Wearable jewellery created by quilling or paper filigree, the art which uses colorful strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs can now be learnt at a new workshop here.
IT professional and author Mala Gupta, who has learnt the art form from her 13-year-old daughter is leading the 5-day workshop by Kaagzevar (paper jewellery) at India Habitat Centre here that begins today.
"I learnt quilling from my daughter. It has a meditative effect on me and helps me unwind after a long day at work," says Gupta.
The workshop, she says, will help the participants rediscover their creativity as they design and create their own quilled paper jewellery.
"Many might think that the jewellery that they will make at the workshop will eventually land up in their cupboards, but the truth is that they are extremely beautiful and wearable. Both my daughter and I have been wearing what we create and have received compliments," she says.
Gupta, who has been holding workshops along with her daughter since last year, has created a wide array of paper jewellery in unique designs.
The collection ranges from necklaces, pendants, ear studs to earrings, headbands and finger rings.
The designs are displayed on Gupta's recently created website, kaagzevar.Com.
Gupta realised her daughter's creative potential when she refused to buy her an owl pendant and the latter ended up creating one herself using paper quilling.
An image of the "Wise Owl" pendant is exhibited on the website.
She says, "These days parents are ready to go to any extent to make their children creative, but they should realise that creativity can only come from within, and for that parents should not make everything readily available to the kids."
Gupta and her daughter, Shreya, find inspiration in "anything and everything" around them and use it as ideas to design for their jewellery.
"I don't have to consciously think of ideas. Anything and
everything can be an inspiration. If I am taking a walk in the park and see a leaf, that might just become the design for the next pair of earrings," she says.
To transform the quilled paper skeleton into wearable jewellery, Gupta sources jewellery blanks, metallic strings and other necessary requirements from wholesale markets.
The mother-daughter duo, however, don't see themselves transforming their hobby into a business project.
"We love to make the jewellery and it is a form of recreation for us. Both of us already have a job and school and we don't have any plans as of yet to sell our jewellery," Gupta says.
The workshop is set to continue till June 5.
