Underwater Quilling

Background:

Start with a 12" X 12" piece of scrapbook paper that resembles water. Cut a 3-1/2" strip from a 12" X 12" piece of scrapbook paper that resembles sand and glue it to the bottom of the water-colored paper (Figure E). Cut dune shapes from a second sand-colored piece of paper of a slightly different shade and glue the dunes to the far right and far left of the 3-1/2" strip (Figure F). Note: If you prefer, you can watercolor your own background and tear sand-colored card stock to form the sandy bottom and the dunes.

Fish:

• Body: Twirl a 24-inch strip into a loose coil. Pinch the coil into an eye shape.
  
• Tail Fin: Twirl a 12-inch strip into a loose coil. Pinch the coil into an arrowhead shape.
  
• Top and bottom fins: Twirl a six-inch strip into a loose coil. Pinch the coil into a triangle shape. Bend the tip of the triangle into a gentle curve. Repeat for second fin.
  
• Lips: Fold a 3/4-inch strip in half. Bend each end back to the fold and glue.
  
• Finish the fish by gluing the lips to one point of the body and the tail to the other. Glue the top and bottom fins to the midpoints of the curved sides of the body so that the curved points of both fins point toward the tail. Glue on a 5mm wiggle eye.

Octopus:

• Body: Twirl a 24-inch strip into an off-center coil (see Off-center Coil instructions above).
  
• Legs: Curl the ends of a five-inch strip in opposite directions to make a tightly curled S. Use your fingers to gently stretch the tight curls out so that it loosens into a large loose S shape. Make three more and stack them together, gluing each to the one above it at the midpoint.
  
• Finish the octopus by gluing the body to the legs so that the center of the off-center coil becomes the mouth. Glue on two 5mm wiggle eyes.

Jellyfish:

• Body: Twirl a 24-inch strip into a loose coil. Pinch the coil into a gumdrop shape.
  
• Tentacles: Cut six strips of paper into random lengths ranging from two inches to four inches. Run four of the strips through a paper crimper. Use the tool to curl the ends of the other two strips, then use your fingers to press larger waves into the remaining length of the strips (see instructions for Waves above).
  
• Finish the jellyfish by making a tiny tab at the top end of each tentacle and gluing it to the flat side of the body. Glue on two 5mm wiggle eyes.

Sea plants come in many different colors: greens, browns, tans, shades of yellow, blue and more. So choose colors that please you and complement your design; don’t be afraid to use more than one color in the same plant.

• Wavy-leafed plants: Run paper strips through a paper crimper. Cut the strips into random lengths ranging from about 3/4 inch to three inches. Group an odd number of strips together (as few as three or as many as you like) to form a plant shape that pleases you, then glue the strips together at the bottom (Figure G).
  
• Corkscrew-leafed plants: Cut strips into random lengths ranging from about one inch to three or four inches. Wrap each strip in a tight spiral around a toothpick. Slide the toothpick out and the strip will remain curled in a corkscrew shape. Group an odd number of strips together (as few as three or as many as you like) to form a plant shape that pleases you, then glue the strips together at the bottom (Figure H).

• Body: Twirl a 12-inch strip into a loose coil. Pinch the coil into a wide flat gumdrop shape.
  
• Head: Twirl a 12-inch strip into a loose coil. Pinch the coil into a tall thin gumdrop shape. Pinch the sides together tightly just above the flat side of the gumdrop to form a keyhole shape.
  
• Tail: Fold a four-inch strip in half and glue together. Bend this doubled two-inch strip into a J shape.
  
• Fin: Accordion-fold a four-inch strip (folds should be about 1/4 inch). Glue the folds together on one side only to form a fan shape.
  
• Finish the seahorse by gluing the head to the body (the flat side of the head faces one direction, the flat side of the body faces the other). Glue the straight part of the tail to the body so that the tail curves toward the head and tummy. Glue the fin to the midpoint on the flat side of the body. Glue on a 5mm wiggle eye.

Please note: Detailed instructions for the mermaid and other sea creatures to inhabit your scene or scrapbook page can be found in the book Twirled Paper by Jacqueline Lee (see below).