Upcycled gifts are made from materials that have been reused or recycled, making them environmentally friendly and often inexpensive. Examples include lacquered boxes made from old stationery and jigsaw puzzle frames. Vintage items can also be repurposed, such as typewriter keys turned into jewelry. Gift wrap can also be made from used packaging.
Upcycled gifts are made from materials that once had another use. Rather than discarding items after their first use, they are recycled or reused to form items attractive enough for gifting. Since the products are reused rather than being thrown into landfills, these gift projects are generally considered environmentally friendly. Recycled gifts can be personal or corporate; they can be very rustic or extremely shiny.
An example of a more refined type of upcycled corporate gift is a lacquered, decorative box made in decoupage using old company stationery. Items such as elegant pens and stationery or fine chocolates can be placed inside each box and given to customers for holidays or customer appreciation gifts. Instead of being thrown in the trash, stationery becomes part of recycled customer gifts. The box can be reused by gift recipients for storage and also serves to remind customers of the business and its name. The parts of the paper not used to create the gifts could be used as rough notepads within the office to further make the project green.
A rustic version of an upcycled gift for family or friends could be making jigsaw puzzle frames that would otherwise be thrown away due to missing pieces. Puzzle pieces can be glued to a frame face down and then painted or decorated and coated with a clear finish. Another upcycled gift idea would be to make patchwork quilts or pillows from clothes that aren’t wearable enough to be recycled at a thrift store.
Other types of upcycled gifts include reusing parts of vintage items that are no longer usable in new ways. For example, some people made jewelry out of typewriter keys or subway tokens. Damaged items in the home can also be used to create gifts, such as using broken pottery to make a mosaic table top or flower vase.
Because a recycled gift reuses an existing item, it’s not only environmentally friendly, but it’s usually inexpensive as well. The possibilities for recycled gifts are only limited by one’s imagination for reusing the items. There are also instruction sheets and craft books available that offer upcycled gift ideas. In addition to gifts made from recycled items, some people also like to make gift wrap and bows from used packaging like foil-lined chip bags or cellophane candy wrappers.
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