Quilled Shapes-1

Tight Coil

Quilling is an art of rolling paper strips. The Designs are made out of rolled paper. So the most basic shape is the "Coil" or the "Roll". All the other shapes are created by pinching these coils.

Now we will see how to roll the paper. If you have the quilling needle you can use it or else you can use a tooth pick or a big strong needle(or knitting needle).

When using the quilling tool, hold the tool in your right hand (or left if you are a left hander) and paper strip in your left hand. You should hold the plastic handle firmly. 

Now insert the paper through the slit in the needle, so that a small bit of the paper comes out. Now with your index finger hold the protruding end, by pressing it on to the needle. Roll it once by rotating the needle towards the left hand. While doing this the paper strip held by your left hand should be held a bit tightly. But not so tightly that it may tear off.

                Using Quilling tool

Now keep on rotating the needle again and again till all the strip is completed.

If you are using a tooth pick or a needle, hold it in your right hand and the paper strip in your left hand. Just roll one end of the paper on the pointed end and keep rolling the paper . The rest is all same.

When you reach the end, smear a bit of glue on the edge of the paper and stick it to the coil. Hold it for a few seconds before gently easing it off the tool to get your coil. Or you can turn the tool upside down, ease off the coil and then glue it. This is known as "Tight Coil", "Tight Roll" or "Peg Shape" .

                    Tight Coil

Keep in mind the following things:

• While rolling the strip around the needle, see that the paper is being rolled evenly.
• After every few rolls pull the strip of paper (held in your left hand) a bit tightly so that you get a tight coil.

See even my rolls are not perfect. I need more practise. As they say practise makes a man perfect...So keep practising...

Watch out for more tutorials....