How to wrap a kids bike for Christmas

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Christmas is just around the corner, and while some are still doing last minute gift buying, others are getting started on the all-important job of wrapping. After all there's nothing more gratifying than watching our kids gleefully tearing open their presents on Christmas morning!

Wrapping smaller gifts can be a doddle for many, but what do you do when you're faced with a bike? Even the most confident wrappers might be left scratching their heads at the prospect. So if Father Christmas has tasked you with a challenge this year, we're here with a few tips for how to wrap a kids bike for Christmas.

These tips come from years of buying bikes for growing kids, as well as outsourcing ideas from other parents of cycling sprogs.

Whether you've got a couple of minutes or several hours we've got lots of great ideas on how to gift wrap your child's bike ready for Christmas Day.

If your bike is still in the box check out our guide about how to assemble a kid's bike first.

And if you're still looking for last minute stocking fillers or main event presents, check out our collection of Gifts for Cyclists guides.

How to wrap up a kids bike this Christmas - a guide for busy parents

We've all got different levels of artistic skill, patience and time so we've tried to cover lots of different ways of wrapping a kids bike.

We know most people are very hassled in the run up to Christmas, so we've tried to concentrate on quick, easy and cheap ways to wrap up a bike late on Christmas Eve, that have worked for real parents.

We're very grateful to followers of the Cycle Sprog Facebook page who have kindly shared their photos and advice on how they've covered up and wrapped their child's bike.

Article contents

How to wrap a kids' bike with wrapping paper
How to wrap a kids' bike with a Christmas bike bag
How to wrap a kids' bike with a blanket
Easy alternatives to wrapping a kids' bike

If you're anything like us, the first thing you've thought about is finding a way to wrap up your child's bike with wrapping paper. It's the most obvious way to do it, though it can actually be the most time-consuming and tricky method to get right.

So if you're going to attempt it, we'd recommend doing it right next to where you're planning to leave the bike in the morning, and do it late on Christmas Eve, otherwise carrying it around the house in its wrapped state could lead to tears in the paper and potentially tears for you! Trust us when we say, it's no fun trying to carry it around once it's wrapped.

You'll also need plenty of wrapping paper and sellotape, so this is a better option for smaller wheeled bikes and balance bikes, rather than for bigger bikes.

The most precise method: Some people choose to wrap each individual piece of the bike separately (e.g. handlebars, pedals, wheels, saddle, etc.), which can lead to great success but is very time-consuming. Give yourself several hours if you choose to do it this way.
The least time-consuming method: A more time-effective way is to use wrapping paper to create a big bag around the bike, which will also disguise its shape. You can either do this with the bike standing upright and wrap the paper around it, or very carefully lie it flat on top of the paper before enveloping it
The middle ground method: A good compromise is to wrap each section of the bike separately (e.g. the front, middle and back). It does take a far bit of patience though! You may still need to break it down into individual parts in places, like the handlebars and saddle, but you could wrap around the whole middle section without bothering to wrap the cranks and pedals.
Top tip: Use good quality wrapping paper because really cheap and thin paper will tear easily.

Jodie told us on Facebook that one year her son's dad was determined to wrap his BMX up for him. He went for the middle ground method, and it was obviously worth the effort come Christmas morning!

If you're really going all out on the wrapping you can even order personalised bike wrapping paper.

Christmas bike bag

A much easier way to wrap a kids' bike is to present it in a Christmas bike bag. This is essentially a big plastic sack (with a festive theme!) which you slide the bike inside, so that it looks like a massive present under the tree.

If you're careful with it, you can save the bag for future years. This is extremely handy if your child outgrows their new bike, or you've got a younger child ready for their first bike the following year. The one pictured above is one we've had for almost a decade, and it comes out for use with large presents each year.

Alternatively, you can do as Cycle Sprog reader Dawn did and reuse your bike bag as a Christmas Day table cloth!

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Cycle Sprog reader Alice has a great homemade/eco-friendly alternative to the Christmas Bike Bag: a duvet cover!

She's used old cot duvet bed covers to hide a small bike in the past but says "Now that the boy child has entered the realms of an adult size bike, it might need to be a double!"

Memorable alternatives to wrapping a kids bike

Here are a few lovely ideas from Cycle Sprog readers on how to create that perfect Christmas surprise.

Some are incredibly easy and others require a little bit more effort, but they all had the exact same result: huge smiles come Christmas morning.

They can be very useful if you aren't able to leave the bike beneath the Christmas tree.

"My step dad and mum in the 80s did the best thing! They left arrows around the house from my bedroom together with Santa snow feet.

I followed them until I first found a bell and then a shiny new bike! It didn't matter that it wasn't wrapped because it was such fun!" Sally

"We had a piece of ribbon attached to the bike which trailed from all the way up the stairs!" Anna

"My experience as a kid, and we’ve done the same with our kids, is to let them open all their tree presents first.

Then when they are out of the room wheel the bike out from a place of hiding and act all innocent when they spot it. Don’t forget to have the mobile phone video going..." Stuart