| No one really knows when or where paper filigree | | | | tool because they had hatpins they could use. |
| actually started. However, it is believed that it did | | | | |
| develop very soon after paper was invented. Since | | | | The examples of paper done during the 19th century |
| precious metals were used to create ornate ironworks | | | | were used to decorate wall sconces, tea caddies, and |
| and latticework, the art of rolling paper was intended to | | | | cribbage boards. They were also used to decorate |
| replicate the same designs in a simpler and smaller | | | | family crests so that they had borders, flowers in the |
| fashion. Because paper does not age very well and | | | | corners. At this time, this craft was known as paper |
| can be destroyed when it gets wet, there are not | | | | mosaic and mosaicon. When colonists moved to |
| very many surviving examples of filigree designs from | | | | America, they brought this pastime with them and |
| paper. | | | | used the strips of paper to add decorative touches to |
| | | | | items in their homes. It was at this time it became |
| The belief that this art form originated in religious | | | | known as quilling because the tool used was a goose |
| institutions, such as monasteries and convents, is quite | | | | quill. Some of the colonial women used porcupine quills. |
| possible. These institutions were considered to be | | | | |
| places of learning and scholars. The people spent a lot | | | | In the 18th century, the practice of rolling paper was |
| of their time preparing religious books with gilded | | | | looked upon as a waste of time and many thought |
| edges. They them trimmed these edges so that the | | | | that young ladies would be better off learning how to |
| pages of the book were uniform. Instead of throwing | | | | run a household. The practice faded in favor of |
| way the scraps of strips of gilded paper, they rolled | | | | embroidery. It was not until the 21st century that the |
| the paper and created designs to decorate the covers | | | | interest in paper quilling once again became popular |
| of the books. | | | | with the interest in decorating pages used in creating |
| | | | | scrapbooks. Although you can buy the paper |
| Filigree with paper, also called paper quilling, can easily | | | | decorations already made, many scrapbookers want |
| be created to look like intricate gold or ivory carvings. | | | | to make every part of the scrapbook pages |
| When you look at pictures of book covers from the | | | | themselves. |
| 19th and 20th centuries, you will see examples of this | | | | |
| craft. It was at this time that the art work moved | | | | Paper quilling is time consuming, but the results you |
| beyond religious uses, such as to decorate boxes. | | | | produce from such an activity are well worth the |
| Some of the finishing schools for girls taught this craft | | | | effort. You can decorate invitations and cards in all |
| as one of the subjects in the curriculum. During the | | | | kinds of flowers and designs reflecting the elements of |
| Victorian era, it was quite common for daughters and | | | | nature such as animals. There are basic shapes |
| wives of wealthy households spent their leisure time | | | | involved in quilling and by using variations of these |
| rolling paper to make various designs, usually flowers. | | | | techniques, you can make many others. |
| No matter where they were they always had a quilling | | | | |