26 Upcycled Gift Ideas

Save money and time on handmade gifts by making one of these upcycled gift ideas. These repurposed gifts are useful and thoughtful.

Are you looking for some quick gift ideas? Upcycling makes sewing quicker and easier since part of the process is already done. These gifts are great for neighbors, friends and family.

Some of these sewing projects are for the home and kitchen, and some of these are great accessories. Some of these are for adults and some of these are for children and babies.

What is Refashioning?

Refashioning is to fashion clothing again or differently. I usually use this to describe when I’m sewing clothing to fit different or to look different, but the majority of the item stays the same.

What is Upcycling?

Upcycling is to reuse material to create something better than the original. I usually use this to describe when I’m sewing adult clothing into clothing for children or I’m sewing clothing into an accessory or house item.

Why sew handmade gifts?

They are unique and custom. You can choose fabrics and colors that the recipient loves which shows that you thought about them. It could fill a need in a way that a store bought item can’t fill. You can also add a name to personalize it even more.
They can be more affordable than store bought gifts. Depending on what you have in your sewing area, you can make handmade gifts cheaper than store bought gifts. It can honestly go both ways with cost, so you have to be intentional about how you spend your money to get the most gifts from your money.
They are a great way to show your love and appreciation. Whenever I make a gift, I think about the love being poured into the item I make it. You can show lots of love with a handmade gift because it shows the time you thought about and effort you put into creating for the recipient.