Kick Start Your Quilling - A Guide to Supplies and Tools

Flashback 2 years- as my niece's first birthday approached, I wanted to make her something unique and personal that she could treasure. I then went back to my original Creative Pinterest board for inspiration. Within, I found the world of quilling. It was fascinating and challenging and I had unlimited time (I was working freelance at the time.)

I started as I usually do, creating a new board and started searching all corners of the Web. Here's the results:

A Crafter's Essentials - My Tool Box

I am one of those people that goes to craft stores and just wanders all the isles- looking for inspiration, ideas, and maybe some things I could use. If you haven't guessed it, I come from a house of crafting. My mother was an avid crafter when I was a kid, as she still is today. Back in the day, she made school projects fun and Halloween inventive. Every single one of my Halloween costumes was handmade and it started as a teeny tiny idea. I was a 'run away hospital patient,' and The Statue of Liberty (everything matched green- even my skin) to name a few. Once my sister won a 'Crazy Easter Bonnet Contest' in which my mother used a full sized hula hoop as the rim- I will have to find a picture, I made the newspapers, LOL. The only change since my childhood, is that now, she has me who is just as crafty and encourages her craziness. We bounce ideas off of each other everyday. Which leads me to the whole point of this post- One sunny day we went for a stroll through Michael's as usual and we had nothing specific to buy so we just strolled and chatted. I could not believe the things that she didn't have, that I use EVERY DAY- things that were My Essentials. So here- I share my tool box.

One note- I do A LOT of different types of crafts. I shall explain.

• If you are EVER cutting anything with an exacto knife or a rotating blade- this is a MUST NEED. This will allow you to apply as much pressure as you would like, need or accidentally use.
• If you craft with glue- this protects your work space and makes it easier to apply to your projects.
• Hot glue gun? Definitely need this. You have no clue how many times I've gotten hot glue places that it is impossible to remove. I have melted countless things. I mean c'mon- who hasn't? This will make it okay- or at least allow you to hide it from your significant other or roommate. No- this is one not heatproof- it is just there to protect your surfaces. You can buy heat resistant ones if you will need that frequently.
• You need measurements frequently? Solves that issue too. There is a measurement grid with angles.
• I am sure I will come up with more reasons why this is essential- but you get the picture.
• Check out this Fiskars 12x18 Cutting Mat from Amazon for $13.99. You can find better quality and different sizes on Amazon, Michael's Craft Store and more. There are also self-healing ones as well as heat resistant like this Fiskars Heat Resistant Silicone Craft Mat from Amazon for $21.99.

• This has been amazing. I have this one (right). I love that it is clear/frosted so I can I line up what I am measuring exactly. It is durable plastic and I have beaten mine to hell, but use it everyday.
• Cutting paper? Just line up this board and cut along the edge= perfection.
• Cutting fabric? Quilting? Same thing - perfection.
• This really is perfect when using an x-acto knife or rotating blade- just cut alone the edge.
• Take a look at OFLA 6x12inch Frosted Ruler from Aamzon for $10.07. You can get the exact same one at Michael's for $15.99.


• I was very hesitant with this purchase- I am not a fan of very sharp blades. I do use this very frequently. I originally bought it when I started Paper Quilling for precise cutting in small and narrow spaces. Also it is great for positioning the small pieces very close together. You will need a blade as thin as the paper- this will do it.
• The blade is so thin and the point is perfect, this will be more handy than you think.
• Any paper craft? This is a must hand. It will give you more freedom than you can imagine.
• Using duct tape to craft? Overused your glue and need to trim some off? Precision right here.
• I bought mine from Michael's years ago. Similar to this one on Amazon with a Safety Cap for $5.90. There are probably cheaper options. Mine did not come with a safety cap, so now I tape the blade when I am storing it.

• This tool is essential for certain crafts- not all.
• It is vital with fabrics. I had a bad habit of not cutting straight or smooth lines with scissors.
• When used with the Ruler Board (above)- it makes cutting fabrics a cinch.
• When cutting paper or scrapbooking- this works great.
• You can check out this Straight Handle Rotary Cutter from Amazon for $9.54 (you can buy the exact same one at Michael's for $15.99.) 
• You can buy different sizes. Mine is the smallest option. This one has a sliding blade protector, but there are also ones with automatic blade covers.

