It is believed Quilling has been practiced since ancient
Egyptian and/or 4th Century Grecian times. Although they obviously would not have
used paper in the 4th century, it is believed the Greeks used thin metal wires
to decorate containers, especially boxes, and Egyptian tombs have been found containing
similar wire shapes akin to modern quilling. During the Renaissance, Nuns
and Monks picked up the art to decorate book covers and religious items. They
used gilded paper strips in order to imitate the original metal wires. The name
"Quilling" is said to be derived from the fact that the Nuns and Monks
originally used feather quills as their tool to roll the paper. Later, the craft
spread throughout Europe and to the Americas, where it was considered to be an
appropriate hobby for the "Ladies of Leisure" of the time. Newspaper
advertisements for some boarding schools in the American Colonies listed "Quill-Work"
among the subjects taught.
