Paper Quilling Earrings Tutorial - Squashed Dome Earrings

Learn how to make these fun and funky earrings from strips of paper. They are super lightweight and won't drag your earlobes down!

Step 1: We Are Living in a Material World

You will need the following:

*Twelve (12) strips 1/8" thick quilling paper PLUS one (1) extra six inch strip for connector loop (see Step 11)

*Slotted quilling tool (you can use a toothpick if you do not have a quilling tool)

*Your favorite craft glue (regular Elmer's works just fine. I use PPA)

*Quilling dome mold (or use the back of a measuring spoon, a marble, a melon baller, superball, any sphere)

*Measuring tape or ruler

*Small paintbrush (you can use your finger if you do not have a brush)

*Jewelry findings (jump rings, hooks)

Step 2: Tear It Up

I decided to use shades of pink. First we will make one earring. Use six strips of paper for each earring.

Tear off the ends of six strips of paper. This will make for smoother "seams" when we glue the strips together.

Step 3: Get Your Ducks in a Row

Glue all six (6) strips together to make one long line (save the one EXTRA strip from materials list for Step 11).

Step 4: Get Ready to Rock and Roll (or Just Roll, Really)!

Insert one end of the long quilling strip into the slotted tool. Start rolling! And rolling! And rolling! The end you insert first will be at the center of your finished piece. I chose to go from a dark center to a light/white outside.

Towards the end of the strip, you may want to take the coil off of the quilling tool to maintain accuracy.

Step 5: Secure the Premises...

Secure the end of the strip with a small drop of glue.

Allow the form to dry. It will be about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter depending on the thickness of your quilling paper.

Step 6: Shape Up!

Use a quilling mold to create a dome shape. Place the paper form on top of your mold and press the sides down, smoothing the paper to fit the dome shape as much as possible. As you can see, you can use the back of a measuring spoon if you do not have a quilling mold. Marbles, superballs, melon ballers, certain pet toys would all work just fine here too!

Step 7: Push It Real Good...

Use the end of your quilling tool or your finger to press down gently on one side of the dome. Adjust until you get your desired shape. If you mess up, you can always put the form back on the quilling mold and re-do steps 7 & 8!

Step 8: The Main Squeeze

This step is optional. Squeeze the form gently to create a slightly oblong shape. If you want your earrings to be perfectly round, feel free to skip this step.

Step 9: You and Me Baby We're Stuck Like Glue

Apply a moderate amount of glue to the inside of the mold and spread the glue evenly with a small paintbrush or your finger. Do the same to the outside. Apply a moderate amount of glue the the outside of the dome and evenly spread it over the surface with a paintbrush or your finger. Wait for the glue to dry and repeat this step. This will provide stability to the shape.

Step 10: The Rainbow Connection

While your dome is drying, make the connector loop (This will be used to connect the dome shape to the earring hooks).

Take the EXTRA quilling strip and measure approximately three (3) inches of paper. Tear off the three inches of paper and insert the end of the strip into the slotted quilling tool. Roll it into a loose coil, making a very small circle with a hole in the middle. Make sure the hole is big enough to fit whatever size jump ring you will be using!

Apply glue to the inside and outside of the circle and allow to dry.