For those who are new to Quilling, I envy you. This is a very exciting time & I'm sure you'll be more than pleased with the results you get from the work you put in! If you're seasoned quiller, you can always learn new things & pick up inspiration from loads of free quilling patterns found.
So let's examine what your quilling requirements are to enable you to start quilling as quickly as possible:
Free Quilling Patterns: Whether you're a newbie or an experienced quiller, you can't do without the use of free quilling patterns. These patterns can provide a wealth of materials & ideas for you to making your design. You can even mix & match different designs together to create totally new designs!
You'll need suitable quilling paper strips to make up your design. The actual width of quilling paper strips can range from 1/8 inches all the way to ½ inches. You won't be able to do with quilling strips as you will need these to make your coils & 3 D patterns.
Some of you are probably considering the possibility of just cutting up your own paper strips rather than throwing away money on buying them. This is certainly an option, but then there are 2 points to remember: one, the paper strips that are cut, need to be done precisely or you will end up with an imperfect design; two, it can eat in your precious time to have to sit down & cut up various paper strips. You only have to pay about $3 for a pack of strips & they can even come in different colors thus adding more flavor into your finished design.
Glue: You can use any run of the mill paper glue to use in quilling. You may want to try using different types of paper glue til you find one that's most suitable for you.
Curling Tool: A standard quilling tool is a great piece of equipment to have for rolling strips of paper, but I suppose even a standard needle or pin will suffice. Quilling tool has the advantage, in that it has a small 'catch' that grabs one end of the quilling paper and enables you to roll the strip by turning a small handle.
Many quilling veterans have enough skill & ability to be able to roll up strips of quilling paper using their fingers rather than any tool or needle. This is perhaps more useful if you are creating a 'tighter' coil than usual. The centre hole also tends to be smaller than when you use a tool.
We have examined some of the most essential instruments & tools that you will need before you start on your first quilling design. I often get asked "what is the most important quilling tool that one cannot do without?" To this, I reply that free quilling patterns are perhaps the most important to have, though I may be biased in my opinion. Free quilling patterns can allow you to have a clear idea as to what end pattern you want to achieve. There is a clear danger that, unless you have a set pattern in mind that you want to create, you end up working aimlessly through your quilling tasks and end up wasting your materials, cash & time!
If you want to find a plethora of information for all your quilling needs plus free quilling patterns, then check out this amazing website i found.
Other sites worth checking out:
Free Quilling Patterns - The Most Essential Quilling Tool to Have!
Free Quilling Patterns - The Source for Your Quilling Inspiration!
Free Quilling Patterns - Simply Instrumental to Successful Quilling!