Bike Wheel Christmas Decor: 14 Ways an Old Wheel Becomes a Showstopper

Bike Wheel Christmas decor is the junk to treasure trend of the season, and it starts with something most garages already have: an old bicycle wheel. Once the tire comes off, the round rim and its thin spokes make a perfect frame for greenery, ornaments, cards and twinkle lights. One recent video of an old wheel turned into holiday decor passed half a million views in just a few weeks, and crafters everywhere are now hunting for rusty rims at yard sales and bike shops. You do not need welding or fancy tools, just zip ties, wire, ribbon and a little imagination. Below are 14 ideas, from a lush front door wreath to a sparkling chandelier and a stacked porch tree. Dust off that wheel and let the fun begin..

Bike Wheel Christmas Wreath for the Front Door

Bike Wheel Christmas decor starts best at the front door. Take the tire and tube off an old wheel, scrub the rim and wrap fresh or faux pine branches all the way around it with green floral wire. The spokes stay open in the middle, so neighbors can still see the wheel shape, and that is the fun surprise. Add a cluster of red ornaments at the bottom and a big velvet bow. The idea took off after this upcycling channel shared its version. Would your door look good with a wheel on it..

You will need: An old bicycle wheel with the tire removed, pine branches, green floral wire, red and gold shatterproof ornaments, a velvet bow, battery fairy lights and a sturdy wreath hanger.

How to make it: 1. Remove the tire and tube and wipe the rim clean. 2. Wire the pine branches around the rim, overlapping each bunch. 3. Add ornaments, the bow and battery lights, then hang it on the door.

Ornament Chandelier Hung From an Old Wheel

Hang an old wheel flat from the ceiling and it turns into a showstopping ornament chandelier. The spokes give you dozens of spots to tie ribbons, so ornaments can hang at different lengths for a sparkly cascade. Wrap battery fairy lights around the rim and tuck in a few pine sprigs so it looks soft and festive. Use a ceiling hook rated for the weight and keep the ornaments shatterproof if kids are around. It looks amazing above a holiday table. Which colors would you hang from yours?

You will need: A bicycle wheel with the tire removed, three equal chains or strong cords, a ceiling hook, shatterproof ornaments, thin ribbon, battery fairy lights and pine sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Attach three chains to the rim and join them at the top. 2. Hang it from a sturdy ceiling hook with adult help. 3. Tie ornaments to the spokes at different lengths and wrap the lights.

Spoke Card Holder for Holiday Greetings

Every December the cards pile up on the counter, but a wheel gives them a happy home. The spokes are thin and evenly spaced, so tiny wooden clothespins clip right on and hold each card in a neat circle. Lean the wheel on a console or hang it on the wall, and add a strip of pine garland along the bottom. As more cards arrive, the wheel fills in like a giant flower. It is also easy to take down and store flat. Where would you put a card wheel in your home?

You will need: A bicycle wheel without the tire, mini wooden clothespins, a short pine garland and a nail or hook if you hang it.

How to make it: 1. Clean the rim and spokes. 2. Wire the garland along the lower part of the rim. 3. Clip each card to a spoke as it arrives.

Bike Wheel Christmas Tree for the Porch

A Bike Wheel Christmas tree is the project that makes people stop on the sidewalk. Stack three wheels from big to small on a wooden post set in a bucket of gravel, so they read as tiers of a tree. Wrap each rim in pine garland and battery lights, then crown the top with a simple metal star. Kids bikes and adult bikes give you the different sizes, and a yard sale usually has all three. It stands up well to wind and snow on a covered porch. Do you have three old wheels hiding in the garage?

You will need: Three wheels in different sizes, a 6 foot wooden post, a bucket filled with gravel, zip ties, pine garland, battery fairy lights and a metal star.

How to make it: 1. Set the post firmly in the gravel bucket. 2. Slide or zip tie the wheels onto the post from largest at the bottom to smallest on top. 3. Wrap each wheel with garland and lights and add the star.

Peppermint Ribbon Woven Through the Spokes

This one costs a couple of ribbon spools and looks like a giant peppermint candy. Weave red ribbon over and under the spokes in one section, then white in the next, and keep going around the wheel. The tight spokes hold the ribbon in place without glue, and the stripes pop from across the room. It is a calm, cozy project for an evening on the couch, and kids can help with the weaving. You can switch the colors to green and gold for a different look. Which candy would you copy first?

You will need: A bicycle wheel without the tire, two or three spools of satin ribbon in red and white, small clips and a velvet bow.

How to make it: 1. Clip the end of the first ribbon to a spoke near the hub. 2. Weave over and under the spokes outward, then start the next color. 3. Tuck the ends at the rim and add a bow.

Bike Wheel Christmas Photo Display

Turn your Bike Wheel Christmas decor into a memory wall by clipping family photos to the spokes. Print favorite shots from past holidays in small squares, then clip them on in a circle with red mini clothespins. Wrap the rim with battery lights so the photos glow at night. Grandparents love looking at this one when they visit, and you can add new pictures every year. It also makes a sweet backdrop for this year’s family photo. Which holiday picture would go right in the center?

You will need: A bicycle wheel, small photo prints, mini red clothespins, battery fairy lights, pine sprigs and a strong wall hook.

How to make it: 1. Print 15 to 25 small square photos. 2. Clip them to the spokes in rings. 3. Wrap the lights around the rim and hang the wheel on a hook.

Tricycle Wheel Mini Wreaths for Windows

Small wheels from old tricycles, scooters and kids bikes become adorable mini wreaths. Wrap one in pine with berries, one in soft white yarn and one in gold tinsel, then hang them on ribbons in a window. Together they look like a matching set, but each one is different. Thrift stores and curb finds are full of broken trikes with good wheels. They also make lovely gifts for neighbors with a small pine bundle attached. How many little wheels could you find this week?

