How to Wrap a Bottle as a Gift

A bottle is one of the most common gifts and one of the hardest shapes to wrap neatly. There's no flat surface to fold against, and the usual approach - just twisting the ends and hoping - tends to end in something lumpy that looks more like a magic trick gone wrong than a considered gift. There are a couple of proper methods, and both take only a few minutes once you know them.

Wrapping a bottle as a gift

The Twist Method

This is the classic technique, and it works well for a single bottle with no box.

  1. Cut a rectangle of paper roughly three times the height of the bottle, and wide enough to wrap around it with a couple of centimetres of overlap.
  2. Place the bottle on its side at one edge of the paper, and roll it up snugly, keeping the paper taut as you go.
  3. Secure the seam with a small piece of tape once fully rolled.
  4. Twist one end tightly just above the top of the bottle, and secure with a short length of ribbon tied in a simple knot or bow.
  5. Twist the other end at the base, folding the excess paper underneath and securing the same way, or simply folding it flat like a sweet wrapper and taping it down.

The result is a neat cylinder with two twisted ends - the classic "bottle-shaped" wrap.

Wrapping a bottle as a gift, image 2

The Box Method

For a wrap that looks more considered, or if you have a suitable box on hand, this method gives a cleaner, more formal result.

  1. Find or make a tall, narrow box the bottle fits into with a small amount of room, or use tissue paper to pack out any gaps.
  2. Wrap the box like any rectangular gift - fold the paper around it as you would for a normal present, folding the ends in at the top and bottom rather than twisting.
  3. Finish with ribbon and a bow at the top, or a simple band around the middle for a more understated look.

This method takes slightly longer but gives a sturdier, more polished result - particularly worth it for a gift being carried or posted.

Finishing Touches

Ribbon does most of the work. Whichever method you use, a well-tied ribbon at the neck disguises any imperfect folds and makes the whole thing look considerably more finished. See our guide on how to tie the perfect ribbon bow for the technique, or our step-by-step guide to how to wrap a present neatly for boxed gifts.

Add a gift tag rather than writing on the paper. A bottle's curved surface makes writing directly on it awkward - a proper tag tied on with the ribbon looks neater and is easier to read.

Choose paper without a strong directional pattern, if possible. Stripes or large motifs can look distorted once wrapped around a curved surface - a smaller repeating pattern or plain colour wraps more cleanly.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

Practise the twist before committing to your final piece of paper. The twist method benefits from a dry run, since the tension needed takes a little getting used to.

Two bottles together wrap well using the box method, side by side in a slightly wider box - twisting two bottles together in one sheet of paper rarely looks as neat.

If the bottle has an awkward label or shape, a paper bag with tissue paper is a perfectly good alternative to full wrapping, and often looks just as considered with the right ribbon finish.

The Most Important Thing

A bottle doesn't need a perfect, seamless wrap to look good - a well-tied ribbon and a bit of care at the ends will always do more work than a flawless fold. Pick whichever method suits the time you've got, and finish it properly.

Shop our wrapping paper and ribbons - designed in our North London studio, printed on sustainably sourced paper. Katie Leamon is stocked at Liberty, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. Free UK delivery on orders over £50.

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