Paper quilling is the art of rolling strips of paper and forming designs from the coils. It does take time to create a quilled design because the strips are so narrow, ranging from 1/8 inch to one inch and only about three or four inches long. However, it is not hard to learn how to quill and anyone of any age can do it - even children. This is not a new craft. It has been practiced since the invention of paper in an attempt to replicate the intricate designs made from gold and silver.

Quilling, today, can be used for many different reasons. The most common is to decorate greeting cards and to decorate pages in scrapbooks. Quilled designs can be glued onto backgrounds, framed and hung on the wall. Some people use them on gift tags, as a decoration for invitations and thank you cards or to add a decorative touch to a photo album.

The first step in quilling is to cut paper of different colors into strips. The most commonly used paper is construction paper or cardstock. Although you can use ordinary paper, this thin paper tends to bunch when youroll it and it will tear easily. You need a quilling tool to wind the paper around. While you can buy a special tool for this purpose, you can basically use any small thin object, such as a needle or a toothpick. For making roses, though, you will need a bought quill with a slot in the top.

You don't need to cut the paper ins trips with a scissors if you don't want to. Simply use a ruler to make sure you have all the strips the same size and holding the ruler firmly on the paper, you can tear the paper down the side of the ruler. Moisten one end of the strip of paper by just touching it to your lips and lightly press it to the edge of the toothpick. If you are using a quilling tool, you fit the paper through the slot at the top to help hold it in place.

Start wrapping the paper around the tool, winding it tightly as you go. Make sure you line up the edges and keep the coil of paper very straight. When you get to the end, gently slide the roll off the tool. If you want the coil to stay tight, glue the piece you have left to the roll as soon as you take it off. Hold it in place with your fingers until the glue dries. You can also use tweezers, especially if you are using Superglue, which will cause your fingers to stick to the paper.

If you want the coil to be a little bit looser than what it is when you take it off the quill, just let the roll go a little so that the paper relaxes a little. Watch the roll as it spreads out and when it reaches the looseness you want, then you can glue in the end piece. If you need several pieces to make a larger design, you will have to measure the coil so that you make all of them the same size.