Yay, stationary! One of life's unnecessary and enjoyable pleasures. CandC stocks a super cute range…read moreof cards, wrapping paper and bits and pieces that are worthy of collection for their own sake, not just for wrapping someone else's gift. They always stock heaps of sweet little items that you never knew you needed in your life until right now. Since I got my own place I have bought quite a few of the cards and wrapping paper designs and framed them to hang on my wall- their stuff is, on the whole, worthy of display and makes a very sweet decoration idea.

Is there anything better about the workplace than getting a giant card?…read more Whether it's someone's birthday, farewell or other occasion Card & Caboodle is the place to come and get the card that will be snuck around the office in the hope that the recipient does not see it. A little strategy of mine not to get caught is to write what I want on my label maker and walk up to whoevers desk has the card and slap the label down then walk away like nothing happened. They also have all your caboodle needs here including stationery, books & journals, gifts and party needs.

If you're after giant farewell cards and not just the crappy Hallmark range of 2 cards available at…read moreevery other store, pop down to the Block Arcade. The shop is small and cramped, but you will 100% find that giant novelty card and a nice selection of normal sized ones.

I don't love Typo. It's not because it's particularly bad, it's not. It's a cute little store, full…read moreof cute little things at fairly cute little prices. It's because it represents the successful commodification of a market which I love, and which I wish could remain in the amateur space. Three or four years ago, I picked up a 1970s pamphlet from the Australian communist party, talking about how Chinese communism was bad.It has a stamp in the front, saying it was distributed by Socialist publications, in Redfern. It has a six digit phone number. The cover is a black black rhombus and a small red circle on a green background. I love it, because it's a textual artefact from a unique moment in time. There was probably a print run of a few thousand at most. I doubt more than a couple of dozen still exist. And it's the simulacra of this which Typo sells, packaged and sold as commodities. Notebooks with covers which seem to call out to realms of fabricated experience. It's convenient, and inexpensive, and for most people there's no difference. And I respect that, I do. It's just a little bit of what I am is being faked up and sold.

A great place for stationary, quirky office equipment and decorative pieces - I love the tape…read moredespenser that looks like a cassette, the wall of letters and lots of other great ideas in the store. I recommend taking some time to look through everything! Of course, they offer regular folders, writing utensils, diaries too - everything is just a lot more than stylish than your average home or office fodder. Along with style comes a little bit of a price hike ( in comparison to average stationary you could grab at Big W or Target), but if you spend a lot of time in your office, why not try to make it a nicer space? They also offer items that are not specific to an office or stationary...like the awesome music canvas I picked up for only $40!

Il Papiro is a beautiful store with even more beautifully crafted pieces and a rich history of…read moreFlorentine tradition. I ordered a journal to be embossed as a gift and spoke with Romina, who was prompt, helpful and assisted me in choosing the right embossing and font for the gift. 48 hours later I needed to change the order (due to a break up!) and Romina was so accommodating. She checked if it had already been embossed, and when learning it hadn't- offered me a credit instantly. I am so grateful to Romina for her service and now looking forward to spending my credit on some beautiful Christmas gifts for my family.

unique and special store in Melbourne famous lane. Incredible selection of paper from Italy. The…read moreworkshops are great too.

Some nice decorative papers and gift cards. They also have Moleskine and Posca products I use. More…read moreexpensive than other shops but a pretty good range. This is a good shop if you are looking for a gift for someone and you don't know what to get for them.

If you're about to give a special gift to someone and you want it to knock their socks off before…read morethey've even opened it - head here for their gift wrap. There's so much of it and it's gorgeous. The kind of paper that I desire to hoard for a special occasion...even though I know I'll completely forget about and put another gift in one of those tacky bags that I forgot to throw away from the last time someone gave me a present. Oops. The card range is enormous and completely omits the creepy crap you find at supermarkets and newsagents. Unfortunately for my friends, I'm also really into gifting those for a laugh. But if you're a better person than I, you'll find something pretty and thoughtful here. There's also some nice gifty items, notebooks and other stationary. One of the nicest paper/gift card stores in Melbourne.

As far as gift/homewares shops go, I think Urban Attitude is the most fun. Filled with so much…read morestuff that absolutely no one will ever 'need', but is fun to have. Makes it a great place to go gift hunting if you're unsure what to get someone. I love their collection of designer cards. They're a bit out there and random, which is how I like my gift cards. No soppy Hallmark greetings for me, thanks. The stuff you can find here is genuinely fun/random/hipster, not like the cheap knock off/trying-too-hard stuff you find at other larger stores *cough* Typo *cough* The staff are lovely to boot and will help you track down something quirky be it poster art, wallets, toys, kitchen ware or maybe a T-Rex lamp.

I love love love this store! Full of super cute, fun and quirky things, Urban Attitude is great for…read morebuying gifts, finding unique things to fill your home with, and taking everyday things and turning them into something special. Take for example the best knife block holder I' ve ever seen...Its a silhouette of a person ( I like the one in fire engine red) with six or seven slits throughout the body, so when you put your knives in they look like they are going through the body..... okay, I just re-read that, and now I sound like a crazy person who thinks stabbing people is awesome. AWKWARD......But seriously its really cool. When you walk into the St Kilda store, you feel off balance, until you realise that it is the shelves and design of the store that is off balance, not yourself. I think it really suits the concept they are going for. Definitely go check it out.