how can i make my own quilling tool and paper?
the craft store in my town only have the quilling kits that are pricey and i’m new to quilling so i dont want to spend that kind of money until i know whether or not i like this craft
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Try using a Guillotine Style Paper Cutter / Trimmer *they’re not cheap either …with the paper of your choice (high quality)
and initially you could use a pair of small/fine needle nosed vise-grips. …*not super cheap
The official quilling tools are usually not “expensive” and the art/craft as a whole is quite cheap as far as crafts go.
To try it on the real cheap … some glue some strips of paper (any paper) and a pair of tweezers.
then go here http://www.myquilling.com/quilling-a-simple-flower
and enjoy!
for a pronged quilling tool find a sewing needle with a reasonably long eye and using a pair of pliers snip the end off the eye leaving enough of it to use with the paper.
for the non pronged tool just use a sewing/darning needle of the size you need and use the opposite end to the eye
as for the paper – it is easier to buy than cut as it can get quite fiddly and not easy to cut all the strips the same width – but for you to try this craft you will need a steady hand, a metal ruler, and a sharp craft knife
good luck
I’ve been using a DIY quilling tool and cutting paper strips for quilling for more that a year.
For the tool I broke the eye of a needle like aussie sheila has already explained. I’d like to add though, that to make it convenient to use you should stick the needle into a wine cork, or even better, a felt tip pen cap. BTW, a wooden toothpick with a slit cut into its end works pretty well, too. I used this makeshift tool when I started doing quilling, if will definitely allow you to try the craft.
As for the paper, I do find it cheaper to cut my own strips. Sometimes it’s the only option if quilling isn’t popular in your country. I don’t like paper shredders for this and haven’t tried a guillotine cutter, so I use a crafts knife and metal ruler. Usually I put 6 to 8 sheets of different colors together when cutting to save time. You can see here how I do this: http://increations.blogspot.com/2008/07/quilling-basics.html. Of course, you’re limited in the colors and the paper isn’t as good as a special one, but this method is good enough if you want to try your hand in quilling.
Good luck!