Short answer. Cut paper as long as the tube plus its width, and as wide as once round the tube plus 1 in (3 cm).
Roll it on, tape the seam, fold small pleats round each end and cover the middle with a sticker. For a quicker wrap, leave 3 in (8 cm) spare at each end, twist both and tie ribbon.
What do you need to wrap a cylinder?
- Wrapping paper that creases well. Thin or medium paper twists more easily than stiff kraft.
- Scissors and a ruler or tape measure.
- Tape, plus double-sided tape if you want the seam hidden.
- A sticker, a circle of colored paper or a gift tag for the middle of each pleated end.
- Ribbon or string, about 12 in (30 cm) for each twisted end.
Keep the gift in its own carton or tube if it is fragile. A wrapped poster tube, rolled blanket or cylinder of biscuits can take a squeeze at the ends. A glass jar or a candle with a bare surface cannot.
How much paper does a cylinder need?
Measure twice, because a roll that is a little too short leaves a gap you cannot fold away.
- Across the roll: measure once round the widest part of the tube with string. Add 1 in (3 cm) for the overlap.
- Along the tube: measure the tube's length and add its width, so each end has enough paper to reach the middle.
Measure the paper to match the tube
Across the roll, the sheet is once round the tube plus an overlap. Along it, the sheet is the tube's length plus its width.
Take a tube 10 in (25 cm) long and 3 in (7.5 cm) wide. Cut a sheet 10.5 in (27 cm) across the roll and 13 in (33 cm) along it. If the paper is slightly wide, trim it before you start, because extra paper makes the ends bulky.
How do you wrap a tube with pleated ends?
This version looks the neatest. The pleats go the same way round, so the end looks like a camera shutter.
A pleated end, closed with a sticker
The pleats all turn one way and meet under one sticker in the middle.
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Lay the tube along the near edge of the sheet and roll it in the paper, keeping the edges square. Tape the seam, using double-sided tape under the top edge if you have it.
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Stand the tube on one end. Fold a pleat about 0.5 in (1.5 cm) wide towards the center, starting at the seam, and hold it with one finger.
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Turn the tube and fold the next pleat so it overlaps the one before. Keep turning the same way, pressing each pleat flat as you go.
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Tuck the final pleat under the first one and press the end flat. Place a sticker over the middle, then repeat on the other end.
Make every pleat about the same width and keep to one direction. Pleats that change size or direction leave a bump that will not lie flat.
How do you wrap a tube with twisted ends?
The candy wrapper twist is the easiest way, and children can do it with a little help. It suits a light, soft roll better than a heavy one.
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Cut the paper the tube's length plus 6 in (16 cm) along the tube, and once round plus 1 in (3 cm) across. That leaves 3 in (8 cm) spare at each end. Roll it round the tube and tape the seam.
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Gather the spare paper at one end close to the tube, pinching it with your fingers where the tube stops.
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Twist the gathered paper 2 or 3 times, not so hard that the paper tears or the tube is dragged out of line. Hold the tube still with your other hand.
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Tie ribbon or string round the twist, then repeat at the other end. Fan out the loose paper with your fingers.
Use a wider overhang for a fat tube, about the same as its width at each end. Hold the wrap by its middle when you give it, since the twists can come undone if someone lifts the parcel by one end.
Which cylinder wrap should you choose?
| Gift | Best wrap |
|---|---|
| Poster tube, rolled scarf or paper towel roll | Twisted ends |
| Round biscuit tin or tall tube of sweets | Pleated ends |
| Soft or light gift | Twisted ends |
| Gift that will be handled or posted | Pleated ends, with a stronger outer box |
A short round tin takes the same pleats; see the round tin steps.
Why do the pleats or twists go wrong?
- The ends are thick and lumpy. Too much paper sticks out past the ends. Unfold it, trim it along the tube to the tube's length plus its width and fold again.
- A gap shows at the seam. The paper is too short round the tube. Add a strip of matching paper over the gap and tape it, or start again with a longer sheet.
- The pleats will not stay down. Press each crease flat with a thumbnail before the next fold, and let the sticker hold the middle.
- The twist tears. Thin paper tears when twisted too far. Turn it only 2 or 3 times, or switch to a thicker sheet.
- The paper is too stiff. Use tissue as a first layer, or choose pleated ends so you are creasing rather than twisting.
What else do people ask about wrapping a tube?
How do you wrap a poster tube?
Use the twisted ends method, since a poster tube is light and the twists take up the spare paper. Check that the end caps are on firmly first, and carry the wrap by its middle.
How do you wrap a bottle in a tube carton?
Pleated ends suit a firm carton. For a bottle without a carton, see how to wrap awkward shaped gifts. Leave a glass bottle in its protective carton, check that the cap is shut and carry the parcel from underneath.
Can you wrap a cylinder without tape?
Yes. Use the twisted ends method and tie a ribbon round the middle to hold the seam. For other tape-free methods, see how to wrap a present without tape.
What if you do not have enough paper?
Use 2 pieces, one for each half of the tube, overlapping in the middle. Hide the join under a broad ribbon or a band of plain paper, then finish the ends as usual. A cloth wrap also works.
Which supplies help with the next wrap?
Keep a roll of paper in a medium weight, a pack of stickers and a few lengths of ribbon in your wrapping kit. Practice on a small off-cut before you start on the real gift.
For the standard box wrap, see how to wrap a present. To finish a twist with a bow, see how to make a bow with ribbon.