| If you are going to make more than just one or | | | | the quillwork is accidentally glued to the wax |
| two pieces of quilling, you owe it to yourself to | | | | paper, the wax may come up with the design |
| purchase one of the quilling work boards and | | | | when it's removed. I prefer to use clear plastic |
| design guides that are currently available. These | | | | sheets cut from scrap (think old office sheet |
| are quality boards made of dense self-healing cork | | | | protectors and transparencies) or recycled plastic |
| or durable foam that are sturdy and made to last | | | | packaging. Even heavy-duty food baggies will |
| for years. The design guide helps you keep your | | | | work. You can either pin the work board cover in |
| quills straight during assembly, which is very | | | | place, or wrap it around and tape it to the back. |
| important when working with symmetrical | | | | To use, simply slip your quilling pattern underneath |
| patterns such as snowflakes. However, if you are | | | | the cover sheet (plastic or wax paper), pin it in |
| working with a group (Scout troop, church group, | | | | place, and assemble your quilled masterpiece over |
| craft club, etc.), it is not always practical to | | | | the pattern. |
| purchase each member their own quilling work | | | | For symmetrical work, a design guide can be |
| board and design guide. You can make them | | | | created from a piece of graph paper cut to fit |
| instead. | | | | your quilling work board. Count the squares |
| A simple, temporary quilling board can be made | | | | horizontally and vertically to find the center point |
| from any sturdy sheet of cork board, plastic | | | | of your graph paper. Using a ruler and black pen |
| foam, corrugated cardboard, or other similar | | | | or fine-tip marker, draw a vertical and horizontal |
| material. A nice size is 6" x 8", but use what you | | | | line that cuts through the center point to divide |
| have. For my quilling classes, I have taken | | | | your graph paper into fourths. This will give you |
| inexpensive 12" x 12" cork squares, cut them into | | | | 90 degree angles. Next, using the lines of the |
| four 6" x 6" squares, and edged them with | | | | graph paper as your guide, draw an "X" on the |
| masking tape. These work very well, and if one | | | | paper that runs through the center point and |
| happens to get away from me, it can easily be | | | | bisects the quarters. This will give you 45 degree |
| replaced. Go green with a quilling work board | | | | angles. Continue to draw lines running through the |
| made from corrugated cardboard cut from a box | | | | center point to divide your paper into as many |
| that was headed for the trash. When it has too | | | | sections as needed for your pattern. Circles can |
| many holes to be useful, just place it in the | | | | be added to the guide with the aid of a compass |
| recycling bin. | | | | or circle template. Be sure to center the circles on |
| Wax paper makes a serviceable cover sheet for | | | | your guide using the intersection point of the lines |
| your work board. It is handy and certainly cheap | | | | as the center of the circles. |
| enough, however, if too much glue is used and | | | | |