 

• I originally bought this when I started Quilling to make my own Quilling paper but my own paper was not as effective as paper created specifically for this purpose (see this post on that info).
• I now use this so much that I keep extra blades in my toolbox (although I have never needed one just out of the blue- only replaced it once or twice in several years).
• Cutting paper? No questions about it- this is essential. Straight lines guaranteed every time. Works with different paper weights including card-stock.
• Do you have a cricut or silhouette cutting machine? One of my struggles was trimming the vinyl that comes in a roll. This slicing board makes cutting vinyl or other materials used in those machines.
• Trimming edges? Do I need to say more?
• I also should mention that all your cuts will be perfectly measured every time seeing as there is a ruler on the mat.
• Check out this 12 Inch Fiskars Portable Scrapbooking Trimmer from Amazon for $14.99 or a very similar 12 Inch Fiskars Recycled SureCut Trimmer in Black for $10.78.

• Not kidding you, I misplace scissors like it's my job. I highly recommend not buying cheap-o scissors. They will probably not cut smoothly or will wear out or break easy. What I recommend, every time you are in a craft store or section, look for good quality scissors on sale and stock up while they are cheap.
• You need scissors for every craft project- Yarn, paper, cardstock, Quilling, quilting and so on.
• One recommendation I see frequently is to have designated scissor for each material- I've tried this but as I said, I lose scissors like it's my job. So that never worked for me. The time I had with using the same scissors for different materials is only when I use a cheap pair of scissors. 
• In all seriousness- invest in at least one good pair.
• These Fiskars Non-stick Titanium Softgrip Scissors on Amazon (below) have been amazing for me. I have used these for most of my crafts in the past several years. I have the 5 inch ones, which are $6.97 and for the 8 inch- $7.97 on Amazon. I bought them at Michael's but it seems they are so much cheaper on Amazon.

 

• Yup- you'd be surprised. I use a cheap pair that came in a manicure kit that I got at the drug store.
• Anything small? Beads, Quilling paper, scrapbooking, so on and so on.

 

• Because you know pencil sharpeners are easier to lose than scissors.
• These Paper Mate ones are my favorite and lead is easy to find.

 

• Clear, aluminum, 6inch, 12inch, any really- I usually have a few throughout my house because you never know when you will need a straight edge or a quick measurement.

 

• My tool box changes depending on what craft I am working on. My big items, like my cutting mat and ruler board are always on my work station. My slicing board is next to or under the table I am using. Sometimes it's my desk, other times it's my coffee table. All my smaller items I move into different boxes/containers depending on the craft, that way I have easy access to all my supplies.
• This week it a utensil holder for your kitchen spoons. It works this week because I am working on hand journaling and using a lot of pens- makes everything easy to grab.
• Last week, my tool box was a small bin- I was making a wind catcher. The open top was great because I could see all my supplies, like all my different threads and beads. I also had the smallest rubbermaid container to put beads that I was using- it made it easier to pick and take than the small tube they came in.
• A good guide:
• Make sure everything is easily accessible- so one that has an open top or removable lid. 
• Portable but sturdy- you want to be able to take it to wherever you craft, but you don't want something that is flimsy and can break/collapse. 
• Try HomeGoods- that is always my go-to for things like this. You can find all sorts of things that would work great as your tool box.

• Other things I use all the time no matter the project:

• Cups/pen holders- I love to find pretty mugs and use them to store my pens, markers, scissors, msc.
• I use a computer desk (without a desktop computer), so I have an empty keyboard tray. I use this Organizer Tray (for your Scrapbooking Case) on the keyboard tray. I bought it for cheaper at Michael's 2 years ago. I love this tray because it has movable dividers and it is meant for your 12x12 scrapbooking paper case that you find at the craft store, so when I need to move it, it's very easy and secure. 
• And lastly -It is what you make it-.

Balloon Ceiling Birthday Surprise

Last year, my cousin went all out for my birthday. She decorated my room without me knowing and popped confetti bombs at midnight. Her birthday was a month later, Dec. 20th. I wanted to go all out- so off to Pinterest again! I found an awesome idea! A Balloon Ceiling!!!! It was going to be a challenge seeing as we were roommates at the time and she was going to be home. The plan was to line the hallway outside of her room.

