Upcycled gifts made in Canada

When looking for gifts this year, have you ever thought of getting upcycled gifts for your loved ones or even for yourself?

Buying gifts, whether it be for birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or even a “just because” gift for yourself, can be quite challenging and even stressful, especially when you’re working to live more sustainably.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of upcycled gifts that are made in Canada by local knitters, sewers, and woodworkers. The materials to make these upcycled items are also sourced right here in Canada!

In purchasing an upcycled product, you are buying something that is new, but is made from materials that were destined for the landfill. You’ll also be supporting a local maker. It’s a win-win-win situation!

Upcycled toques by Maritime Moose

Maritime Moose handmakes upcycled clothing and accessories, like the New Funswick toque featured above that is made from 100% upcycled merino wool.

To make their products they source 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 Maritime Moose’s clothing + accessories

Scrap pullovers + hoodies by Green Bean Reloved

Green Bean Reloved handmakes one-of-a-kind sweaters using hand sourced thrifted fleece, specifically upcycled fleece blankets and textile scraps that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Their sweaters each come in a unique design and simply scream cozy.

• Shipping from Kelowna, BC | Shop all scrap pullovers + hoodies by Green Bean Reloved

Upcycled jackets by LIFRIKE

LIFRIKE creates unique, intricately designed shirts and jackets from upcycled clothing. The fabric for their clothing brand is both thrifted and salvaged. It consists of denim or 100% cotton clothes, scraps, old curtains, table clothes, place mats and more. Their products are very popular, so if they are sold out, be sure to check out their Instagram for information on their next drop!

• Shipping from Calgary, AB | Shop all upcycled jackets by LIFRIKE

Upcycled bags by Upcycled Monty

Upcycled Monty creates beautiful, classy, one-of-a-kind bags from upcycled fabric. The fabric is sourced from secondhand shops in Prince Edward Island and includes thrifted clothing, textiles, and bedsheets.

These bags are sold exclusively on Instagram on a first-come, first-served basis. Simply DM @upcycledmonty to make a purchase!

• Shipping from Stratford, PEI | Shop Upcycled Monty’s bags on Instagram

Upcycled fanny packs by Roncy Packs

Roncy Packs upcycles pre-used, scrap and salvaged materials into beautiful, unique fanny packs of all different styles, colours, and sizes. They even have upcycled leather and vegan leather fanny packs, as well as totes and a variety of accessories.

Roncy Packs sources pre-used materials from thrift stores and by donations, material scraps from cutters and upholstery stores, and new rolls of material that have been salvaged by their local textile recycling facility, Viking Recycling, to keep unused rolls from landfills.

• Shipping from Toronto, ON | Shop all Roncy Packs’ fanny packs

Parula Clutches by Worth Mending

Each unique, one-of-a-kind Parula Clutch from Worth Mending is artfully made from small pieces of scrap denim that would otherwise go to waste. The insides of these beautiful clutches are lined with fabric that is either upcycled or vintage.

• Shipping from Kitchener, ON | Shop all Parula Clutches by Worth Mending

Upcycled coffee sack baskets by Ardent Earth

Ardent Earth handmakes storage baskets from upcycled burlap coffee sacks. They’re also lined with deadstock fabric that would otherwise have been thrown in the garbage. These bags are unique since the design depends both on the coffee sacks donated to Ardent Earth, as well as how they proceed to cut the sacks for their basket patterns.

• Shipping from East York, ON | Shop all Ardent Earth’s upcycled storage items

The Wool & Flannel All-Purpose Sack | Hanging Organization Sack by lot8 

lot8’s Wool & Flannel All-Purpose sacks are handmade in Canada from deadstock wool (new but unwanted textiles that would otherwise go to the landfill) and pre-washed flannelette. They are foldable, hangable and are available in two fabric combinations—grey wool lined with dark grey or ivory flannelette.

• Shipping from Stratford, ON | Shop all of lot8’s Wool & Flannel All-Purpose Sacks

The Farmer’s Market Tote | Upcycled coffee sack totes by lot8

lot8’s Farmer’s Market totes are made using upcycled recycled plastic coffee sacks that would otherwise be destined for the landfill. They are lined with pre-washed cotton muslin and their handles are reinforced with durable woven cotton. The totes have boxed bottoms so that they stand when they’re filled, and they hold a ton with dimensions being 14” high x 15” wide x 8” deep. 

