Wrap Around Door Handle in the Middle of the Cup

For most door handles, there are several ways to wrap, which are generally similar. But for rare cases, the approach might be a little different. For example, a door handle that sits right in the middle of the cup, which can often come with a van.

To perfectly wrap around it with vinyl wrap film, a relief cut is a must. And you will have to make it directly on the handle itself. This can be a risk because you might accidentally cut on the handle and damage it.

Thus, before you make your cut – even before you apply the wrap to the surface, put a few layers of masking tape onto the handle. Make sure they cover up the handle from top to bottom and become thick enough.

Once the handle is safely and completely covered, you can then apply the vinyl wrap film to the section. Bridge the material over the cup area. Use the triangle technique to pull the material and create glass with one hand. And use the other to do 45-degree angle strokes with your squeegee, making sure the film is flat and firm.

When the surrounding area is settled, use a finger to go along the outside edge of the recessed area, and form the material well. You can then use your finger to get a clue from the handle in terms of where and how wide it is (you can even make a temporary hinge on the edge of it), which can help you make precise cuts later.

When you are confident enough, find the middle point of the width, and cut from this point top to bottom - directly in the middle of the handle. Make sure you have sharpened your knife beforehand and cut with a light touch of the tip though, even though the masking tape underneath can more or less keep you from damaging the handle.

At this point, you can pick the material up from the middle, where the cut has split up the film. You should be able to do it easily as the masking tape has lowered the surface energy so that the vinyl wrap film will not grab the handle. Use your finger to press and lock the material at a corner, then make a 45-degree angle from the corner towards the middle. Do the same thing at all the four corners.

You can then use your finger again to go along the inside edge. Work and form the material evenly within the inside area. You can now feel free to pull the material from the middle when you need to. Be patient and feed the material in bit by bit. When you finally come to the edge of the handle, tuck the material behind, and cut the excess film away. Here you have a perfectly wrapped door handle cup.