted using a plastic or metal rod with a slot at the end. Similar tool You can make it yourself from a ballpoint pen refill. However, then in the center of the parts you get a very large and ugly hole. In the East, a thin awl is used when working. Some people also use regular toothpicks. To obtain a part of a certain size, use rulers with holes of a certain diameter.
In addition to these tools, the craftsman’s equipment should include tweezers to make it easier to secure the part in the right place, scissors and glue.

You can make a quilling tool yourself from a needle with a large eye: you just need to bite off the tip of the eye with pliers. For greater convenience (not to prick yourself), the tip of the needle is inserted into a pencil or cork.

The paper used in rolling paper varies in both density and color. It can be painted the same on both sides, or given inside another color. You can also color a cut of paper.

As with tools, quilling materials can be purchased at the store or made yourself. Usually paper strips made 1-15 millimeters wide and up to 60 centimeters long. The colors of the stripes can be very different: plain, iridescent, shiny. In addition, craftsmen often glue strips of different colors together to make multi-colored parts.

In general, although it may seem that mastering the quilling technique is quite difficult, in fact it is not so. Of course, to achieve good results, you need to be very diligent and patient with painstaking work. Accuracy will not be superfluous.

History of quilling

Unfortunately, paper is a short-lived material and little has survived from medieval masterpieces. However, this ancient technique has survived to this day and is very popular in many countries around the world. Paper rolling quickly spread in Europe, but because paper, especially colored and high-quality paper, was a very expensive material, paper plastic art became an art for ladies from wealthy sections of society.

Nowadays, paper rolling is widely known and popular as a hobby in countries Western Europe, especially in England and Germany. But this art became most widespread when it “moved” to the East. The richest traditions of the finest graphics and plastic arts, papermaking and working with it have given the art of paper sculpture a new life.

IN South Korea there is an entire Association of paper plastic art lovers, uniting followers of the most different directions paper creativity.

In the 15th century it was considered art. At 19 - ladies' entertainment. For most of the 20th century it was forgotten. And only at the end of the last century quilling began to turn into an art again.

In England, Princess Elizabeth was seriously interested in the art of quilling, and many of her creations are kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. We associate paper with the idea of ​​fragility and fragility. But quilling refutes this statement - you can put, for example, a cup or a heavy book on a filigree volumetric stand, and not a single curl of paper lace will be harmed. You can assemble a candy vase from paper elements and safely use it for its intended purpose - it will not fall apart or break. In general, quilling is an opportunity to see unusual features plain paper.


It should be noted that the Korean school of quilling (they call it paper rolling) is somewhat different from the European one. European works, as a rule, consist of a small number of parts; they are laconic, reminiscent of mosaics, and decorate postcards and frames. Europe is always in a hurry, that's why it loves fast techniques. Eastern masters create works that resemble masterpieces of jewelry. The finest voluminous lace is woven from hundreds of small parts.

Quilling Tools

Glue. There are no special recommendations. However, it should dry quickly enough and not leave marks. Try starting with PVA.

When marking a future composition, you will need the simplest drawing tools: a compass, a ruler, a pencil.


Ready-made cut strips of paper can be bought in special stores that sell products for cards, etc. If this is not possible, then pass sheets of colored paper through a paper shredder or cut them. The standard width of quilling strips is 3 mm, but this is not a necessary condition. Still very important point. If you make the strips yourself, then the weight of the paper is important - at least 60 grams per square meter(usually the weight is indicated on the paper packages), otherwise it will not curl neatly and keep its shape.

Quilling technique.

Quilling- this is entertaining handmade creativity made from paper for children and adults, in addition to receiving aesthetic pleasure, a person develops creative thinking, patience, perseverance, accuracy, fine motor skills hands Paper is a material accessible to everyone. It gives a lot of scope for creativity. Gives you the opportunity to feel like an artist - limitless creative person.

Story quilling not quite common, he moved from West to East and back, enriching himself at the same time national characteristics different cultures.

This handicraft originated at the end of the 14th century - the beginning of the 15th century in Europe. Until the 16th century it was considered art. In the 14th - 16th centuries in Europe, nuns created elegant medallions using this technique, from paper with gilded edges. When viewing these miniature paper masterpieces, the illusion of thin golden stripes was created.

But paper is a short-lived material and little has survived from medieval masterpieces. IN XIX century ladies of high society spent their leisure time in this way.

