Gift Wrap Hacks: Two Ways to Wrap a Basketball

Your gift wrapping will be a slam dunk with these two ways to gift wrap a basketball.

You sink a three-pointer when you purchased the ultimate gift for basketball players — a brand new ball. So why flop by ruining the present with poorly executed gift wrapping? Consider these two cool ways from Pro Tips to neatly wrap a basketball.

SIMPLE WAY TO WRAP A BASKETBALL

Don’t let paper put you in a full-court press this year. Put aside the gift paper for this fabric alternative for wrapping your basketball gift.

SUPPLIES

• Fabric (100% cotton or thicker fabric that isn’t see-through)
• Fabric Scissors
• Shoelaces
• Hole puncher
• Rubber bands

HOW TO WRAP A BASKETBALL

1. Using fabric scissors, cut your fabric into a square about four times as wide as the basketball (about 33 inches by 39 inches).
2. Place the basketball in the center of the fabric. You’ll then wrap the fabric around the basketball and bring the sides to a meeting point on top of the ball.
3. Wrap a rubber band around the excess fabric to keep it in place. Make sure the rubber band is wrapped close to the basketball so that the fabric is tight against the ball.
4. Use the shoelaces to cover the rubber band and tie into a decorative bow.

BONUS PRO TIP: To get really creative, use festive printed fabric instead of the simple white variety to give it a more personal feel when giving your basketball as a gift.

BASKETBALL TRICK SHOT WRAPPING

With a box out of the equation, you can turn to creating your own custom gift bag made out of wrapping paper. This technique is perfect for wrapping oddly shaped gifts and will provide a little more mystery when surprising your favorite baller.

SUPPLIES

• Basketball
• Craft paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• Hole puncher
• Two shoelaces tied together

HOW TO GET STARTED

1. Cut the craft paper 30 inches by 30 inches.
2. Create the body of the bag by folding two sides of the craft paper to meet each other. The body of the bag should be about 15 inches wide to ensure enough room for the ball to sit inside the bag.
3. Tape the folded craft paper together where they overlap, making sure that it’s secure from top to bottom.

CREATING THE BASE OF YOUR BAG

1. Measure how wide the base of the bag needs to be by placing the basketball at the bottom of the craft paper and then folding the bottom of the paper up past that point to ensure enough wiggle room for the ball.
2. Open that fold and separate at the middle so it creates a diamond. Flatten the edges of the diamond to make distinct creases.
3. Fold the bottom and top of the diamond down to create two small triangles that slightly overlap at their tips and secure their edges with tape.

FINISHING TOUCHES

1. Now that the body and base of your bag is complete, slide the basketball into the bag.
2. Cut the excess length of the body off of the bag, but make sure you leave enough at the top to fold the paper over.
3. Punch two holes in the folded part of the bag.
4. Lace the shoe laces through the holes and tie into a bow.

BONUS PRO TIP: This custom gift bag is also great if you’re looking for ways to wrap a bike helmet.

Whether you’re gifting a basketball for a birthday, the holidays or because the athlete in your life just made the varsity team, you now know how to wrap one like a pro. Now that you have your head in the game, discover how to gift wrap other uniquely shaped presents, such as a golf driver, yoga mat or a ball glove.