Valentine quilling

Looking for a new, elegant and inexpensive craft to pick up during the winter months? Joyce Gillelan of Weston, Ont., wrote to us with the perfect suggestion: the delicate craft of quilling. It's easier than you think! Simply roll thin strips of paper around a toothpick or needle to form decorative furled shapes, then use these to create three-dimensional designs with the lacy look of filigree.

Joyce's instructions for the basic techniques begin below. Once you've mastered these, try your hand at a pretty quilled photo frame, card or keepsake box for your special Valentine. With a little imagination and enthusiasm, you can go on to more challenging and intricate designs.

VALENTINE QUILLING

General instructions

You need:
• 3 mm (1/8-in) wide precut quilling paper strips available at craft supply stores OR cut your own from sturdy paper using scissors or a paper cutter (the paper should be thin enough to curl but sturdy enough to hold its shape)
• Round wooden toothpick, hat pin or corsage pin (for curling)
• Piece of corrugated cardboard
• Quilting pins, 4 cm (1-3/4 in) long
• White craft glue
• Toothpicks (for applying glue)
• Tweezers
• Waxed paper
• Masking tape
• Tracing paper
• Muffin tin (optional)
• Damp cloth
• Clear acrylic sealer

To make basic quilled shapes:
1. To learn the rolling process, use scrap paper strips to practise coils. Lightly dampen fingertips and end of a 10 cm (4-in) paper strip. Fold end of strip around toothpick or hat pin. Grip fold between thumb and index finger and roll tightly to begin with, keeping edges even. Loosen tension as you continue to roll but make sure the centre coil does not unwind.

For a tight coil, remove toothpick or pin and glue the outside end of the paper strip to.the coil with a dot of glue applied with a toothpick (Diagram 1). For a loose coil, let the coil unwind until it is the desired size then glue end (Diagram 2). For an open coil simply. let it spring free (Diagram 3).

2. Once you've mastered the basic coils, practise quilling these shapes with a 10 cm (4-in) strip of paper.

Heart scroll: Fold strip in half. Roll ends inward toward the centre crease forming a heart shape (Diagram 4). Do not glue. Simply reverse the direction of the coils to form a V scroll (Diagram 5).

S scroll: Loosely roll one end of strip toward the centre then roll the other end toward the centre in the reverse direction forming an S shape (Diagram 6). Do not glue. To form a C scroll, roll both ends of strip toward the centre (Diagram 7).

3. Trace pattern outline onto tracing paper or design your own pattern on paper. Tape tracing to cardboard and cover with waxed paper. Tape in place. Assemble all the coils and scrolls needed for the project. You may find it helpful to organize them in the compartments of a muffin tin. Using tweezers, arrange each quilled piece on the waxed paper following the design underneath. Use a toothpick to dab a tiny dot of glue on sides of pieces at points where they touch each other. Hold design in place with quilt pins stuck into the cardboard. When glue is dry, remove pins, spray design with sealer if desired. Glue design to project.