Then in the 20th century, quilling as an art was forgotten, but then revived again. Today it is very common. An entire industry has been created to produce materials and tools for it. In Russian this art is called “paper rolling”, in Europe “quilling”, from the word “quill”, which in English means “bird feather”. Some believe that the name is associated with a bird's feather, which was used as a tool, while others associate it with one type of element that is similar to a bird's feather.

This art was widespread in Europe, but due to the high cost of paper, paper plastic art was an activity only for upper strata society. The English Princess Elizabeth was seriously interested in quilling and many of her works are in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Paper is associated with fragility and fragility.

But quilling easily refutes this - works made from paper elements can be safely used in everyday life, for example, a candy dish made using this technique will not break or fall apart.

In addition to Europe, he is also known in the East. There is even an Association of Quilling Lovers in South Korea. But European and Eastern technology have their differences. European involves a small number of details, conciseness of work, mosaic work. Oriental quilling is masterpieces of jewelry made from hundreds of small details. Korean work is carried out over a long period of time and is distinguished by the greatest care.

On this moment There are many studios in Russia where you can master this type of needlework.

Quilling does not lose its popularity, and today it has received a second wind. Briefly about the stages of the origin and creation of this type of art is described in ancient chronicles; this is direct evidence of centuries-old techniques and traditions.

The history of quilling comes from Ancient Egypt, and translated from English it means bird feathers, because all the elements of future creations resemble a small feather, together creating a harmonious product.

Working with paper, not only a child, but also an adult, relaxes and receives relaxation pleasure.

Having received a masterpiece as a result, even greater interest is sparked, and passion develops into a real creative process.

This art is mentioned:

• In ancient manuscripts;
• Stories of ancestors;
• Historical essays.

Due to their fragility and fragility, very few ancient products have survived to this day, so museums value these ancient exhibits very much.

Interesting history of quilling: briefly about the first products

The first works created by craftsmen were small gilded pendants made of paper and feathers, expertly twisted together.

Even viewing it up close was awe-inspiring.

It is not surprising that this technique has survived to this day.

Distinctive features of quilling from different times are:

1. IN ancient Egypt these were small illustrations, the technique of creating which was briefly mastered by the monks and a small number of people close to them.
2. Europe distinguished itself in creating postcards, paintings and had a small number of details in its products.
3. Asian countries have surpassed their ancestors and brought the quilling technique to complete perfection. They created a variety of products, not limited to books or jewelry, added a large number of small and large details, and learned how to make voluminous objects from paper.

Quilling received admiration and recognition the best masters your business.

The simple history of the appearance of quilling in England

Having reached Europe, this art lost a little popularity, because there, precious metals and stones prevailed as decorations.

Thanks to Princess Elizabeth, who became seriously interested in this type of craftsmanship, its revival took place. Many of her works have survived to this day, in museums as exclusive exhibits.

After the emergence and rapid revival of quilling, not only exhibitions, but also festivals began to be held, communities were also organized, where one could not only show oneself as a master, but also learn how to do it interesting looking handicrafts. The two largest exhibitions were in London and New York. They gathered a huge number of people around them and showed the world how you can master small strips of paper, turning them into works of art.

But quilling reached its greatest perfection in the land of the rising sun:

• Japan;
• China;
• Korea.

The people of these countries have great patience, perseverance, have a completely different way of thinking from the European type, and bring a piece of their culture to this type of art. It was in these distant countries that paper technology began to be transformed into perfect products of much greater complexity and incredible beauty.

Products from the history of quilling

Today, using such technology, you can easily create a variety of products of any complexity.

Namely:

• Postcards;
• Caskets;
• Paintings.

To do things like this, you don’t need a lot of tools or time, you just need to stock up on multi-colored strips of paper, and you will also need a metal or plastic rod with a small slot at its end.

Beginners can try making a similar tool from a ballpoint pen themselves to see if they like doing this type of needlework.

In the East they prefer to use a thin metal awl, making even and uniform twists.

Masters more high level purchase special rulers that allow you to accurately determine the size of the future part by inserting paper into the required hole. Everyone will also need thick glue in a tube with a long tip, small scissors and tweezers to accurately position all the necessary parts.

The paper must be colored on both sides and have the correct density. Today, the work has been made so easy for lovers of this type of art that strips of any size, length and width can be purchased in art or office supply stores.

