How to Wrap a Circular Gift Like a Pro

We’ve all had this dread-inducing scenario when it comes to wrapping gifts. You’ve just enjoyed wrapping various rectangular and square boxes and next up is… a circular gift… eugh. Panic mode activated.

Circular gifts such as wine bottles, sports balls, and jars can be a nightmare and oftentimes you end up with a gift that looks like you simply threw the wrapping paper at it and hoped for the best! I’m here to change that and show you how to wrap a circular gift like a pro including three particularly effective methods for different circular shapes.

Gather Your Supplies

Before we start out gift-wrapping origami we must gather our supplies and the list is thankfully short:

• Wrapping paper
• Tape or adhesive
• Scissors
• Ribbons and decorative accents

The wrapping paper doesn’t have to be a specific type although obviously you want to match the season and occasion so Christmas wrapping paper for Christmas is essential, etc. Also, you may want to opt for tougher or thicker wrapping paper if you intend to use the scrunch and bon-bon methods I describe below.

Method 1 - The Lift and Scrunch

The lift and scrunch is the easiest method and it helps you disguise any ugly edges, and it can encompass a range of circular shapes:

1. Cut your wrapping paper to size.
2. Place the circular gift in the center of the cut wrapping paper.
3. Place your hands underneath the paper to cup the gift.
4. Slowly and gently, lift the wrapping paper up and around the sides of the gift.
5. Bring the sides of the paper together at the top of the gift.
6. Slowly and steadily scrunch/twist the sides together.
7. Secure the scrunch/twist with a ribbon and/or tape.
8. Add decorations and ribbon as necessary.

The main point is to be careful when lifting the wrapping paper up and around the sides as if the paper is too thin it can rip.

Method 2 - The Traditional Roll and Wrap

If you want to know how to wrap a round gift like a wine bottle there is a simple roll and wrap method. This is the easiest to do as it uses techniques from standard angled gift-wrapping too:

1. Cut your wrapping paper to size.
2. Place your cylindrical gift on one edge of the paper.
3. Roll it tightly while holding the wrapping paper so the entire cylinder is covered.
4. Tape the joint to secure the wrapping paper.
5. Fold over the bottom sections of the wrapping paper in a hexagonal pattern.
6. Tape the bottom to secure.
7. Repeat the same process for the top.
8. Add bows or decorations to cover any gaps at the top.

Rolling the wrapping paper around the gift allows you to create a smooth effect and properly cover the cylindrical shape without any creases.

The tricky part is folding the top and bottom. Typically, the bottom of a cylindrical shape is flat - like the base of a wine bottle and this makes it easier as you can fold the sides over like you would on a standard rectangular gift.

If the top is tapered like the neck of a bottle, you can use the scrunch method described in method one to secure the top.

Method 3 - The Bonbon or Candy Wrapper

Method three is what I like to call the bonbon or candy wrapper method. You are essentially aiming to wrap your gift like a circular candy wrapper with two “wings” sticking out at the sides. This is a fun gift-wrapping method and when you get it right it looks fantastic:

1. Cut your wrapping paper to size.
2. Place your spherical gift on the center of the paper.
3. Bring the top and bottom edges of the paper up over the gift and join in the middle.
4. Tape the joint to secure the wrapping paper.
5. On one side of the gift, carefully scrunch the paper together like a candy wrapper.
6. Tie the ribbon around the thinnest part to secure the scrunch.
7. Repeat the process for the other side.

This method is great for spherical objects but doesn’t really work for cylinders like wine bottles. The most difficult part is scrunching the sides and keeping them in place as you tie the ribbon around to secure them.

Match Your Wrapping Technique to the Shape of the Gift

As you can see, there isn’t a one-stop solution for how to wrap a circular gift. To get amazing end results and to make your gift wrapping look professional you should consider the shape of the circular gift first.

The scrunch or bon-bon methods work fantastically for spherical gifts like balls whereas for cylindrical shapes you can use a more traditional wrapping technique. If all else fails, don’t be afraid to simply place your circular gift inside a nice, dependable square box and wrap that instead!