How to Make Paper Quilling Flowers

Make a Beautiful Flower From Simple Strips of Paper

By
Rita Shehan
Rita Shehan Head Shot
Rita Shehan
Rita Shehan is a crafting expert and writer focusing on paper crafts. She shares over a decade of paper crafts experience, including quilling, origami, scrapbooking, paper flower creations, and designing invitations. Rita is also the founder of the website EasyPaperCrafts.com.
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Updated on 08/03/20
paper quilled daisies hanging next to a vase

The Spruce / Rita Shehan

Project Overview
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Yield: 3 quilled flowers
  • Skill Level: Intermediate

Paper quilling, also called paper filigree, is the art of rolling, scrolling, and shaping paper strips into delightful designs. Quilling is not new; it has been around since the 15th century but is just as well-liked today as it was hundreds of years ago. This hobby is very easy to learn, doesn't cost a lot of money, and produces beautiful works of art in a short period of time. No wonder it has been popular for hundreds of years!

Flowers are one of the most beloved designs in quilling, and this tutorial concentrates on making a simple daisy from strips of paper. Learn how to make the flower from two paper shapes, and you will soon be on your way to creating more beautiful paper filigree projects.

If you are a complete beginner, you probably already have the simple supplies in your house to get started. Of course, it makes the job easier if you purchase some basic quilling tools, including pre-cut strips of paper to make your flowers neatly curled. However, you can always cut your paper strips by hand.

tools needed to make quilled flowers
Rita Shehan

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Quilling board
  • Slotted quilling tool
  • Needle quilling tool
  • Toothpicks
  • Scissors
  • Paper trimmer/cutter (if cutting paper strips by hand)
  • Craft glue
  • Straight pins (optional)
  • Hot glue (optional)
  • Tweezers (optional)
  • Ruler (optional)

Materials

  • Paper for strips or pre-cut paper quilling strips approximately
  • Small flower pot (optional)
  • Floral foam (optional)
  • Thin wood dowels or wood skewers (optional)
  • Artificial Spanish moss (optional)

Instructions

  1. Construct the Daisy Petals

    You will need to cut six white paper strips to make the daisy petals.

    1. Cut strips to measure 3/8 inches wide by 12 inches long. If you are using pre-cut quilling paper strips, you may need to cut them down.
    2. To make a paper petal, you first have to take a piece of paper and insert it into the slot of the slotted quilling tool.
    3. Hold the tool in your hand between your thumb and index finger and slowly turn the tool so the paper winds evenly around the tip.
    4. Pull the coil from the tool and place it into a circle on the quilling board, and allow the coil to unwind until it is the size of the circle.
    5. Remove the paper coil and glue the end of the strip and let it dry. You may then squeeze the paper coil into different shapes.

    Using a Template Board

    Our board is sized in millimeters, and we used the 25-millimeter circle template, which is a little under 1 inch. If your template board has circles sized in inches, use the 1-inch circle template for your petals.

    quilled paper in quilling template
    Rita Shehan

  2. Squeeze the Paper Coil Into a Teardrop Shape

    1. To form a paper coil into a teardrop shape, you must first pull the inside of the coil gently downwards and hold while pinching one side of the circle to form a point. Your paper circle will now be in a teardrop shape.
    2. Make six paper teardrop shapes to form the petals of your quilled daisy.
    steps to make a teardrop shape quilled paper roll
    Rita Shehan

  3. Make the Center of the Daisy

    1. To make the center of the daisy, you will need two colored paper strips (each about 3/8 inch wide and 12 inches long) and the slotted tool.
    2. Thread one end of the paper strip into the slot and turn the tool making sure to maintain tension.
    3. After you form the center coil place some glue on the end of the paper strip and let it dry. Do not remove the coil from the tool.
    4. Place a bit of glue onto the rolled coil and place another paper strip aligned with the end of the first paper strip.
    5. Roll the second paper strip onto the coil, maintaining tension.
    6. Add some glue to the end of the second paper strip.
    7. Let the glue dry.
    8. Remove the tight coil from the slotted tool.
    tightly rolled quilled cricle
    Rita Shehan

  4. Glue Together Your Quilled Shapes

    1. Arrange the six teardrop petals around the paper coil to form the flower shape.
    2. Glue the teardrops to the paper coil and to the sides of each teardrop shape.
    3. Let the glue completely dry.
    4. After the flower dries you will be able to pick it up and it should hold its shape. 

    Gluing Quills in Place

    There are many tips on how to handle delicate quilled parts. Here are two tips that help when gluing them together.

    1. Tweezers makes it easier to arrange the small quills into place and while gluing them together.
    2. Using straight pins helps to keep the quilled rolls in place until the glue dries.
    three quilled flowers
    Rita Shehan

  5. Plant Your Flowers

    Quilled flowers can be used in card projects, scrapbooking, wall hangings, and as welcoming signs of springtime. Here's how we displayed our flowers in a flowerpot:

    1. Hot glue some thin wooden dowels or skewers onto the back of the flowers.
    2. Place dry floral foam into a small flower pot.
    3. Stick the flowers on wood "stems" into the floral foam.
    4. Cover the top of the pot opening with artificial Spanish moss —what a delightful way to welcome spring or summer!
    quilled flowers in a pot
    Rita Shehan