Quilling is the art of rolling strips of paper around a simple tool to create elaborate designs that you can use as decorative touches for many different reasons. Although quilling is very time consuming because you are working with small items, it is one that is easy to learn. By combining paper quilling techniques, you can glue several designs together to make a large design.

The basic technique of quilling involves cutting a strip of paper about 1/8 inch wide and three to four inches in length. You need a needle or toothpick or if you wish you can buy a quill. Dampen the end of the paper, usually by licking it, and roll the strip of paper around the quilling tool of your choice. Roll it tightly and then remove the tool. Allow the coil to relax a little but don't let go of it completely - just enough to let it expand a little bit. Glue the loose end of the paper in the center, so that the coil forms a circle. Pinch one side of the circle to make the shape of a teardrop. Then you can make four other teardrops and glue them together to form a flower.

Some of the standard quilling techniques are:

- Diamond Shape. To make a diamond you can either roll the paper around the quill very tightly or have it a bit loose. Once you make the coil, pinch two opposite sides. This technique is often called the marquis or the eye-shaped coil.

- Leaf. If you make flowers in paper quilling, you will want to add leaves to make the flowers stand out. To make a leaf, make the standard diamond shape and then pinch one or more ends of the diamond.

- Oval. To make this type of shape from the paper strip, wind it in a oval shape and take care not to pinch the ends.

- Square. This is another shape made from the basic diamond. Once you have the diamond made, pinch the smooth sides of the diamond to form a square.

- Rectangle. To make a rectangle, you first have to make an oval. Then you pinch the corners to make the shape of a rectangle.

- Star-shaped leaf. To make a leaf that looks like a star, you first have to form a diamond. Take hold of the ends and push them in toward the center so that you form two new points and there will be a curve between these new points.

- Triangle. Form a loose coil to make a three-sided shape. To make this triangle look realistic, you need to try to keep the center as round as you possible can.

- Closed Heart. First you form a triangle, pinch the sides and then push one of the sides inwards to form an indentation.

- Half Moon. Form a loose coil and pinch it on two sides while you keep your finger on the middle of one of these sides to form an indentation.

- Tulip. Form a loose coil on two sides and push one side toward the center.