You will need: Two to four small wheels from tricycles or scooters, pine picks, berries, white yarn, felt, tinsel garland and red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Clean the small wheels and remove any rubber. 2. Wrap each one in a different material. 3. Hang them on ribbons at different heights in a window.

Snowflake Wall Art From a Painted Wheel

Paint an old wheel glossy white and it suddenly looks like a giant snowflake. The spokes already point out from the center like snowflake arms, so you only need white yarn and a few clear beads to add the little branches. Hang it on a dark wall so the white really stands out. This piece can stay up all winter long, well past New Year. Spray paint outdoors and let it dry fully before stringing. Would your wall look better in navy or deep green behind it?

You will need: A bicycle wheel, white spray paint for metal, white yarn, clear plastic beads and a picture hook.

How to make it: 1. Spray paint the wheel white outdoors and let it dry. 2. Tie yarn between neighboring spokes in V shapes. 3. Thread beads on the yarn and hang the wheel.

Bike Wheel Christmas Centerpiece for the Table

A Bike Wheel Christmas centerpiece is one of the easiest ideas here and it looks so special at dinner. Lay the wheel flat in the middle of the table, wrap the rim with pine, eucalyptus and dried orange slices, and set small jars of battery lights between the spokes. The flat wheel keeps everything in a neat circle, so it never looks messy. Put a cloth or felt pad under it to protect the table. It works on a round table or a long farmhouse one. What would you tuck between your spokes?

You will need: A bicycle wheel, a felt pad or cloth, pine and eucalyptus, dried orange slices, pine cones, berries and small glass jars with battery fairy lights.

How to make it: 1. Lay the clean wheel on a felt pad in the center of the table. 2. Tuck greenery and oranges around the rim. 3. Set the jars of battery lights between the spokes.

Bike Chain Ornaments With an Industrial Twist

Do not toss the chain when you take apart an old bike. Clean it well with degreaser, then bend short pieces into stars, hearts and little trees and hold the ends together with wire. The links move just enough to make clean shapes, and the metal shines under tree lights. They feel a bit industrial and are a fun gift for the bike lover in your family. Ask an adult to help with the chain tool and wear gloves while cleaning. Which shape would you try first?

You will need: A clean old bike chain, a chain tool, degreaser, gloves, thin craft wire, pliers and red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Clean the chain and break it into pieces with adult help. 2. Bend each piece into a shape and wire the ends together. 3. Tie on a ribbon loop and hang it on the tree.

Bike Wheel Christmas String Art Star

Bike Wheel Christmas string art turns the spokes into a ready made guide. Count the spokes, pick five that are evenly spaced, and wrap red yarn from one to the next to form a star. Keep wrapping in the same pattern until the star looks full and bold. Wrap the rim in green yarn and the whole piece looks like a modern wreath. It is easy to make with teens, and nobody needs a hammer or nails. Would you choose a red star or a gold one?

You will need: A bicycle wheel, red and green yarn, scissors, a small pine sprig and a picture hook.

How to make it: 1. Pick five evenly spaced spokes near the rim. 2. Wrap yarn from spoke to spoke in a star pattern many times. 3. Wrap the rim in green yarn and hang the wheel.

Vintage Bike Porch Display With a Basket of Greens

If the whole bike is too pretty to take apart, let it become the decor. Park an old cruiser by the front door or fence, fill the basket with pine, ornaments and a wrapped box, and wind garland and battery lights along the frame. Hang a small wreath on the handlebars for a finishing touch. Lock the wheels with a stand so it stays steady. It greets every guest with a smile and works through the whole winter. Do you have an old bike waiting in the shed?

You will need: An old bicycle with a kickstand, a front basket, pine branches, ornaments, a wrapped empty box, garland, battery fairy lights and a small wreath.

How to make it: 1. Clean the bike and set it on a sturdy stand. 2. Fill the basket and wind garland along the frame. 3. Add the lights, the bow and a small wreath on the handlebars.

Wheel Mistletoe Hanger for the Doorway

Give the classic kissing ball a fun twist by hanging it from an old wheel. Hang the wheel flat in a doorway with ribbons, tie a bundle of greenery to the hub in the middle, and let ribbons and beads dangle from the spokes all around. It looks like a soft holiday mobile and catches everyone’s eye as they walk in. Use faux mistletoe if you have pets or small kids, since the real one is not safe to eat. Who will you catch under it this year?

You will need: A bicycle wheel, red ribbons, a ceiling hook, faux mistletoe or greenery, florist wire and pearl beads.

How to make it: 1. Tie three ribbons to the rim and hang the wheel from a ceiling hook with adult help. 2. Wire the greenery bundle to the hub. 3. Tie ribbons and beads to the spokes.

Bike Wheel Christmas Wall Cluster Finale

Finish your Bike Wheel Christmas decor with a wall cluster that mixes three of the ideas above. Hang a big pine wheel, a medium ribbon wheel and a small tinsel wheel together over a bench or sofa, overlapping their edges a little. Add battery lights to all three so they glow together. The different sizes make it feel like a planned gallery wall instead of junk. For more ideas that hang from above, see our Chandelier Christmas Decor gallery. Which of these 14 wheel ideas will you make first?

You will need: Three bicycle wheels in different sizes, pine branches, ornaments, ribbon, gold tinsel garland, battery fairy lights and three strong wall hooks.

How to make it: 1. Decorate each wheel in its own style. 2. Lay them on the floor to plan the layout. 3. Hang them on strong hooks and add the lights.