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What is Paper Filigree?

What is Paper Filigree?

by Paula Bauer, Gem State Quilling

'”So,'” one might ask, “what exactly is paper filigree and what's so special about it?'
The art of paper filigree, also known as paper quilling, is not a quick, mass-produced art. Two-dimensional photos shown cannot begin to capture the exquisite appearance of this amazing art.  While it is not difficult to learn, it does require a good eye for detail, time, and patience -- lots of patience! 

Speculation abounds about the earliest quillers and their materials, but there is little definitive evidence to pin down the origins and time period of the first paper twirlers. Knowing the creativeness of human nature, it seems likely that the art of rolling and shaping paper strips would occur fairly quickly after the invention of paper in the Orient around 105 AD.  The earliest known pieces of surviving paper filigree work in the Western world date to the 1600’s, and it is widely held that it was practiced by monks and nuns within their cloistered communities, before gaining wider popularity among the wealthy and royal families.  Paper filigree reached its peak of popularity in the 1700’s and into the Victorian era.  Beloved author Jane Austen references paper filigree in Sense and Sensibility and the Bronte sisters were known to twirl strips in pursuit of their own creative endeavors.

A paper filigree design may contain only a handful of shapes or may be comprised of hundreds or thousands of individual coil and scroll shapes. Each coil or scroll is formed by rolling a narrow strip of paper upon a fine, often pointy tool.  Victorian women were known to employ their hatpins as a handy and dual-purpose tool.   Paper widths used vary from 1/2 or wider to as narrow as 1/32 of an inch. Most commonly used today are 1/8 inch wide strips, which are available, pre-cut in a wide array of colors. Some artists hand-dyed and hand-cut their own paper strips to accomplish their desired design.  After rolling, the paper coil is hand-glued, hand-shaped, and then fitted into a design, often utilizing bent-tipped tweezers to precisely place the tiny coils. In addition to basic rolls and scrolls, paper filigree incorporates a number of specialized techniques such as fringing, crimping, husking and looping which all require a similar degree of precision and care. 

The simplest cards take less than 30 minutes to create, but most designs take longer--some much longer. More involved pieces, like framed keepsakes or free-standing designs, require hours of patient effort.  But even first attempts at paper filigree can yield delightful results with a few strips, a round toothpick as a quilling tool, and some common household glue.  Check at local scrapbook stores or community education programs offered through schools and universities to see if there is a class available near you!