• Shipping from Stratford, ON | Shop all of lot8’s Farmer’s Market Totes

The Brunch Tote | Upcycled coffee sack tote by lot8 

lot8’s Brunch totes are made from upcycled recycled plastic coffee sacks. By purchasing one of their Brunch totes you not only get an excellent product, you save a coffee sack that would otherwise be heading to the landfill. lot8’s Brunch totes are lined with pre-washed cotton muslin and their handles are reinforced with durable woven cotton. They have boxed bottoms so that they stand when they’re filled. 

• Shipping from Stratford, ON | Shop all of lot8’s Brunch Totes

The Shirt Off My Back Tote | Upcycled tote by lot8 

lot8’s Shirt Off My Back totes are made from clean shirts that are donated from friends and family. They were originally designed for a local shop as a low-cost solution to a tote. The Shirt Off My Back totes’ uniqueness attracts many customers as they love their shape, their quirkiness, their lightweight texture and the fact that they roll up into nothing when not being used. But most of all, they love the fact that they’re saving one more shirt from the landfill!

• Shipping from Stratford, ON | Shop all of lot8’s Shirt Off My Back Totes

Bunting Garlands by lot8

lot8’s handmade, upcycled fabric bunting garlands are made from deadstock fabrics that would otherwise be destined for the landfill. They are reversible, fashionable and come in a variety of colours. They can be used in countless ways, including room decoration, for birthday parties, celebrations, photoshoots, classrooms and studios! You can purchase lot8’s bunting garlands as shown on their website or you can even contact them to discuss custom lengths and flag sizes.

• Shipping from Stratford, ON | Shop lot8’s bunting garlands

Upcycled Soft Eyeglasses Cases by lot8

lot8’s soft eyeglasses cases are made from 100% deadstock wool. They are lightweight in design, and they can easily fit into a pocket, a purse or even the glove compartment. They conveniently come in two sizes and there are a number of colours to choose from.

• Shipping from Stratford, ON | Shop all lot8’s upcycled soft eyeglasses cases

Upcycled Bit by Bit Coasters by lot8

lot8’s Bit by Bit coasters are handmade using upcycled fabrics. One side is made from linen fabric remnants and the other side is made from deadstock wool fabric rescued from the landfill via Viking Recycling. Purchasing a set of these coasters has many benefits in comparison to traditional styles of coasters. Your Bit by Bit coasters won’t break, their soft surfaces won’t harm your table, they are two-sided so that you have a choice of two colours, and most importantly, they keep fabric from the landfill!

• Shipping from Stratford, ON | Shop all lot8’s upcycled Bit by Bit Coasters

Related Post: lot8 also makes upcycled cat nip toys that are featured in our 15+ upcycled gifts your furry friends will love (made in Canada) blog post!

Upcycled handkerchiefs by Earth Warrior

Earth Warrior makes several lifestyle products from repurposed materials, including the handkerchiefs featured here. These handkerchiefs are made from 100% upcycled Egyptian Cotton bedsheets which makes them very soft to the touch and perfect for your nose. They come in a variety of colours, in packs of three and are 10” x 10”.

Earth Warrior also has their own textile donation program that helps to reduce textile waste in their surrounding communities. If you live in the area and are looking to dispose of some [clean] textiles or fabric scraps, they have drop-off locations in St. Albert, Leduc, Edmonton, and Red Deer. Visit their website for more information.

• Shipping from Parkland County, AB | Shop all Earth Warrior’s upcycled handkerchiefs

Upcycled scrunchies & hair accessories

Upcycled scrunchies and hair accessories are an excellent choice for an upcycled gift! Because there are so many wonderful Canadian businesses that make upcycled scrunchies, we’ve gone ahead and written a blog post to feature these makers.

So, head on over to our Upcycled Scrunchies & Hair Accessories Made in Canada blog post to learn where you can buy upcycled scrunchies and upcycled headbands.

Upcycled pet supplies + accessories

We’ve also put together an upcycled gift guide for pet lovers: 15+ Upcycled Gifts Your Furry Friends Will Love

Related: If you’re looking to wrap your presents with reusable gift wrap, check out our zero waste gift wrap blog post. There you’ll even find two brands that make reusable gift wrap from upcycled materials!

That’s a wrap on our upcycled gift list, so far, at least. If you know of any Canadian businesses that make items from upcycled/repurposed materials, and ship throughout Canada, please let us know in the comments below.

Upcycled disclaimer: please note that fabric types, colours, and patterns will change based on their availability. Upcycled products tend to be very unique and are often one-of-a-kind due to the nature of how the materials are sourced. This means that once a specific fabric style is sold out, there is no guarantee that a product will be made with the same fabric design ever again. But that’s the beauty of upcycled products and what makes them all the more special!