Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn paper quilling
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Quilling rolls narrow strips of paper into coils and scrolls, then glues them into flowers, borders and pictures. It needs little more than paper strips, a slotted tool and glue, and guilds in Britain and North America run teaching days.
GentleUnder £100 / $130An afternoonIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
What you learn
Quilling, also called filigree or scrollwork, starts with rolling strips of paper round a quilling tool. A four-session beginners' course run by Inspire in Nottinghamshire had learners practise coils and scrolls, learn their names and combine them into a heart, a flower, a festive decoration and butterflies, with a look at the craft's history.
At Cirencester College, students made a range of quilled shapes and used them in a box frame to decorate a quote, with all materials included. Virginia ARTfactory's two-day intensive moves from basic tools and methods to more advanced tools, and recommends reading glasses for anyone with limited vision.
The Quilling Guild, founded in 1983, is a volunteer-run UK charity. Membership brings a seasonal 44-page colour magazine, Quillers Today, regional local groups, an accreditation scheme and the annual Celebration of Quilling. In North America, the North American Quilling Guild holds an annual conference, NAQGCON, with workshops and displays at a different venue each year.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| The Quilling Guild, Quaker Meeting House, Liverpool | Full-day Beautiful Borders workshop (July 2026 run); beginners and experienced quillers | Free to members; non-members can join for £10 |
| The Quilling Guild, Shaw, Oldham | Learn to quill open house for beginners, 10am to 4pm, with demonstrations (April 2025 run) | Free to members; £10 for non-members, including a year's membership |
| Cirencester College, Gloucestershire | Two-week evening course, 6pm to 8pm (October 2024 run); all materials included | Fee not shown on the course page |
| Virginia ARTfactory, Manassas, Virginia | Two-day intensive (January and February 2027 runs); ages 15 and up, any level | $119 ($101.15 for members), including a $5 supply fee |
Quilling Guild membership was last listed at £15 with the magazine by post, or £10 for online access only.
How to start
- Book a beginners' class at an adult-education college or arts centre, or a learn-to-quill day run by the Quilling Guild.
- Buy a slotted quilling tool, a pack of 5mm paper strips and PVA glue, and practise tight and loose coils.
- Join a guild for its magazine, local groups and annual show.
Where to go
- The Quilling Guild: membership (UK) UK
- Virginia ARTfactory: Quilling 101 intensive workshop (Manassas, Virginia) US
- North American Quilling Guild (guild blog, with link to its website) US
We opened these links on 11 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Two ways to plan it.
Plan it yourself Free
The links you need to book it, get there, find somewhere to stay and eat, and see what else there is to do nearby. They are searches for you to run; nothing is saved.
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Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
What do you need to start quilling?
Inspire's beginners' course lists a quilling pen or slotted tool (from about £2), 5mm quilling paper strips (from about £2.60), PVA glue, cocktail sticks, tweezers and stiff card for mounting.
Is there a quilling guild in the UK?
Yes. The Quilling Guild was founded in 1983 and is a UK charity. Membership was last listed at £15 with the magazine by post, or £10 online only, and it runs teaching days such as its Liverpool workshop.
Is there a quilling guild in the US?
Yes, the North American Quilling Guild. It holds an annual conference, NAQGCON, with workshops and displays.
Is quilling the same as paper filigree?
Yes. Inspire's course describes quilling as a delicate craft also called filigree or scrollwork.
Where this comes from: Inspire (Culture, Learning, Libraries), Quilling for Beginners - Hucknall Library - Adult Learning; Cirencester College, Quilling; Virginia ARTfactory, Quilling 101: An Intensive Workshop; The Quilling Guild, Membership (membermojo); Charity Commission, The Quilling Guild; Culture Liverpool, Beautiful Borders Quilling Day; Oldham Council What's On, Learn to quill with the Quilling Guild; North American Quilling Guild, blog; All Things Paper, Meet the Artist: The Incredibly Detailed Quilling of Shelly Krzyzewski. Opened 11 November 2026.
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