3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs (and how to make them your own)

When people talk about examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs, floral wall art almost always makes the list. Flowers are forgiving, endlessly customizable, and they look impressive even when you’re only using a few basic shapes.

Picture this: a simple white 8×10 cardstock background with a loose bouquet of quilled flowers in one corner, trailing vines and leaves reaching diagonally across the page. It looks like something from a boutique stationery shop, but you can build it one coil at a time.

Why floral quilling is perfect for beginners

If you’re looking for an example of a project that gives you a lot of creative freedom without demanding perfect precision, this is it. Petals don’t have to match exactly, leaves can be slightly different sizes, and you can hide small mistakes under other elements.

Some of the best examples of floral quilling designs include:

• A monochrome blue bouquet for a minimalist, modern vibe.
• A rainbow wildflower cluster framed in a shadow box as nursery decor.
• A single oversized rose with layered petals as a focal point on a wall.

All of these examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs start with the same handful of shapes: tight coils, loose coils, teardrops, marquises (eye shapes), and scrolls.

How to build your own floral quilling design

Instead of a strict pattern, think in layers:

Start with a sketch: Lightly draw where you want your bouquet or floral cluster to sit. You’re not drawing every petal—just the general shape and direction.

Choose a color story: For a modern 2024 look, think dusty rose, sage, and cream; or go bold with teal, mustard, and coral. Trending palettes lean toward slightly muted tones rather than super primary colors.

Build the focal flowers: Use larger coils and teardrops for the main blooms. For example, you might create a central dahlia by stacking multiple tight coils in a circle, then surrounding them with marquise petals.

Add supporting flowers and buds: These can be tiny—just a few loose coils pinched into teardrops, or tight coils in contrasting colors.

Finish with leaves and vines: Long, open scrolls make beautiful vines. Marquise shapes in different greens become leaves.

If you want more structure for your designs, you can find free floral quilling patterns through craft‑focused educational sites, local library resources, or community college continuing education programs (many of which are listed through .edu sites like https://www.mdc.edu). While they may not focus only on quilling, general paper‑craft courses often include quilling modules.

Real‑world ways to use floral quilling

Floral quilling isn’t just for hanging on a wall. Some real examples include:

• A quilled floral monogram as a wedding or baby shower gift.
• A cluster of quilled flowers on the corner of a photo mat.
• A set of matching floral quilled place cards for a dinner party.

These are the kinds of projects that turn basic techniques into some of the best examples of practical, gift‑ready quilling.

2. Modern quilled typography: words, quotes, and initials

If you’re drawn to bold, graphic designs, quilled typography might be your favorite of the examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs. Instead of filling an entire page with curls and coils, you outline letters or numbers and then fill or surround them with quilled shapes.

Think of a big, blocky letter “A” outlined in black cardstock, with the inside filled with swirling strips of teal, mint, and gold. Or a short quote—“Be Kind,” “Create,” “Joy”—done in a simple font, with quilled flourishes flowing around the words.

Why quilled lettering is so popular right now

Letter‑based art taps into a few current trends: personalized home decor, motivational quotes, and custom gifts. On platforms like Etsy and Instagram, some of the best examples of quilled art in 2024 are clean, modern letterforms with restrained color palettes.

Common real examples include:

• A child’s first initial filled with bright, playful quilling for a bedroom wall.
• A wedding date written in quilled numbers and framed as keepsake decor.
• Short, uplifting phrases as office or classroom art.

These examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs show how versatile typography can be—minimalist or maximalist, depending on your style.

Simple process for quilled typography

You don’t need fancy tools to get started. Here’s an easy way to approach it:

Choose your word or letter: Short is better when you’re learning. One to three characters is plenty.

Print or draw the outline: Use a bold font and print it on cardstock, or lightly sketch it with a pencil.

Create the letter walls: Cut slightly thicker paper strips and glue them along the outline so they stand up like a fence. This creates a “channel” you can fill with coils and scrolls.

Fill or frame the letters: Inside the letters, add tight coils, loose coils, and open scrolls. Outside the letters, you can extend lines or shapes to create movement.

If you like structure, you can find free typography templates and layout grids through design and art education resources (for instance, the design basics at https://www.gsd.harvard.edu can help you think about balance and spacing, even if they’re not about quilling specifically).

Design tips to keep your letters readable

One of the best ways to keep your typography from looking chaotic is to:

Use high contrast: Dark letters with lighter quilling inside, or vice versa.

Limit your palette: Three to five colors are usually enough.

Keep negative space: Don’t feel like you have to fill every millimeter. Some of the best examples of modern quilled lettering leave small gaps so the eye can rest.

When you look at real examples of quilled typography, you’ll notice they rarely try to cram in every possible color or shape. They pick a mood—calming, energetic, elegant—and stick with it.