        

Give yourself some time to figure out the best options. It took me about a week to plan and complete (please note that I was working 45+ hours that week, so it took longer than you probably could). The night of, it took about 5-6 hours to complete the project with me and another person.

1. Helium Tank-

I looked for a decent priced helium tank. Any tank you could buy just outright were going to be expensive for the amount of balloons I needed. So I turned to rentals and found a party store (Party Fair) an hour away with good prices. I got a medium tank to be sure not to run out- we definitely had enough. The rental was per day, so plan around when you can pick up and drop off.

2. Balloons- 
I ended up just buying balloons at Party Fair as well since I was already there. I chose 3 different colors in 12 inch latex. I bought a package of 72 each. Be careful with the type of balloons you want to use. Make sure to check how long they stay inflated. Regular latex balloons usually deflate within 18-24 hours.

3. Curling Ribbon-
I usually have rolls of curling ribbon handy (similar to: these on Amazon). I didn't use more than half. I also had scissors on hand but did not use them. The length of the ribbon was long enough that it kept its natural spiral. You can buy cheap rolls of curling ribbon in a lot of stores including Walmart.

4.Extras
Being the crafty person I am, I went to Walmart's craft section and looked for extra stuff to bring this project to the next level. I ended up with matching confetti, Happy Birthday signs, some streamers, and star shaped cardboard cutouts (picture to the right) to dangle from the ribbons. These were great because they had pre-punched holes and came in different sizes and colors. See Foil Paper Stars (Silver-5pk) from Walmart.

I originally wanted to inflate the balloons a day or two in advance and hide them in my walk-in closet. I am glad I didn't because as I said above, latex balloons deflate and wilt within 18-24 hours. Make sure to plan accordingly to workaround this, or look into other types of balloons. 

I did not think this was completely through ahead of time. At first I wanted to just fill them in my garage however there were two issues. First- the ceilings were extremely high, making it difficult to grab them. Second- thankfully my helper made a good note- helium tanks make a lot of noise and our garage was directly under her bedroom. As a precaution, we decided to inflate them in the farthest corner from her room on the same floor, which ended up to be my walk in closet. We slowly moved the completed ones into my bedroom until will had finished. Since most had ribbons already, moving them into the hallway was extremely easy.

Ask for help! I asked several people who agreed but then at the last minute didn't. I thankfully had one of my cousins helping me. If it were just me, it wouldn't have happened. Blowing up balloons is a long and tiring process. We were able to switch off tasks so we didn't wear ourselves out completely. One of us inflated the balloons and the other tied the knots. It would have been nice and quicker if we had an additional person to tie the ribbons too. If you are planning on doing a larger space, definitely look into getting more than one tank and a bunch more of people.

1. Tie the ribbon to the balloon after you put the knot.
After my cousin inflated about 25, I realized we should have been tying the ribbon to the knots as they were being inflated. Although he was tall enough to reach them, it became difficult with the amount of balloons we had. The 20-30 that did not have ribbon, were very difficult to move- we ended up using a broom and almost hit the fire sprinklers on the ceiling. Learn from my mistakes- tie the ribbon as you make the knots. It made it so easy to grab a handful of 50-60 balloons at once.

2. Cut ribbon ahead of time and you don't have to worry about exact length.
I made the ribbon all different lengths so it would be a mix when you walked through it. If you do all the same length, I would think it would be to uniform and flat.

3. Move the balloons to the final spot before adding extras.

After we filled the hallway with all the balloons, we went through and hung the star cutouts by the ribbon falling from the balloons. I scattered them around-not too many. The added bonus to the stars- as the day went on and the balloons started to deflate, they acted as anchors for a few (picture to the right.) We then hung the Happy Birthday banner right by her door and threw confetti everywhere. *NOTE* Confetti is very difficult to clean up*

4. Be ready for the cleanup.
Something I didn't expect was the next night when I got back home, 95% of the balloon were deflating and now lined the floor. With the amount of balloons we had, it became a hazard, especially with all of the ribbon. There were so many that the whole hallway floor was covered and some were flowing down the stairs. It only took 10-15 mins to clean up. I only mention it to prevent the hazard I created for myself.

It took the two of us roughly 5-6 hours to finish the whole project. When complete, the entire ceiling had 3-4 layers on balloons. With the ceiling lights, the light shined through and gave the whole place a fun pinkish tint.