Homemade Valentine's Day Cards

  Paper Curling

What the world really needs is more love and less paper work.

Pearl Bailey

How about a little of both?? My daughter and I explored the art of paper curling or Quilling, something I only just recently learned about, in an effort to make some really fun Valentine's Day cards. Quilling is essentially curling thin pieces of paper around a stick of varying circumference to get different sized spirals of paper. Then you glue the spirals to something else, making a design of some kind, or even using it as scroll work around a piece of art. It very easy and you get some great results for such fun and simple work.

The top and right pictures my daughters designs and I really love the bouquet of colors. I was going to be traditional and stick with reds, pinks, and greens.....but she wanted blue, and I think it really makes it pop!! My girl has got a real sense of style.

So, for this craft you need:

• Thin strips of colored paper (preferably the same width)
  

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• Slim wooden sticks (pencils, paintbrush ends, etc)  thicker = more open curls
• glue
• paper cards (I like to make mine to save some moolah ) 

Just curl the paper around the stick in one spot. Pull it off and allow it to open as much as you would like and then put a dab of glue on the inside of the loose tail and glue it to the rest to hold it together. Let it dry a bit.  Use the glue to make a design on a card. Arrange the curls as you would like, and allow them to dry. Experiment with different techniques: wrap two pieces at once, curl both ends of a strip of paper, fold the curl once it is off the pencil in one spot to make a spade shape (perfect for leaves and buds).....there are endless possibilities.....