Experts also resort to various tricks - cutting strips to obtain smaller parts, gluing standard ones together to obtain large objects. And if you make a gradual combination of different colors, gluing them together, you can achieve a smooth transition and an amber effect.

There are the simplest and basic elements, which a child can do:

• Roll - to create it, the end of the paper is simply inserted into the tool and wound, and the free one is subsequently secured with glue;
• Drop - made in the same way, only after fixing with glue, its end is compressed with your fingers;
• If you squeeze such an element on both sides, you can get a petal or an eye, and pressing it in the middle, you can get a small heart.

By combining these elements and experimenting, you can achieve stunning results in craftsmanship. If at first it is difficult to put together a finished image in your imagination, then you can make small sketches of the elements on paper.

Floral arrangements made using this technique will always be relevant; they will bring joy to any mother or friend on any occasion. With a little effort and time, you can make a very original and memorable gift, resulting in a lot of compliments.

This type of handicraft has a very positive effect on the child’s body, it develops perseverance, instills taste, and improves fine motor skills of the fingers. Experts recommend keeping children occupied different types creativity from an early age, instilling in them aesthetic taste and distracting from the computer and TV. IN Eastern countries this type of art became widespread and even became slightly different from European.

The fascinating history of quilling (video)

Since handmade products are quite expensive today, you can turn such a favorite hobby into good income. Even in school curriculum implemented different kinds handicrafts, not limited to sewing, drawing and knitting.

Quilling. Origin story.

Quilling has become a very common type of needlework in our time. Nowadays they make postcards, paintings, boxes and many other interesting things from paper. In this section we will introduce you to them and teach you how to create all these wonderful things with your own hands. To begin with, we will tell you about the very history of the origin of quilling...

1. A few words about paper.

Paper is the first material from which children begin to craft, create, and create unique products. She is known to everyone since early childhood. “A sheet of paper helps a child feel like an artist, designer, constructor, and most importantly, an infinitely creative person.” Having undergone enormous changes since ancient times, paper in modern society presented in great variety. Colored and white, velvet and glossy, papyrus and twine - it is accessible to all segments of society. Using paper, you can decorate a Christmas tree, put together a puzzle, make a funny toy or gift box, and much, much more that interests your child.

An ordinary material - paper - takes on something new modern direction, they can work in different techniques.

2. What is quilling?

Quilling - the art of paper rolling, one of the types of decorative - applied arts. Narrow and long strips of paper are twisted into spirals using a needle, awl or a simple toothpick, which are then modified into a variety of shapes, from which planar or three-dimensional compositions can be made. Quilling – in English this handicraft is called “quilling” - from the word “quill” and is translated as “bird feather”. It was the bird's feather that played big role in the development of quilling and the creation of masterpieces from paper: in order to obtain a thin spiral for the composition, long strips of paper were wound onto it.

Quilling long story: filigree paper processing was known to the ancient Egyptians, who used papyrus as the main material; this art was also known in the Middle East and China. In France and Italy, paper filigree has been used by monks since the 16th century to decorate and frame sacred images, as a modest substitute for gold and silver filigree. From these countries, the art of paper filigree spread to England, initially actively practiced in the noble houses of Stuart times, to further establish itself until the Victorian period. Specialized magazines presented quilling techniques and various projects with detailed explanations: classic items for decoration, boxes for tea and tools, “warmers” for a teapot, various boxes and baskets. There were even real training courses on quilling in the most elite schools.

Connoisseurs of this art are considered to be such crowned heads as the daughter of George III Elizabeth, who is said to have given her doctor a screen made using the quilling technique, Queen Mary and Tsarina Alexandra, who collected examples of it, as well as intellectuals such as Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters . From England, quilling migrated to North America with the colonialists, and here in the first half of the 19th century, some cabinetmakers made boxes and boxes with inserted walls, decorated using the paper filigree technique, as if we were talking about a mosaic. This unusual treatment is called mosaic. Starting with late XIX century, the popularity of quilling gradually declined, almost to the point of complete oblivion, only to be revived again in our days
in more modern form, but with a charm and sophistication equal to those of centuries past. This technique has many fans all over the world. In England, in 1983, the Quilling Union of England was created, a real quilling corporation that receives letters from all continents. On her initiative, the First International festival quilling, during which you could admire antique products and modern creations.
Two major exhibitions on quilling were held: the first in 1927 in London, the other in 1988 in New York, at the Florian-Papp Gallery, where real masterpieces were put up for sale.