Unique Gifts & Tools

Quilled Acrylic Gifts

These two blocks shown in the photo above represent just a part of the process that it takes to make a beautiful must have pen.  To make a pen out of quilling paper and acrylic resin Mary starts with a 2 part, liquid acrylic resin that she mixes with quilling pieces then pours it into a mold. After letting the resin harden for about 48 hours Mary takes it out of the mold and cuts it in half using a band saw (this makes the two halves of a pen). A hole is then drilled through both halves of the blank and a brass tube is glued into that hole. Once the glue is dry Mary places the blank on a mandrel (basically a metal rod) and then onto a wood lathe. The lathe then spins the material really fast as Mary use a variety of shaping tools to carve it down to the required size and shape. Once it is the shape/size Mary wants, she sands the finished pieces to a smooth finish. She then polishes it for a nice shine. The final step is to press in the tip/clip/mechanism parts of the pen. Mary then lovingly places it in a box to be shipped to its new owner, so it can be loved and admired by all.  

I asked Mary what she likes the best about making these unique sets and her reply was “getting to see how different each and every one is when they are finished, because no two are the same and knowing they are going to a loving home.”