Learn how to make a quilling circle template using your Cricut Explore (or any SVG compatible electric cutting machine).
How to Make a Quilling Circle Template Board Video Tutorial
Digital Files
Download my free files:
A: Quilling Circle Template - PRINT (PDF)
B: Quilling Circle Template - CUT TOP (SVG)
C: Quilling Circle Template - CUT BOTTOM (SVG)
Method 1: Cutting a Circle Template with Card Stock
Steps:
Print the (A) PDF template onto card stock. You’ll notice there are no circles printed on it, because I’m going to cut them out, so I don’t want any circles in the way.
Import the (B) SVG file into your cutting machine software, to cut the circles out of your printed card stock. The circles are the exact size shown in the printed template.
Import the (C) SVG file into your cutting machine software, to cut the circles out blank card stock. These circles are larger than the ones on the top layer to avoid have to line everything up perfectly when I glue these layers together. When you allow your coil to unwind, it will only touch a single top layer. Cut as many layers as you wish to build up the depth you prefer for your quilled coils. I cut mine from 6 sheets of 80 lb card stock (80 lb = about 218 gsm) for 1/8" wide quilling strips.
Glue all the layers together and let the template dry overnight under a stack of books to ensure your template will not have any bowing.
Method 2: Cutting a Circle Template with Mat Board
Use the Cricut Deep Cut blade and the turn the dial to the last setting before "Custom"
Glue all the layers together and let the template dry overnight under a stack of books to ensure your template will not have any bowing. I cut mine from 2 sheets of mat board for 1/4" wide quilling strips.
Comparisons, How to Use, and Tips for Common Challenges
Do you struggle with making consistent basic quilling shapes using a circle template board?
In my latest quilling tutorial, I’ll show you a couple of circle template boards that cost $10 and $2, and talk about the pros and cons of each.
Learn how to use a circle template board for basic quilling shapes, such as regular coils, eccentric or off center coils, and teardrop shapes.
Avoid common problems beginner quillers face when they’re making these basic shapes, including tension, different types of quilling tools, and varying weights of quilling paper.
In all my tutorials, I share the knowledge I’ve gained since I started quilling in 2006, but I don’t have all the answers. So if you have a great tip or technique to share, please let us know in the comments below so we can all learn and improve, including me!
The two circle templates in my craft room that I use for quilling are from Quilled Creations and a local dollar store. Here are some pros and cons of each:
Quilling Circle Template Board from Quilled Creations: cost $10 US
the dashes link the circles visually so you don’t get them mixed up
packaging shows a suggested quilling paper strip length (see the Amazon photo 4)
Circle Size
Length of Paper (inch)
(cm)
Size 0
16” and over
45 cm and over
Size 1
16” and over
45 cm and over
Size 2
12”to 16”
30 to 45 cm
Size 3
8” to 10”
20 to 25 cm
Size 4
8”
20 cm
Size 5
6”
15 cm
Size 6
4”
10 cm
CONS
the plastic on top of the cork is thin, so my coils can spring out if I accidentally touch it the wrong way
can’t make incremental circles if needed
the difference between the two largest circles is quite a large jump in size, I find myself wishing for more sizes
numbers are not a unit of measure and do not indicate circumference
glue can get stuck to the cork because you can’t wrap in plastic
Plastic Circle Template from Dollar Store: cost $2
PROS
inexpensive
numerous incremental circles
numbers indicate a circumference, which is needed for designing quilling patterns
I can use with/without a cork board underneath
I can protect my cork with a sheet of plastic wrap
I can raise the template up from my surface using foam squares, to help my coils stay in place
CONS
I didn't need all the increments, so it's kind of too many increments
had to guess at the length of quilling paper needed to fill a circle
no circles are the same size, so I can’t do multiple circles as easily
foam squares underneath makes the template bouncy if pressed from above
dashes indicate the circle's center – not needed for quilling
How to Use Quilling Circle Template Boards
1. How to Make Closed Coils
After coiling a strip with either a slotted or needle tool, push it off your tool – never pull or you risk making a tornado.
Place the coil in the circle template and allow it to uncoil. Ideally, the coils should be evenly spaced and the outer ring has unwound far enough to fill the circle.
Use tweezers to pick up the outer rings, near the end, to keep the coil cinched. If you use fingers to pick it up, the coil has a greater chance of slipping, which ruins the circumference of the coil.
Dab a small amount of glue on the end and glue the end down, closing the coil. I love using my Fine Tip Glue Bottle filled with Aleene's Tacky Glue, but you can also use a toothpick instead.
2. How to Make Eccentric Coils or Off Center Coils
After making a Closed Coil (see above), look where the end is located on the outermost coil.
Use a pin to push the innermost coil in the opposite direction of the end, and pin it to your cork board.
Dab some glue across the top of the touching paper coils, smear it flat, and allow to dry.
Lay a finger across the coils as you remove the pin, to ensure the coils are not damaged in case it's stuck to the pin.
When gluing to your quilling project, ensure the glued side faces down and the pretty side faces up.
3. How to Make Teardrop Shapes
After making a Closed Coil (see above), look where the end is located on the outermost coil.
Use a needle to push the innermost coil in the opposite direction of the end.
If needed, adjust the coils to ensure they're evenly space, using a pair of tweezers
Pinch the coil, where the end is located (to minimize its visibility), and allow the coils to relax into a teardrop shape.
