Paper Quilt Squares
Think beyond fabric and create a quilt square using paper and glue! Quilt patterns or “blocks” often have meaning associated with their arrangement of colors and shapes. Use paper squares to create a new pattern that has significant meaning to you.
Materials:
- Drawing Paper
- Scrapbook Paper
- Glue Stick
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Ruler
Step 1: Trim a piece of drawing paper into a large square. Check the measurement and angles of the paper to make sure that it is square.
Step 2: Begin drawing a grid by making one-inch marks along the top, bottom, and sides of the paper. Connect the marks to form vertical and horizontal lines that form a grid.
Step 3: Use the same grid drawing method on the back of scrapbook paper. Create lines in only one direction.
Step 4: Cut along the lines with scissors.
Step 5: Stack the strips and measure one-inch marks.
Step 6: Make cuts along the length of the stack of strips at the one-inch marks.
Step 7: This process will create one-inch squares. Cut an assortment of colored squares.
Step 8: Find the center squares in the grid. Begin the design in the center and work outward towards the edge.
Step 9: Place colored squares in a pattern. Continue gluing squares until the paper is filled.
Ideas to take your paper quilt squares to the next level:
- Create a series of quilt squares and assemble them into a larger composition.
- Play with the shape of your paper! Instead of a square, create a hexagonal shape.
- Use the geometric shapes to create a representational image, such as an animal or a flower.
Learning and Discussion Questions:
1. Art, craft, or quilt? For at least a century, the debate of “craft or art” has circulated through the creative community. The International Quilt Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln introduces this debate.
2. Enjoy a global perspective on quiltmaking by visiting the World of Quilts, a website hosted by the International Museum of Quilts, focusing on a handful of perspectives within the history of quiltmaking.
3. Quilt patterns or “blocks” often have meaning behind the arrangement of patterns and colors. The Homestead National Historic Park explains a handful of patterns here.
Thank you to our sponsor, PNC Arts Alive!, for helping to make this video possible!
