A quilled monogram letter turns a plain card into something people keep. You stand a narrow strip of paper on its edge, bend it around the outline of a letter, and glue it down so the letter rises off the page. Cecelia Louie of Paper Zen shows the whole outline on a lowercase k, with a clever trick for keeping every straight side straight.
How to make a quilled monogram letter: the short version
- Print or trace your letter onto a card or a template.
- Fold the strip along the outline, making a sharp crease at every corner.
- Check the folded shape against the template before any glue goes on.
- Tape a stiff plastic card down as a straight edge.
- Glue a few segments at a time, lifting the rest out of the way.
- Join the last corners and let it dry flat.
Picking a letter and a font
Chunky, simple fonts are the easiest place to start. Straight sides and clean corners are far easier to bend than tight curves or thin serifs. A lowercase k like this one has lots of corners but no curves, so it is good practice. Print the letter at the size of your card front. A 4.25 x 5.5 inch card or a 6 inch square both work well. If you plan to frame the monogram, go bigger so the outline has room to breathe.
Folding the outline
Lay the strip right on the template and follow the line. Crease each corner with your fingernail so it is crisp. If you lose track of which way the next bend goes, set the strip back down on the letter and look. A strip cut from a letter-size sheet may not reach all the way around. That is fine. Plan one or two joins and hide them at a corner where the seam disappears.
The plastic card trick
An old gift card or transit card with a clean edge makes a ruler that also holds the paper up. Tape it down along one straight side of the letter with removable tape. Push the strip against it while the glue grabs, and that side stays dead straight. Move the card for each long edge.
Gluing without a mess
Pour a small puddle of tacky glue and dip only the bottom edge of the section you are placing. Lift the rest of the strip away so it does not drag through the glue and smear the card. Glue the anchor segments first. Once they hold, the floating parts are much easier to set. For the final corners, pick up a dot of glue on a needle tool and run it along the edge before you press the two ends together.
Ways to use a quilled letter
Leave the outline plain for a clean modern look, or fill it with tight coils, scrolls and tiny flowers. Make a birthday card with the person's initial, a framed nursery monogram, a wedding card or a gift tag. Grandchildren love seeing their own letter.
Common problems
- Wobbly sides. Use the card edge, and give the strip a gentle tug as you press it down.
- Glue showing. Too much glue. Dip less and wipe the tip.
- Corners that do not meet. Recheck the folds on the template before gluing.
New to quilling? Start with paper quilling for beginners, then add a quilled daisy inside your letter. Turn it into a card with how to make a card or a handmade thank you card.
