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Craft guide
Paper Quilling Holly Wreath for Christmas
Turn simple paper strips into a small Christmas wreath with curled leaves, bright red berries, and a soft cream bow. This paper quilling Christmas wreath uses a cardstock ring to support the delicate shapes, so you can arrange the greenery without relying on tiny paper-to-paper joins. Alternating sage and forest green gives the wreath a gentle contrast, while three berry clusters leave plenty of room to appreciate the coils.
The project is a useful introduction to two quilling shapes: a loose coil pinched into a pointed leaf and a tight coil used as a berry. Make it at a relaxed pace, especially if you are rolling paper for the first time. The finished wreath is intended for indoor decorating and makes a thoughtful handmade gift.
- Difficulty:
- Beginner to intermediate
- Recommended age:
- 8+ with adult supervision
- Time needed:
- About 45–60 minutes of active making, plus glue-setting time
- Main materials:
- Paper strips, green cardstock, craft glue, cream ribbon
- Finished craft:
- A small paper quilling holly wreath for indoor Christmas decorating
Materials You Will Need -
- One sheet of sturdy forest-green cardstock, approximately 250–300 gsm.
- Twelve sage-green and twelve forest-green paper strips, each 5 mm wide and 30 cm long; lightweight quilling paper works well.
- Nine red paper strips, each 5 mm wide and 10 cm long.
- A small amount of white PVA craft glue, preferably with a fine applicator.
- Approximately 25 cm of cream ribbon, 6–10 mm wide, for a small bow.
- Approximately 20 cm of narrow cream ribbon for a hanging loop.
- A small scrap of green cardstock to secure the loop on the back.
- A washable work mat or scrap paper to protect your table.
Tools You Will Need
Use a slotted quilling tool, scissors, ruler, pencil, tweezers, and two round tracing objects or a compass. A quilling sizing board is helpful for consistent coils but is optional. An adult should help younger makers cut the center from the cardstock ring; use scissors rather than introducing a craft knife.
How to Make a Paper Quilling Holly Wreath
1Step 1: Cut the Wreath Base and Prepare the Strips
Draw a 16 cm circle on green cardstock, then draw an 11 cm circle in its center. Cut around the outer circle and carefully remove the inner circle. Your ring will be approximately 2.5 cm wide. A gentle bend in the cardstock can help you make an initial snip in the middle without cutting across the ring.
Check your strips against the material measurements. Prepare twelve strips in each green shade and nine short red strips. Keep the colors in separate piles so you can alternate them later. If cutting strips yourself, mark several guide points and follow a ruler line; uneven widths make the leaves sit at different heights.
2Step 2: Roll the Green Paper Coils
Slide the end of a green strip into the quilling tool and turn the tool steadily. Keep the paper edges aligned, but do not pull so hard that the strip tears. Slide the rolled paper off the tool while holding it lightly between your fingertips.
Let the coil relax to roughly 16 mm across. Add a very small dot of glue to its outer end and hold that end in place. Repeat with the remaining green strips. Let each coil expand before gluing; gluing it immediately would create a tight berry-like shape instead of an open leaf.
3Step 3: Pinch the Coils into Pointed Leaves
Pinch one side of a loose green coil, then pinch the opposite side. This makes a marquise shape with two pointed ends and a visible spiral inside. Aim for leaves about 25 mm long, allowing small handmade variations.
Shape all twenty-four leaves and arrange them in twelve pairs, with one sage leaf and one forest-green leaf in each pair. Keep the paper walls upright rather than pressing the coils flat. If a leaf becomes overly narrow, gently open its middle before sharpening the points again.
4Step 4: Roll the Berries and Plan the Arrangement
Roll each short red strip into a tight coil. Glue the outer end before letting it expand, producing a small berry about 6 mm across. Make nine berries and group them into three triangles of three.
Dry-fit the twelve leaf pairs around the ring, with their inner points close together and their outer points opening into a small V. Space the pairs evenly and keep the center opening clear. Plan berry clusters near the 2, 6, and 10 o'clock positions, leaving the top free for a bow. Take a quick reference photo before lifting the pieces to glue them.
5Step 5: Glue the Leaves onto the Ring
Lift one leaf at a time, apply a thin line of glue along its bottom paper edge, and return it to its planned position. Work around the ring in pairs. Each leaf needs contact with the cardstock base; do not depend on an unsupported point touching another leaf.
Use tweezers to adjust the shapes while the glue is wet. Avoid filling the hollow coils with glue. Leave the wreath flat until the leaves hold their position. Glue-setting time varies by product, so follow the bottle instructions before moving on or lifting the ring.
6Step 6: Add the Berries, Bow, and Hanging Loop
Glue the three berry clusters onto the ring at the planned positions, placing their bottom edges firmly against cardstock. Tie the wider cream ribbon into a small bow and glue it at the top without covering the center opening.
Make a loop from the narrow ribbon. Glue its ends to the back of the ring and cover them with the small cardstock scrap for reinforcement. Allow everything to dry fully while lying flat. Lift the wreath gently by the base for a first check, then test the loop over a soft surface before hanging it.
Easy Ways to Customize the Craft
Try mint and deep teal greenery for a cooler palette, or burgundy berries for a quieter festive look. Change the ribbon color while keeping the same construction. For a smaller wreath, reduce the base and make fewer leaf pairs rather than crowding full-size shapes onto a tiny ring. A plain cardstock backing circle can turn the wreath into a gift topper.
Where to Use or Display It
Hang the wreath from an indoor cupboard knob, place it in a shadow box, or add it to a handmade gift package. Keep it away from damp windows, outdoor weather, candles, and heaters. Store it flat in a shallow box with enough clearance above the coils. With patient rolling and careful gluing, the open leaves and bright berries become a cheerful little decoration you can bring out each Christmas.
