If you're new to quilling, there's one shape you can’t miss. Say hello to the teardrop—small but mighty and totally iconic!
What Are Teardrops?
Teardrops are created by rolling a strip of paper into a circular coil, then pinching one end to a point. It’s one of the first shapes you’ll try when you’re learning to quill, and for good reason. They’re a fundamental building block to nearly every design we create, including our logo! The shape is also a nod to the lotus flower, a powerful symbol of purity, commitment, and optimism in Vietnamese culture.
Don’t let its simplicity fool you! Teardrops are the workhorse of quilling. By adjusting the pressure when pinching the initial coil or bending and manipulating it to form other shapes, our artists transform it into petals, wings, and countless other tiny marvels that bring every design to life.
Why We Love It?
Here are a few standout ways we use teardrops in our cards:
🌀 One Shape, Endless Possibilities
The teardrop is more versatile than you’d think. In its classic form, it’s perfect for delicate details, like the insect wings of our “Fireflies” card or the bobber at the end of the fishing line in our "Gone Fishing" design.
Give it a little curve or an extra pinch, and it takes on a whole new personality. Take our "Colorful Seahorse" greeting card, for example. We bend the teardrop to form the seahorse’s crown, adding so much realistic character in just a couple of coils.
🌼 Striking Balance and Symmetry
Placing teardrops, tip-to-tip, is how we deliver harmony and flow to so many designs. In the “White Daisies In Jar” card, we align the pointed end with the stems so the petals fan out just like real daisies reaching for the sun.
🎈Shape-Shifting Dimension
Release the tension in the coil before squeezing, and you get a softer, rounder shape—perfect for the balloons in our “Heart Balloon Bunch” greeting card. Add a bit more pressure to your pinch, and you get a long, elegant teardrop instead, like the quill on the starfish featured on our “Seashell Heart" design.
🦋 Lifelike Details Fill the Page
Teardrops are the foundation of every design. We can manipulate them in an infinite number of ways to create realistic details. In our “Monarch Milkweed Butterfly” card, teardrops are reshaped in countless ways to form the butterfly’s intricate wings.
Why It Matters
The simple teardrop may look delicate, but it’s the heartbeat of every Quilling Card we create. It connects our craft to our Vietnamese roots and gives our artists endless creative freedom to shape flower petals, wings, and so much more. They remind us that even the smallest details can carry deep meaning, turning each Quilling Card into a handcrafted message of beauty, culture, and care.
