Are you shopping for a handmade, environmentally thoughtful gift for a baby shower or birthday?
If so, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve compiled an impressive gift guide of upcycled baby and toddler gifts for your viewing (and shopping) pleasure. Below you’ll find a variety of beautiful and unique upcycled baby clothing, as well as upcycled baby and toddler toys. And everything’s made right here in Canada!
Upcycled baby clothing
Matching knit beanies + booties by Maritime Moose
Maritime Moose handmakes upcycled clothing and accessories, like the matching knit baby set featured above that is made from 100% upcycled cotton or acrylic. The beanies and booties are made to fit newborns and babies up to around 3 months old.
To make their products, Maritime Moose sources gently-used sweaters and knitwear that are damaged or have some kind of imperfection (e.g., holes, stains or rips) from local thrift stores. The thrifted sweaters are washed, unraveled, and re-spun into spools of yarn so that the yarn can be made into hats, mittens, and more.
- Shipping from Williamswood, NS | Shop all matching baby sets by Maritime Moose
P.S. Maritime Moose is also featured in our Upcycled Gifts Made in Canada (adult’s version) blog post and our 15+ Upcycled Gifts Your Furry Friends Will Love blog post.
Baby bloomers by Les Joues Roses
Les Joues Roses’ baby diaper covers are both stylish and practical and they’re made using upcycled fabrics. They’re also unique because there are a limited number made from each print.
- Shipping from Montreal, QC | Shop all baby bloomers by Les Joues Roses
Newborn dresses + bonnets by Sew it Was
Sew it Was’ adorable baby dresses and bonnets are upcycled from dust ruffles and pillow case edgings. These dresses and matching bonnets are perfect for your baby’s first photos, as a Christening or Baptism dress, or a just because it’s beautiful dress.
The dresses’ elastic necklines make them easy to get on and off and their size is 0–3 months, depending on the baby.
The pictured dress and bonnet are vintage-inspired and are made from a 100% cotton dust ruffle! It features rows of open cutwork, embroidery and little puff sleeves.
- Shipping from Perth, ON | Shop all baby dresses + bonnets by Sew it Was
Knot baby hats by Eco Pretty
Thoughtfully made from repurposed fabric, Eco Pretty’s knot baby hats are both adorable and sustainable! Each hat is double stitched and no two will be exactly alike.
Because the hats are made from upcycled material, the elasticity of the fabrics will vary depending on the fabric type used for each particular hat. To help with any elasticity issues, Eco Pretty has made the hat’s band adjustable, making it easy to ensure a great fit!
- Shipping from Waterloo, ON | Shop all knot baby hats by Eco Pretty
Baby lace headband hair bows by Eco Pretty
Eco Pretty’s hair bow headbands are beautifully created from upcycled lace and fabric. They are stretchy, comfortable and very stylish! Every headband is unique, and the fabric used depends on availability at the time of production. The general size is newborn to 12 months.
- Shipping from Waterloo, ON | Shop all Eco Pretty’s hair bow headbands
Baby leg warmers by Sew it Was
Sew it Was’ baby leg warmers are sustainably made using upcycled socks that would otherwise be thrown in the trash. The cuff has been made to be smaller than the leg for a better fit. They can also be used as arm warmers for children.
- Shipping from Perth, ON | Shop all baby leg warmers by Sew it Was
Upcycled baby drool bibs
Drool bibs + accessories by JuneBird
JuneBird hand sews a variety of colourful drool bibs from upcycled clothing and blankets. The drool bibs are designed to keep the front of your baby’s shirt dry. They are made using two snap closures so they can be easily adjusted.
JuneBird also makes upcycled burp cloths and pacifier clips!
- Shipping from East York, ON | Shop all JuneBird’s bibs + accessories
Bandana drool bibs by Les Joues Roses
Les Joues Roses upcycles pre-used fabric to make these essential, colourful bandana bibs. They are a mix of cotton fabric on top and bamboo double loop terry at the back for both softness and maximum absorption. There are two snaps at the back that are used for adjustment purposes.
- Shipping from Montreal, QC | Shop all bandana bibs by Les Joues Roses
Upcycled toys for babies + toddlers
Pre-loved bears + other friends by Rescued Bears
If you’re looking for a sustainable teddy bear, beanie baby, or other stuffed animal friend for your baby or as a baby gift, Rescued Bears is a wonderful option!
Rescued Bears saves teddy bears and other stuffed animals from ending up in landfills and gives them a new life by working as a teddy bear “adoption” agency. Prior to going to their new homes, each rescued bear or other friend is given their own individually designed clothing made from upcycled materials.
The clothing includes items such as a knitted sweater, a warm scarf, a cozy toque, a handmade bow tie, comfy overalls, or a dapper cardigan. The materials to make the bears’ clothing includes scrap linen from lot8’s reusable bread bags and donated leftover fabric and yarn from family and friends. Blue Bird Bow Ties makes our bears’ bow ties from the material leftover from making their own human bow ties.
With your rescued bear or other friend, you’ll also receive their unique biography, as well as a Rescued Bears postcard!
- Shipping from Toronto, ON | Shop all stuffed animals by Rescued Bears
Related Post: Online secondhand toy stores based in Canada
Tactile blankets + other sensory toys by JuneBird
“Tactile (or sensory) blankets are an excellent approach to offer a youngster with both cognitive and sensory stimulation. A child’s sense of touch is developed as they touch the various textures or tags. As infants reach for the portions of the blanket they want to explore, their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination improve. When a child needs comfort, tactile blankets can provide a soothing feeling.”
— JuneBird
JuneBird’s tactile blankets are made from secondhand fabrics such as clothing and blankets, which in turn helps to keep such materials out of the landfill. Their styles and types of material will vary slightly, depending on what is available at the time of production.
Other upcycled tactile and sensory toys handmade by JuneBird include bean bags, helping hands, and marble mazes.
- Shipping from East York, ON | Shop all tactile + sensory toys by JuneBird
Baby wipes fabric tactile toys by Sew it Was
These upcycled baby wipes fabric toys by Sew it Was are handmade using pre-loved fabrics that includes cotton, flannelette, fleece, knits, baby blankets, pillowcases and clothing. This wonderful tactile and educational toy is perfect for both babies and toddlers. The fabric package includes 20 mystery squares of different sizes, colours, textures, animals, characters and more to keep your child entertained for hours!
The container in the image above is not included. However, you can simply reuse a tissue box or a wet wipes box and stuff the wipe toys inside. That way your baby or toddler can have fun pulling them out, and it’s a great place to store them too.
- Shipping from Perth, ON | Shop all tactile baby wipe fabric toys by Sew it Was
If you’re looking for more places to shop sustainably online for baby and kid toys, check out our list of online secondhand toy stores.
We also have an upcycled gifts adults’ addition gift guide and an upcycled gifts for your furry friends guide, if you’re looking to shop for upcycled gifts for your friends or family, or for your pets or the pet lover in your life!