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Here’s a piece of trivia for you. The inventor of the modern pedal-powered bicycle was a Scottish blacksmith with the most fantastic name: Kirkpatrick Macmillan.
This doesn’t help you with your current predicament of trying to gift wrap an item that was never intended to be wrapped in flat sheets of gift wrap, sticky tape, and ribbon. However, I suspect that Mr Macmillan has been chuckling about the particular problem that you’re facing now, ever since he invented the pesky contraption way back in the 19th Century.
There are just too many sticky-out bits on a bike to wrap easily, aren’t there? Pedals, wheels, saddle, handlebars, the list goes on and on. Not to mention the fact that bikes are so big that they take up whole forests’ worth of gift wrap…and the sticky tape used for a single bike would probably stretch to the moon and back.
I decided to do some research to see if there were better ways of gift-wrapping bikes that looked great and were easy to do. Along the way, I found out the answers to some other gift wrap and Christmas queries. So, before you hurl that bike and the gift wrap out the window in frustration, let’s take a look, shall we?
How to wrap a bike for Christmas – don’t try this at home
First up, let’s deal with the elephant (or bike) in the corner of the room.
It is technically possible to wrap a bicycle with the gift wrap and sticky tape. How do I know this? Well, I watched this video here. Fancy individually wrapping the spokes? Nope, me neither. The video is only a couple of minutes long and this disguises the fact that it took this poor woman about 15 hours (!) to fully wrap this bike.
Now, let’s imagine that you’d spent 15 hours of your precious life gift-wrapping a bike like this. Would your gift recipient be happy when they received their special gift….? No! They would absolutely hate you! Why? Because it would take them another 15 hours of unwrapping before they could actually use their new bike!
Folks…there are better alternatives.
How to wrap a bike like a reindeer?
Ha! You’re a glutton for punishment, aren’t you? Okay, so just because a bike has handlebars that, maybe in a certain light, look a little bit like antlers, it does not mean that it’s a simple task to wrap up a bike that looks anything like a reindeer.
You could take weeks to get something that looked vaguely reindeer-like. But, look, if you’re still keen then have a look at this. This was a bike wrapped up as a reindeer by a professional origamist called Mark Bolitho.
Let’s all look at the bike, with an appropriate amount of respect for all Mark’s hard work, and then move along to some (much simpler) gift wrap options that are achievable by mere mortals like you and I.
How to wrap a tricycle?
For our purposes, a tricycle is no different from a standard two-wheeler. Yes, it’s got one of those extra round things on the bottom, but apart from that, it’s basically the same.
You’ll be pleased and relieved to hear that ALL of the methods below will work perfectly for tricycles. Put the roll of gift wrap back in the drawer and stand the scissors down.
Stocking stuffers for bike riders
By itself, a bike is an awesome, expensive, and very impressive gift that will give the lucky recipient years of fun and exercise. But sometimes it’s nice to pop in a couple of little extras into their stocking alongside it, isn’t it?
Here’s a fab stocking filler to team up with that new bike:
I remember that, as a child, I’d get through a huge number of batteries for my bike lights. Though even when I had fresh batteries installed the lights never seemed to provide much illumination.
Thankfully, that’s all changed these days with bike lights that are mega-bright like these. This set has got Li-ion rechargeable batteries that you just charge up with a USB cable as you do with your phone. You can never have too many lights when you’re out on a bike in poor light and these certainly let other people know that you’re there.
How to gift wrap a bicycle
Okay, let’s take a look at some of the best methods of wrapping a bike for Christmas.
This is a fantastic jumbo plastic gift bag and, like all the options on this list, is a very easy solution to your current challenge. Here’s the process:
- Put the bike in the gift bag
- Tie the cord
- Stand back and admire your work
It really is that simple. This is for bikes up to adult-sized. If you’ve got a smaller bicycle to gift wrap, then go for this bag.
These gift bags are cute and a bargain price. No mess and no fuss and the large bag comes in three different color options. Plus, it helps disguise the shape of the bike, doesn’t use up rolls of gift wrap, and is reusable.
This bag from TUYU is a great option if your gift recipient will be taking their bike with them from place to place.
It’s also a great option for disguising the shape, although you’ll need to loosen the handlebars and turn them 90 degrees. Just remember to re-set them and properly tighten them when the gift has been unveiled.
This gift wrap option is my absolute favorite.
On the one hand, it’s a practical heavy-duty storage cover that’s designed for covering and protecting bikes when they’re outside from the rain, sun, and any prying eyes.
It also packs up into a really small pouch for storage when it’s not being used. And look at the price – you’d spend more on gift wrap and sticky tape, and this is so much more useful and durable. Really love it.
This is a similar gifting option to the storage cover, but the YardStash III comes with some useful added extras.
It’s really an extra outdoor dry storage unit and will stash a bike and plenty of other bulky items.
Plus, it’s ideal if you don’t have a garage or it’s full of important stuff (AKA junk) like mine is.
How to wrap a bicycle for Christmas
I think I can hear those sleigh bells ringing… or is it the sound of Kirkpatrick Macmillan laughing at folk trying to gift wrap bikes. Sigh…
Save the rolls of gift wrap for presents that are easy to wrap like books or bars of chocolate. Things that don’t have sticky-out bits like handlebars and pedals.
I hope this list of some of the best techniques for gift wrapping bikes is useful and I hope you and your family have a very merry and stress-free Christmas!
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