The Ultimate Guide to Upcycled Gifts on Etsy

Upcycled gifts are the best and they can be great talking points with recipients.

There are lots of tutorials on this site for how to make your own upcycled gifts.  But sometimes you just don’t have time to make all the gifts on your list yourself – whether they are Christmas gifts that come all at once or birthday gifts (they can feel like they come all at once!).  

So we’ve compiled a bumper list of some of the best upcycled gifts available to buy online on Etsy from some super cool small businesses.  

P.S. This post was first published in 2019 but it’s been fully updated.  

Why Etsy?

The reason we are focusing on upcycled gifts you can buy on Etsy instead of another marketplace is because we have found they have the widest selection of upcycled and handmade gifts online so you can buy unique upcycled gifts from the comfort of your sofa!  

Another reason we love Etsy is because it is such a low cost entry to online selling for small businesses and they spend a lot of energy driving traffic to their site – so its a win win for upcycling businesses and eco-conscious shoppers.

Navigating our Etsy Gift Guide

We’ve broken this guide down into sections to make it easier  for you to navigate and find what you are looking for.  

1. Upcycled Jewellery Gifts

2. Upcycled Gifts for Him

3. Upcycled Gifts for Her

4. Funky Upcycled Bags & Clutches

5. Upcycled Clothing Gifts

6. Painted Furniture Gifts

7. Upcycled Gifts for the Kitchen

8. Upcycled Gifts for Pet Lovers

9. Upcycled Gifts for Kids

In all of the sections in this Upcycled Etsy Gift Guide you can click on a photo or caption to go directly to the related Etsy Shop or Product Listing.

NOTE:  Most of the products linked to will be one of a kind or ‘few of a kind’ products.  If we have linked to an individual product rather than an Etsy shop and you find the product has sold already, just click on the shop name above the product title to see if they have similar items for sale.

Upcycled Jewellery Gifts

Jewellery will always be a classic gift to give for any occasion, from Christmas to anniversaries and birthdays.  

Why not give upcycled jewellery a try?  

It has added history and uniqueness that you can’t get from high street jewellers.

We found lots of great upcycled jewellery finds on Etsy.  

This is probably the easiest type of upcycled gift to give – light, cheap to post and something you can be sure they will treasure for years to come.  

When special jewellery is made from upcycled materials it can become a great conversation starter for the wearer.

So this is a great gift to give someone who loves to chat to whoever they meet about upcycling, recycling and reusing the planets resources!

I’ve been a fan of Coffee Pod Creations for a while now and they’ve been featured elsewhere on the blog previously. 

I just love the creativity of this fab little upcycling business!

Upcycled Gifts for Him

The Hipster trend has meant that upcycled gifts for men have become more popular than ever.  

These gift ideas add that quirky vintage flair that any new age dapper gentlemen will appreicate.

We love Ladybird Lane Decor’s tagline:  “When only quirkly will do!”  This one is definetly quirky and fabulous! They have lots of other designs to choose from too!

Upcycled Gifts for Her

There are a lot of gifts on this list in many of the categories to give to the women in your life.  This section is dedicated to some lovely girly gifts to make her feel like you really made an effort to find something special just for her.

Funky Upcycled Bags & Clutches

A brilliantly funky and chic bag can make a great gift, especially when it’s an upcycled bag made from reused, repurposed or recycled materials.  A practical gift and something to talk about!

The secret to buying the right upcycled bag for someone is to have a strong sense of their style, and a clear idea of what situation the bag would be useful.  

Do they cart books to and from university or are they more of a minimalist who only needs a bag big enough for some keys and lippy?  

Do they want to wear their upcycling credentials out there and obvious?  

Or would they prefer a bit more of a subtle upcycled look?

Painted Furniture Gifts

Has your partner been searching for that perfect statement piece to finish of the lounge?

Or do they bemoan the amount of orange pine in your home on a daily basis?  

The furniture painters in this guide not only sell ready made statement pieces on Etsy they also work to commission.  So if you see something you like but it’s not 100% right or you want the same thing done to an existing piece of furniture you already own, you can get in touch with them to see what they can do.  

Made by Murphy is a Glasgow based Furniture Painting business.  You can find her in our business directory.

The Upcycle My Stuff ‘Promise to Upcycle’ Gift Certificate

If you are giving a furniture makeover as a gift and you can’t quite work out the logistics of spiriting off a massive sideboard to be painted without them noticing you can download our Printable  ‘Promise to Upcycle’ Gift Certificate for FREE.  

Just contact your chosen furniture painter, get a quote and book them in.  Then fill in your certificate to give as your ‘physical’ gift that still lets your recipient have a say on how the final piece turns out!  

Your recipient can have all the conversations with the furniture painter you’ve chosen about colours, finishes and techniques – all you are promising to do is pay the bill! 

Coco & Clementine is a Northwich based Furniture Painting Business.  You can find contact details in our directory here.

Upcycled Gifts for the Kitchen

Pretty much everyone has a kitchen.  So if you just aren’t sure what the right gift is, something for the kitchen can be a great option.  

These upcycled finds should give you some food for thought when it comes to picking the perfect gift!

The table centrepieces above are made by Black Isle Boutique.  Great for a quirky farmhouse kitchen or just a horse lover!

All materials used were salvaged from the Black Isle in the Highlands of Scotland.  

Upcycled Clothing Gifts

We don’t recommend buying clothing as a gift for everyone on your list.  

Clothing is very personal, but if you are sure you know your Bestie’s style (and size!) then a piece of upcycled clothing can be an amazing gift.  

If you choose right it could become a ‘go to piece’ in their wardrobe that they will reach for time and time again.  

Baby Got Back Boutique is a cute little shop on Etsy selling a whole range of one off upcycled sweaters and cardigans for kid’s as well as babies. 

Each one has a cute little animal like this guy on it!  And don’t you just love their shop name?

Upcycled Gifts for Pet Lovers

Let’s face it Pet Lovers sometimes get a bad deal when it comes to gifts.  

They often get given any old thing bought last minute with a cat or a dog on it whether it’s their style or not!  

We prefer buying Pet Lovers something both quirky and useful for their pets themselves.  Because if you make the pet happy, you make the owner happy!  

We think these upcycled finds fit that bill.

These cute Doggie Treat bags are made in the UK from upcycled sails!  Such a lovely gift for a dog owner.

Upcycled Gifts for Kids

What better way to teach a child about reuse, reporpusing and upcycling than to give them an upcycled gift and talk about it with them?

We’ve found a range of ideas from Etsy for any age group or gender.

Wool Moons have a huge range of cute one of a kind soft toys made from upcycled sweaters.  They have everything from sloths and Koalas to these adorable astronaut plush toys.

We hope you’ve been introduced to some fabulous Upcycling businesses by our Etsy gift guide!  

Didn’t find the right thing?  There are more fab personalised Christmas gifts on Etsy in this gift guide.

If you prefer to make your own upcycled gifts check out out our article 10 DIY Personalised Gifts You Can Make From Your Upcycled Stuff!

Looking for even more great upcycled gift ideas?

We have a whole section of the blog dedicated to upcycled gifts here.

If you liked it, Pin it to your Etsy Finds or Upcycled Gifts board!