Common Problems & Challenges with Using Quilling Circle Template Boards
1. Tension
If the coil doesn't unwind to the edges of the circle, your tension might be too tight. You can fix this by unwinding and rewinding by hand.
If the coil unwinds and the outer rings and doubled up, your tension might be too loose. You can fix this by unwinding and rewinding by hand.
If your disc is uneven before placing within the template, I try to flatten it with my fingers to ensure you don’t have a tornado
After pushing my coil off a slotted tool, I hold it for a second, then place it in the template – I have found that often helps my coil unwind with more consistently spaced coils
If you leave the coil in the template for a long time, it could continue to unwind and you may lose the even coils.
A coil made with a thicker weight of paper (ex: Canson Mi-Teintes) will look different than a coil made with conventional quilling paper, even if they are the same length. There is no right or wrong – it just depends on what kind of look the quiller is aiming for.
Metallic Paper: I find the coating on metallic paper prevents the glue from adhering quickly, so I let the coil stay in the template until the glue has fully set. To glue a metallic coil, pick up a little glue with a needle tool. Look at the direction you picked up the glue. See how some glue coats just one side? Use the clear side to push the coil aside, slide the glue off, and let the coil spring back. Use tweezers to unwind the coil fully against the template.
How would you design your ideal Circle Template Board for quilling?
After making this tutorial, I started asking myself, "What would I do, if I could design my own circle template?" Making quilling patterns is like making a new cookie recipe – I have to write down how I made each element or else it won’t turn out exactly the same. I wish the current options for circle templates provided better numbers for quillers, noting both circumference and length of paper strip needed.
If you could design the ultimate circle template, what would you want it to look like? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for watching and see you next time!
A common problem paper crafters face when refilling glue from a large bottle to a fine tip bottle, is the dreaded air bubble.
Even though my quilling glue bottle is empty, the air is trapped because the glue covers the opening, so you need to "burp" the air out before more glue can be refilled. If you don't expect it to happen, the glue can overflow onto your desk, making a huge mess.
Here is my simple technique to fixing this problem:
Step 1: Get a plastic container (ex. sour cream) and place it under the bottle to be refilled. If you spill, there's less to clean up.
Step 2: Squeeze the empty bottle to push the air out. The amount you squeeze tells you how much room you have for refilling.
Step 3: As you pour glue from the large bottle, trapping the air, release your fingers and suck the glue into the fine tip quilling bottle. You can safely refill with no spill!
Refilling Glue from Large to Medium Bottles
When refilling from a large (16 oz) to medium bottle (4 oz), the natural tendency is to hold the bottle openings close to each other, to prevent any overspill.
However, if you look at the stream of glue, you'll see it's wide near the opening, and tapers as it pours.
Tip 1: My method is to hold the openings about 2 inches apart. I can even squeeze the larger bottle and force more glue out, without worrying about the glue spilling because of the way it narrows as it falls.
Tip 2: If you have challenges holding your bottle steady as you pour, try stacking some books as high as you need, then resting your bottle on top of the books to help keep the stream steady.
Tip 3: When you are finished refilling, brush the two openings against each other to stop the stream, as you tilt the large bottle up.
Customize Your Aleene’s Glue Nozzle from a Pinhole up to 3/16 inches
Did you know you can customize your Aleene’s glue nozzle? You can choose how fast you want that stream of glue to flow, like I did with my 16 oz bottle. A new nozzle has a small protrusion at the tip and you can’t squeeze any glue out just yet. Here are the steps to customize it:
Pinhole
Trim off the protrusion using an x-acto knife. Use a thumbtack to pierce the middle of the nozzle, making a perfect pinhole. The thumbtack has the perfect flat surface for you to push against.
Pros: This pinhole nozzle can be used to smear the glue stream, because the nozzle tip is relatively large and flat.
I love this bottle! I remember doing a little dance of joy in the aisles at Michael's when I found Aleene's Always Ready Tacky Glue bottle! Here's why:
The nozzle is at the bottom, so the glue is "always ready" to be used.
The 1/16 inch nozzle is tapered, so it's very easy to control to make a fine stream of glue.
The cap has a protrusion to prevent clogging and it works well!
I use this bottle when I want to smear my glue puddles for quilling. Why would I smear my glue puddles? Watch this video for Quilling Glue Basics:
Elmer's Glue Nozzles
Some quillers enjoy using Elmer's glue, which already has tapered nozzle. Your hand can go numb trying to squeeze the glue through that small hole when refilling.
Pry the nozzle cap up to expose an inner nozzle of a 1/4 inch diameter
The glue will pour out on either side of the triangular piece used preventing clogging
When you're done, simply place the cap back on and push down firmly to snap it back in place
If you want to put the large nozzle from Aleene's onto an Elmer's bottle, simply swap them! Most nozzles between Aleene's and Elmer's are interchangeable (the Elmer's 1.25 fl oz glue bottle is smaller and won't fit the Aleene's bottles).
Easy Fill Glue Bottle Nozzles
If you don’t want to trim your nozzle, you can buy a 3D printed nozzle from Ana of Her Paper Paradise, from her Etsy shop. The Easy Fill Glue Bottle Nozzle is 1/4 inch (7 mm) wide and allows you to refill from both Aleene's and Elmer's bottles.
