How to Make Quilling Paper Hearts : 4 Different Ways!

For the most traditional heart, all that’s needed are two strips of quilling paper, each the same length.  I used 6″ strips for this demo to quill hearts that would be about 3/4″ when finished.  The smaller heart in the photo below was made with 2 4″ strips of paper. Of course, bigger is ok, too!

Roll each strip into a coil, then pinch into a teardrop. If you need a reminder on how to create basic quilling shapes, take a look at my coil video.

Add a little glue between the two teardrops, push them together and let dry. If you’re like me and you’re a quiller who uses straight pins, it can be helpful to use a few at this point to keep the 2 halves of the heart as close together as possible while they are drying.  Other wise, hold them in place until dry.

Once the basic heart is formed, you can jazz it up a bit by adding an outline of a contrasting color. Below, I show how I added another layer to a traditional red heart with an ivory strip.

I start in the top center of the heart and add a very small dot of glue (remember with quilling, less is always more!).  Next, I place a torn end of the new color into the glue and let it set. Once dry, I wind the strip around the outside of the heart, using a teensy amount of glue around the entire edge as I go.

Once I get to the center, I use my needle tool to push the ivory strip into the center of the peak of the heart, so it can follow the shape exactly. In order to really make the outline pop, wrap the heart at least 2 times.

For the third type of paper heart, I thought that instead of a written tutorial with photos, it would be easier to follow a video.

Lastly, I’m going to include a throwback tutorial that I wrote a while back for the Examiner.com.  I still use this approach to quilling all the time and I have a few examples for sale in my Etsy shop right now!

Update: Don’t forget to stop by my latest Valentine’s Day post to learn how to create some super-sweet and simple 3-D hearts, too!

Do you have another way to quill paper hearts? I’d love to hear your technique! Leave a comment below and tell me all about how you make yours!