There are several locations around the city. If you call ahead, you might even be able to attend a…read moredemonstration and how they make their paper. If you're going to Venice, then you should wait by your paper products there, but if not shop here. It'll make you want to write letters. The stationary is high-quality and beautiful.

I stumbled into this particular shop with my mother on a whim after visiting one of Il Papiro's…read morelocation on via Guicciardini on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio. This shop is smaller, but it has a much warmer atmosphere. After looking around for a few minutes, the shop's manager, Riccardo, waved us over the back of the shop where he keeps his demonstration station. He gave us an impromptu show of how he creates the marbled paper using a time-honored technique of mixing water, pigments and some wallpaper paste. Despite the ease with which he arranged the pigments in the water-paste solution, Riccardo told us that the difficult part was recreating the same pattern time after time. His jovial attitude and genuine excitement for his hand-made art was extremely uplifting when Florence is being overrun by knock-off and mass-produced products. After the demonstration, my mom and I picked up a number of the marble paper products to give as gifts to friends, and Riccardo was happy to wrap everything nicely for us. My visit here really gave me a new-found appreciation for the marbled paper works.

I can't tell you how sweet Maria is, you can see she loves what she does and she's passionate about…read morebeing able to give people the best quality and truly taking care of every single person that walks through her door. I love the two things I bought, and she was so sweet to throw in a wine cap. I'm excited to be able to return someday and buy more. Thank you so much Maria, you are so lovely. If you are in Florence, do not buy anywhere else.

What a great place to find LOCAL, HANDPRINTED Ceramic Art -- useable art for the house! Maria was…read morewonderful and helpful and friendly and she and my son struck up quite a conversation. I recommend this studio as a MUST STOP! She will ship; and packs her items very very well!

This store is run by two wholesome twin brothers that hand craft leather goods. I purchased a…read moreleather notebook and they stamped my initials into the cover. Super high quality stuff and very sweet guys. Highly recommend.

I was lucky to discover this place as it was near the hotel where I was staying. Really nice…read morehandmade marbled notebooks. I bought them out of their medium-sized leather-spined marbled notebooks as gifts for friends and family and some for myself. You can see their workshop in the back. There are some other shops in the touristy center that sell marbled paper products, they may have more variety of different things but their basic notebooks were more expensive and many came pre-printed with lines and labels and things. If you want just a nice basic good-quality notebook with plain pages made out of heavy paper and beautifully marbled covers, Lo Scrittoio is the real deal.

I almost missed my train to Rome shopping at Taf Ricami. I'd passed by the store a few times during…read moremy two days in Florence and the display of children's clothes never failed to catch my eye. We were on our way back to our hotel to grab a cab to the train station when I decided I had to take a closer look. My husband went ahead, a good decision, and I did my best to keep this side quest as short as possible. Unfortunately, the clothes were even more beautiful than I'd imagined. I could have spent another hour (and many more euros) if I'd had the time to spare. I didn't know anything about Taf Ricami when I walked in, but I've since learned that it's a hand embroidery shop that's been in the same spot since 1954. It's not a brand, as I'd assumed, but a single store, selling linens and children's clothing, all of it handmade. The kids' clothes were on the second level, and I got to work there with the help of a very nice woman who more or less brought me everything they had in my sons' sizes. I loved every item she showed me. Classic, handsome pants and shirts and sweaters of unmistakeable quality. I bought a matching set of rust-colored corduroy pants, blue oxford shirts, and green knit sweaters, picking those particular items because they were in stock in both sizes. I honestly would have been happy with any of the designs I saw. I also bought a gorgeous dress for my niece, green velvet with a girly ribbon and sweet embroidered details. A dress to make me ache for the daughter I'll never have. The clothes were expensive, but downright reasonable for the level of craftsmanship. I got my tax back too, which amounted to a non-negligible discount. Taf Ricami is the kind of shop I always hope to find when I travel, a local place selling quality goods that I can't buy at home. The boys have already worn their new outfits twice, once for a family photo shoot and once to meet Santa. They're easily the nicest clothes in their closets, and I almost regret not buying up the store.

Incredible service and beautiful selection of handmade children's clothing as well as linens!! They…read morewait on you based on what you're looking for! I wish I could have this shop where I live because it's THAT great!

Amazing store! Toys chosen so adults can play with kids and stay in gauged …read more The owner is passionate and very nice and a must visit Loved it and bought some nice stuff from there

This is the most beautiful toy store, with even more beautiful toys! The owner is the kindest man…read morewho is so helpful. He really cares for the quality of toys he decides to sell in his store. Each toy is unique and a toy you will have in your family for a lifetime! Great place for souvenirs or gifts! We will be back when we visit Florence again!

Location: In the beautiful medieval town of San GImignano…read more The goods: Franco Balducci produces some of the most beautiful ceramic pieces that I've seen thus far, from small pieces like sugar bowls and cups, to larger pieces such as plates and vases. The shapes, colors and textures that he uses are brilliant - this is the perfect place to pick up souvenirs of a genuine local flavor, from a local artist. The place: The space itself isn't huge but its very well laid-out. My absolute favorite part of this little excursion was seeing Franco at work in his workshop, which happens to be the front of the store. So, stop in and watch the master at work! Price point: Personally, I found Franco's pricing to be very reasonable - I purchased two pieces for 30 Euro and don't regret it one bit. The pieces are gorgeous and a great reminder of my time in Italy.

Beautiful stationery shop next to the Duomo. Very expensive, but you'll find the perfect gifts to…read morebring home from your trip. Spent a fortune and bought a wallet, several journals, stationery, and a gorgeous deck of cards. Unique and exquisite gifts. Climb the stairs to the 2nd floor to discover more cards and stationery, but beware. The narrowing staircase was like something out of my nightmares!

One of the things I LOVED about Firenze were the tiny specialty shops that lined up the streets…read morearound the Duomo. As someone who loves crafts (to buy, not make), I was automatically drawn to II Papiro partially because of its welcoming and warm lit environs, but mostly because of its incredible stationary, papers, cards, and related accessories you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the world. As the digital age begins to permanently change how we read and communicate and express ourselves, it's important to remember that at one point in history, paper making was as much of an art as anything that was written or drawn on it. You will find papers of all colors, patterns, and more importantly, textures at II Papiro - each item is the type of product you know much work went into. I bought a few cards here...the designs are extraordinary colored silhouettes of Firenze landmarks and had detailed cuts in its design. I also bought a wax seal (although I remember being tempted by the nice calligraphy pens). Although I've only used it a few times, I still get a kick of STAMPING melted wax with my seal (my fancy looking initials). If you're ever at Firenze, this place is definitely worth stopping by if only for even a little bit...you might find something you will value taking home with you that beats a lot of items you could find at your regular tourist traps.