Decorate your table this christmas with a dainty paper display

What you need...

• Quilling papers: 3mm, green; 10mm, cream; red
  
• Quilling tool
  
• Paper, cream, red
  
• Card, cream
  
• Wire, 5mm
  
• Oasis
  
• Floristry tape, green
  
• Basket
  
• Tissue paper, green
  
• Pliers, round-nosed

instructions

1. Making a Rose - 1 Take a 22cm length of red 10mm wide paper and snip the corner off one end; this will be the centre of the flower. Use the quilling tool to coil the paper from this narrower end for 1.5cm.
   
   2 Fold the red paper away from you, towards the tool, making sure that the paper is at right angles to the tool. Turn the quilling tool lifting up the paper as you twist so it becomes horizontal. Make another fold again at right angles to the tool, close to the previous fold, and turn the tool bringing up the paper as you twist.
   
   3 Continue folding and turning the paper to the end of the length. Remove the quilling tool and let the paper relax and find its shape. Glue the end in place to finish the rose shape.
   
   4 To make tighter buds, use shorter lengths of paper and for fuller blooms, longer lengths. Glue to a place name card and add green coiled shapes for the leaves.
   

2. Basket of Roses - 1 Place a block of oasis covered with green tissue paper inside a small basket or bowl. Make a folded rose using a cream paper strip, 25.cm wide x 29cm long. Using pliers, loop over the end of a length of wire and slot into the centre of the rose.
   
   2 Hook the wire over the central coil of the flower and fix in place under the rose with tape, then push the end into the oasis. Shape enough roses to cover the basket and add six red ones. For a fuller bloom use a paper length, 25.cm x 42cm by gluing two lengths together to create a longer one. Shape six cream roses from the longer lengths, then push them into the arrangement.
   
   3 For the leaves, coil a ­3mm paper strip, €40cm in length. Pinch at both ends to create the eye shape. Make two more, glue together and fix to the side of a rose; hold it in place while the glue dries. Shape more leaves in groups of twos and threes to fill in any gaps in the basket.
   

3. Crackers - Create three roses and stick them to the tops of plain crackers for an extra bit of glam.