Image: Sean Misa
Upcycled gifts have oodles of sustainability cred, but not everything eco-friendly on the market manages to avoid looking frumpy. Thankfully, Seattle’s independent artists use recycled materials like metal and vintage hardware, used saris, and discarded dishes to create chic fashion and unique gifts.
Re-thread
Second Mark | Cropped Button-Down Light Blue Chambray with Red Fish | $250
Calley Dawson launched Seattle’s FXRY as a clothing repair studio to decrease waste by using alterations and savvy sewing to maintain old pieces. Then she began Second Mark with Natalie Winkler, who embellishes existing clothing using an embroidery machine that’s an antique itself. This fishy addition to a vintage cotton chambray shirt marries reuse craftsmanship with whimsy.
Fly Bag
Crystalyn Kae | Circle Crossbody Bag in Lagoon Bloom | $295
Local history buffs, midcentury fans, and aviation nerds will be drawn this collection of bags made with unused airline fabric from the 1960s through 1990s—upholstery samples found in the home of a Boeing airline pilot.
Tight Belt
Artcycled | Blue and White China or Birds in a Basket Belt Buckle | $62
Every piece crafted by mosaic artist Darcy Thompson uses found materials, particularly china; she even makes bespoke pieces by commission for people hoping to preserve family heirlooms. Jewelry can capture small fragments of dramatic patterns, but the unique belt buckles are signature items that feature dinnerware pieces several inches wide.
Image: Sean Misa
Ear Gear
Baleen | Halo, Goody, Orcas, Sash, and Mojave earrings | $30–$48
Leah Lawrence and Billy Bartels began Ballard studio Baleen to create affordable fashion, and almost all their materials are recycled in some form—in fact, they pride themselves on not creating waste in their production process. Made from nickel-free metals, their sturdy but delicate earrings seem to float on the ear.
Hot Tins
The Works Seattle | Upcycled Candle–Making Class | $30–50
Anyone who collects vintage tins and pretty yogurt jars can appreciate making candles in creative holders. The Works Seattle, recently relocated from Fremont to West Seattle, offers formal classes and runs a drop-in Maker Bar with materials and some guidance from an instructor. They also sell DIY craft kits.
Sari Not Sorry
Transcend | Veda Reversible Kantha Bomber Jacket | $225
These one-of-a-kind, reversible jackets are the brainchild of Nazia Siddiqui, who wanted to bring the handcrafted clothing of her Indian youth to her new home of Seattle. Hand-stitched by a family in Jaipur, India, using the centuries-old tradition of kantha embroidery, these jackets are made from worn cotton saris. The company now does repair services while employing refugees in Seattle and launched a Sea-Tac Airport kiosk earlier this year.
Unhinged
Iona Handcrafted Books | Capri Signature Journal in Indigo Pebble with Padlock, Lucca Signature Journal in Emerald with Door Hinge | $195–23
Upcycled leather journals with 1800s hardware serve any die-hard romantasy fan. The acid-free paper is ideal for writing, photos, sketching, or even light watercolors. Artist Mychal Mitchell uses a bookbinding technique she learned in Venice, crafting her journals in Fremont using surplus leather and original hardware she sources from flea markets and rural vintage stores.
That’s a Wrap
Frye Art Museum | 3T Scarf No. 3 by JRAT | $150
Known for her maximalist styles and Mendathon events to repair clothing, textile artist Janelle Abbott created JRAT Zero Waste studio. Her series of scarves uses three shirts cut apart and sewn together, riffing on the chenille sewing technique. Frye Art Museum features her pieces in its gift shop.
Published in the Best New Restaurants 2026 issue of Seattle Met.
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