3. Nature‑inspired scenes: animals, landscapes, and seasonal art

The third category in our examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs takes things beyond single flowers or letters. Nature‑inspired scenes let you tell a little story: a fox curled up in the snow, a hummingbird hovering near a flower, a fall tree with swirling leaves.

These projects look advanced, but they’re really just mosaics of simple shapes arranged thoughtfully.

Animal designs: from simple silhouettes to detailed portraits

If you want a very approachable example of nature‑themed quilling, start with silhouettes. Here are a few real examples:

• A cat sitting in profile, filled with tight coils in shades of gray and black.
• A sea turtle made from green and teal marquise shapes for the shell.
• A butterfly with wings built from mirrored scrolls and teardrops.

For more advanced work, some of the best examples include quilled pet portraits, where artists use very small, tightly packed strips to mimic fur direction and shading. You don’t have to go that far to get something beautiful, but it’s inspiring to see what’s possible.

Landscapes and seasonal scenes

Landscapes are another example of how quilling can move beyond small, decorative accents and into full‑blown art pieces. Think of:

• A sunset made from horizontal strips of paper, curled at the edges, shifting from yellow to orange to deep purple.
• A stylized fall tree with a solid trunk and branches, but loose, swirling strips for leaves drifting downward.
• A winter scene with a simple quilled house, a few evergreen trees, and tiny tight coils as snowflakes.

These examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs are particularly popular in 2024 for seasonal decor—people love swapping out framed pieces as the months change.

Planning a nature‑inspired quilling piece

To keep a scene from feeling overwhelming, break it into zones:

Foreground: The main subject—animal, tree, house, or flower cluster.

Midground: Supporting elements like grass, bushes, rocks, or waves.

Background: Sky, water, or abstract color gradients.

You can sketch very simple outlines to guide you. If you’re new to composition, general art‑education resources from universities (for example, drawing and design guides linked through https://libraryofcongress.gov) can help you understand ideas like perspective and focal points, which translate surprisingly well into quilling.

Beyond the basics: more real‑world examples to spark ideas

Once you’ve tried the three big categories above, you’ll start spotting even more examples of inspiring quilling everywhere. Some real examples include:

• Quilled greeting cards: A single flower, balloon, or heart on a blank card. Simple, fast, and endlessly giftable.
• Holiday ornaments: Snowflakes made from white marquise shapes, or tiny quilled wreaths with red berry coils.
• Bookmarks: A strip of cardstock with a small quilled design at the top—perfect for gifting with a book.
• Home decor accents: Small quilled panels mounted on wood plaques or inside small frames for a gallery wall.

These aren’t just theoretical; they’re the kinds of projects you’ll see if you browse quilling tags on social platforms or handmade marketplaces. They show how the same techniques used in the earlier examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs can be scaled up or down depending on your time and patience.

If you’re concerned about hand strain or eye fatigue while working on detailed quilling projects, it’s worth checking general ergonomic and eye‑health advice from medical resources like Mayo Clinic or NIH. While they don’t talk about quilling specifically, their tips on posture, lighting, and taking breaks apply directly to any close‑up craft.

FAQs about paper quilling designs and examples

What are some easy examples of paper quilling designs for beginners?

Some of the easiest examples include single flowers on greeting cards, simple hearts made from two scrolls, basic animal silhouettes (like a bird or cat), and initial letters outlined and filled with a few loose coils. These projects use the same shapes you see in more advanced examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs, just on a smaller scale.

Can I make my own example of a quilled design without a pattern?

Absolutely. Many of the best examples you see online started as rough sketches or even as improvisations. Start with a simple outline—a letter, a flower, or an animal shape—and fill it with coils and scrolls. As long as you work slowly and let the glue dry, you can adjust as you go.

What supplies do I need to recreate these examples of quilling designs?

You only need a few basics: paper strips (or cardstock cut into narrow strips), a slotted quilling tool or toothpick, white glue, and a sturdy background like cardstock. Tweezers and a needle tool help with precision, but they’re optional. These same simple tools can create all of the examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs mentioned above.

How do I keep my quilled designs from getting crushed?

Use a heavier background paper, avoid over‑saturating strips with glue, and let everything dry flat. For wall art, frame your work in a shadow box so the glass doesn’t press against the quilling. Many of the best examples of preserved quilling pieces you’ll see are mounted in frames with a bit of depth.

Where can I find more real examples of quilling for inspiration?

You can browse craft books at your local library, check continuing education or art‑club listings through community colleges and universities (.edu sites), or look at online galleries from craft organizations and museums (for instance, creative collections linked from https://www.si.edu). These sources often highlight real examples from working artists, which can push your imagination far beyond the three categories in this guide.

The beauty of quilling is that it scales with your confidence. Those first wobbly coils can still become a lovely flower on a card. Over time, you’ll look back at these examples of 3 inspiring examples of paper quilling designs—florals, typography, and nature scenes—and realize they’re no longer intimidating. They’re just the starting point for whatever you dream up next.