Quilling… martenitsas

I asked Plamena Petrova for detailed instructions for those wonderful martenitsas. Here’s some of her letter: 

Cut two A4 sheets of paper (one white and one red) into crosswise strips. You can use an exacto knife and a ruler, or a pair of scissors, a shredder or a paper guilotine. Wind the strips one by one with a toothpick, a wooden skewer, a knitting needle or an ordinary needle stick on a pencil eraser. When you have wound the strip tightly, release it to let it take the desired size and then glue the ‘snail’ closed with liquid (or PVA) glue. Stick the paper ‘snails’ together on a plastic ball (a Chrismas ornament, a ping-pong ball, etc.). When you have covered half of the surface, wait for the glue to dry and take the paper semisphere from the ball. Make the other half then glue the two together.

It may look and sound complicated but it’s actually very easy – try it and you’ll see!

Angel and Devil Martenitsas

They were also sent to us by Plamena, Vicky and Krissi Petrovi. Here’s how you can make them: