Quilled Snowflakes!

To wrap up this Christmas Crafty Creation marathon, I thought I would revisit an older Crafty Creation which you can find HERE. One of my favorite past times is quilling :D In the previous post about quilling, I introduced you to the craft and gave you a basic overview of how to do it. Today, I am going to show you step-by-step instructions on how to quill this BEAUTIFUL snowflake!!!

WAIT!!!! COME BACK!!!! It's not that hard..... I promise : )

I made a color coded pattern of the snowflake so that you could see the individual shapes. You can reference back to this picture if you are having trouble!

First, you need to cut your paper strips to size. I am using 1/8 inch quilling paper. Here are the lengths you need :

6 - 11 inch long strips

6 - 2 inch long strips

6 - 6 inch long strips

18 - 5 inch long strips

Other supplies that you need are tweezers, pins, clear tacky glue, a quilling tool, and a quilling board (optional).

First, grab an 11 inch strip of paper and insert one end into the quilling tool.

Tightly twirl the paper onto the tool.

Take the twirled up paper off of the tool and place it into the 1/2 inch circle on the quilling board. Let the paper expand and fill up the circle. If you do not have a quilling board, let the paper expand in between two fingers until it is about 1/2 inch wide.

Put some tacky glue on the end of the paper and close the circle. I use a pin to apply the tacky glue. Let the glue dry for a few seconds--then, pinch both side of the circle simultaneously to form an 'eye' shape.

Make six of these shapes.

Now grab your 6 inch long strips of paper. Fold each piece in half.

With your quilling tool start at one end and tightly twirl the paper inwards 2/3 of the way down one side. Slide the paper off of your tool and it should look something like this:

Now do the other side and you should end up with an 'open heart' shape. Make six of these shapes.

Put some tacky glue on the tip of an 'eye' shape and place it inside the 'heart' shape. Also glue the twirls of the 'heart' shape to the top sides of the 'eye' shape. The back of quilling boards are usually covered in foam. You can pin your shapes in place why your glue dries. If you do not have a quilling board, get a piece of cardboard or styrofoam and put wax paper on top of it ( so the glue doesn't stick to it) and pin your shapes on place. Glue all six of your 'eye' shapes inside of all 6 of your 'heart' shapes.

Now get your 2 inch strips of paper. Apply glue to 1/2 of one side. Fold the strip in half and let dry on a flat surface.

Now, for your 18 - 5 inch long strips of paper. Twirl a piece tightly onto your tool and DO NOT LET IT UNWIND! Glue the end down, and let the glue dry for a second before removing the tight circle from the tool. Do this with all 18 strips.

Once you have all of your shapes made it's time to form the snowflake!

Glue your 6 heart/eye shape combos together like this :

Glue your 1 inch folded strips of paper between your heart shapes.

Glue 1 tight circle on the tip of each 1 inch strip.

Glue 2 more tight circles below the tip.

(Pin down your shapes to keep them in place while the glue sets if you are having problems keeping things in place. )

Isn't it beautiful! The snowflakes are stronger than they appear to be, but if you want to add some extra strength and protection you can pray some clear / non-yellowing acrylic spray paint on it. Spray a VERY light, thin coat and let dry.

These make beautiful Christmas tree ornaments! You can also attach these to the front of Christmas cards, scrapbook with them, frame them, or hang them from your ceiling!

If you have any questions about the directions feel free to leave your question in the comment section and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

I hope that you challenge yourself and explore this craft more! Let me know if you want instructions on how to make the 2 other snowflakes and I'll post them!

*Jes*

Quilling. Is. Awesome.

My mother-in-law, Becky, is always into something new. She is interested in everything and anything! Every time I see her she introduces me to some new craft idea. A few years back, she told be about a long, lost art form known as quilling (or paper filigree). I instantly fell in love! Oh, the delicacy... the challenge... the possibilities!

Quilling involves rolling strips of paper into shapes and gluing them together to make a design. You can make anything from cards, christmas ornaments, Jewelry, scrapbook embellishments...the list goes on and on! Here are a few of my Quilled creations!

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Quilling paper can be bought or made. You can purchase the paper at most craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael's. It comes in 1/8th inch wide and 1/4 inch wide and comes in a variety of colors. I personally like the 1/8th paper.

There are a few ways you can make your own paper if you don't want to purchase it. Make sure your paper is 'acid free'. Acid free paper will not yellow with time. The first way to make quilling paper is with a precision paper trimmer. My trimmer is measured out in 1/8 inch increments, so I just move the paper along 1/8th inches at a time and cut.

The second way is with a paper shredder. I found this little shredder at Dick Blick's for a few bucks.

Besides your paper, there are a few other tools That come in handy while quilling. These tools aren't necessary for a beginner, but are really useful and worth the money if you intend to make this a regular hobby. The first thing you need is the actual quilling tool. It is a stick with a slotted end. The end of the paper is threaded through the slot which helps to keep it in place as you twist. If you do not want to purchase one you can just use a toothpick to twist the paper on. The second tool is a quilling board.

A quilling board is made of thick foam or cork and has a plastic template on the top in which there are different sized holes. After twisting your paper into a tight coil, remove it from your quilling tool and place it in the desired size circle. Let go of the coil and the paper will open up and fill the hole you put it in.

The quilling board helps your shapes stay consistent and uniform. If you don't have a quilling board, let the coil slowly open up in your fingers until the desired size is achieved. Other than the Quilling tool and the quilling board, you will also need clear drying glue, tweezers, and a pins.

Quilling may sound intimidating, but I promise it can be really easy and fun! One of the easiest things to make is a flower. Here's the how-to : )

For this flower you will need 2 colors of quilling paper. One color for the petals and one color for the center.

1.) With your petal color, cut 5 12inch pieces.

2.) With your second color, cut 1 6inch piece.

3.) Grab a 12 inch piece and twirl into a tight coil.

4.) If you have a quilling board, place the coil into a 1/2 hole and let it open up and fill the hole. If you don't have a board, slowly let the coil expand in your fingers until it is about 1/2 inch wide.

5.) With your tweezers, grab the outside of the expanded coil.

6.) With a pin, place a small amount of glue onto the outside flap of the coil.

7.) Glue the flap onto the coil and place the coil back into the hole it came from. Repeat this step 4 more times until you have 5 circles total.

8.) After the glue dries for a few minutes, you can handle the circles. Grab a circle and pinch one end between your fingers so that the shape resembles a petal.

8.) Do this with all of your circles.

9.) Place a small amount of glue on both sides of the pinched end of the petals and glue together to form a flower.

10.) Twist your 6 inch piece of quilling paper into a coil and release the coil slowly in your flingers letting it only get slightly bigger. Glue the end of the paper onto the coil and add glue to the bottom. Place inthe center of your petals.

And this is just the beginning! There are so many fun and interesting designs you can try!

If you want to know how to make other flowers, shapes or objects, let me know in the comment section and I will gladly show you how : )

I hope you enjoyed this "Crafty Creation"! Don't be intimidated--you can do this!! Just give it try!

*Jes*