How does one properly hand-roll a cigarette?

there's no trick. Spread a fair amount of tobacco evenly in the middle of the paper. Using thumb, index and middle finger, gently roll the paper back and forth, smushing the tobacco together into a nice cigarette-y shape. Give it one good big roll, then fold the non-adhesive end of the paper under the adhesive end. Roll up the cigarette, then give a good lick on the adhesive end, then seal the deal.

Thanks, hstencil. That's basically what I understood it as but I'm fucking awful at doing anything by hand.

You know, they also sell them pre-rolled.

stencil said it best

I am just crabby because that recipe sounds so delicious and I can't smoke.

In the days when I smoked I rolled my own for three years and became quite good at it. The following instructions are from not-very-fresh memory. I quit a long time ago.

The quality of the tobacco is the most important factor. Tobacco that is dry and unevenly shredded, with largish pieces rolls poorly. Bull Durham was horrible. Top was better, but still pretty bad. I favored Drum as the far superior product.

A good preliminary step is to 'fluff' the tobacco slightly by pulling the strands apart into a more airy mass before placing it into the paper. Fold the paper about one-third of the way up from the ungummed bottom to form a vee for the tobacco to sit in. Start rolling nearer the middle to avoid the tendency to bulge there. Work your rolling motion several times over, moving your fingers closer to the ends after the middle seems right.

When the loose tobacco is rolled into a nice cylinder you are ready to finish up. Roll the bottom edge up around the cylinder of tobacco so the bottom's edge touches the paper above the tobacco. Get it to fold under so the tobacco is completely wrapped in the paper. Lick the gummed edge and roll your cylinder shut as evenly as you can.

It takes practise to be good. It will amaze and amuse your friends. One friendly word of warning. Rolling your own in a public place attracts a lot of comment, always the same.

I like to let thee paper fold up a tad, when the bottom edge hits the top part on the other side of the tobacco, it gives it a little firm seam. yeah i prefer the pre-rolled ones too though because then all you have to do is smoke it.

sometimes crumpling the paper up into a ball then openining it up again, without really smoothing it out too much helps beginners. practice practice practice

those little roller gizmos are kind of cool too. i used to buy a bag of filters, and sit down for a little rolling session, maybe doing 30 or 40 at a time before getting too annoyed. you end up with nice little perfectly round cigs