DIY Paper Quilling

Once you discover the art of paper quilling, you will realize the many different designs that you can create with this simple craft. Rolling small strips of paper around a toothpick can help you create designs for invitations, thank you cards, pages of your scrapbook or even small gifts you give to family and friends. Different flower designs are always popular paper quilling ideas, but you can use several different designs in each flower. You can make one petal at a time and arrange them around a central point or glue large petals on top of one another to give the impression of a flower that rises right off the background.

If you want to create quilled flowers with a difference, simple snip one edge of the paper strip before you start rolling. Roll the paper really tight will make fringed flowers. If you want to make a paper rose, you need to have a slotted quilling tool. First fit the end of the strip through the slot and wind it around the quill for a few turns to make the center of the rose. Then fold down the paper so that it is at right angles to the back. Continue rolling the strip making sure that you keep the bottom of rose in alignment and letting the edges splay away from the center of the rose. When you reach the end of each folded section, fold the paper again and continue rolling until you only have a small amount of paper remaining.

At this point you can releases the rose from the quill and although you let it relax, don't let go of it completely. If you do the rose will unwind and you will have to start over. Push the center of the rose downwards until you can see the inside rolls of the paper. Now you can glue the paper in place. You will have a little bit of paper left over. Fold this over to cover the glued piece and hold it with your finger until the glue dries.

Flowers are not the only ideas you can use in paper quilling, although they are usually the designs you will begin with. You can also make animal designs using strips of paper, but the process is a little more complicated. To make a quilled mouse for example, you can use three different shapes and glue them together.

Craft stores have books about paper quilling filled with ideas you never thought possible. You can also find many free ideas when you search online. When you get used to paper quilling you can start creating your own designs. The easiest way to do this is to purchase a children's coloring book of simple shapes. Color in the various pictures with different colors that represent the colored paper strips you intend to use.

For Easter, you can make chicks or eggs, for Christmas you can make wreaths or bows, and for Thanksgiving you can make vegetable designs or leaves in fall colors.