I don't really know what I was expecting from this store when I walked in. Maybe a shop full of…read moreelephant crafts. Elephant shaped things? Are there any elephants in this store? The answer is no, I couldn't find any. On the bright side they do have some other nice things that aren't elephant related. Lots of little knick knacks and crafts all specially handcrafted by Homegrown artisans. Now that can't be a bad thing! It's a really good place to come if you are looking for a very 'kiwi' gift to send to friends and families overseas. And there's a whole lot of kauri/ wood ware. I mean a WHOLE lot. I think maybe they should rename it to something with wood in the title. It might be more reflective of the product they do actually stock.

An absolute nightmare…read more I was excited when I read the reviews and decided to visit. However, when I shipped over $500 worth of gifts it arrived poorly packed and completely destroyed. It has been months and they say they will reimburse me, but never followed through. Also found their exact merchandise for a fraction of the cost elsewhere. Feel completely ripped off. Do yourself a favor. Go somewhere else!

I think I may have just found my new favourite gift shop - introducing Matchbox Studios!…read more Matchbox Studios originally started up in Wellington three years ago, where they are a large art and crafts store plus an art gallery. I recently discovered them on Instagram and saw that they were opening a store in St Kevins Arcade on K'Road (full of exciting things). I was so thrilled because it is a seriously awesome shop! It is a haven for all things colourful, whether it be art, jewellery, stationery, books, candles or homewares! I loved everything I came across in Matchbox, but here is a taste of what you might find: - Funky colourful cards (for example the Koala dressed in a Hawaiian shirt) - Range of art prints, including skulls (yay!), famous people, grumpy cat, etc. - The Beatles tea bags (check out the picture!) - Candles and soaps (all with very nice scents) and - Colourful cups, straws, plates and napkins - perfect for picnics or parties at home, plus so much more! The shop assistant was friendly and she was really happy when I signed up to their mailing list. How could I not - everything at Matchbox is fabulous and fun! So, if you need a gift or want to decorate your room with bright colours, then I highly recommend you visit Matchbox Studios today - I am sure you won't be disappointed!

My friends and I were only visiting Auckland for a short stay and HAD to purchase New Zealand yarn…read more (You know how it is. ;) This store had it all, yarn, notions, tools, patterns, and most important, knowledge! In a short time we had everything explained to us, purchased, and were on our way. It's well worth a visit!

An excellent range of NZ yarns, including Outlaw Yarns, Zealana and plenty of merino wool, possum…read moreand local alpaca blends. Heaps of NZ designed and themed quilting fabrics, if you're into that kind of thing. Great to have a place in the city to buy thread and other goodies, too!

It seems Japanese shops such as this one are growing like mushrooms!…read moreI would rank this one as my second favourite, the kitchen section in particular has lots of pretty soup bowls and pans and steamers. As mentioned in my fellow Yelpers's reviews there are also the stationery and bathroom sections and lots of random cute thingies no one needs... But oh they' so cheap so why not?!

This place is pretty awesome, hidden in an obscure location, you almost miss it. Thankfully for the…read morevibrant orange and black sign to mark the narrow entrance you begin your decent into the lower depths of Queen Street to find yourself in a rather large store that I could not accurately categorise. This is because there is a lot of stuff here, stationary, the gift bags and paper section is great, Hello Kitty and Snoopy are well represented here. There are aisles of all kinds of things for your home, a massive chopstick section, Hello Kitty cling wrap, food bags and plasters. Interestingly a big range of nappies and other baby things. It is fun just to look around, there are some odd things here too, especially in the bathroom and cleaning sections. Good fun I say, you'll walk away with things you didn't need but make are entertaining none the less. (Hello Kitty keeps my food fresh now).

This gorgeous little space very recently opened up in St Kevin's Arcade on K-Road, across from the…read moreAlleluya cafe. It's a crafting space/cute sewing supply shop, run by the lovely Sarah and her intern, Rosie. Maybe you want to use a sewing machine or an overlocker for a few hours, maybe you want to cut out some patterns, or do some handstitching. Maybe you don't know anything at all about sewing, but you'd love to learn. Or maybe you just want to pick up some gorgeous vintage fabrics, notions, or handcrafted items from local NZ craftspeople. You can do all of these things here, and if you need a helping hand, Sarah and Rosie are more than happy to give you a few pointers. Everything inside is reclaimed/recycled - the machines, the tools, the fabric - everything! The decor is really cute and cosy, with the mismatching stools, and the lovely sewing decorations hanging everywhere. They offer classes on how to start sewing, or how to make skirts/tops, or how to mend clothes you already have, and refashioning stuff from your wardrobe! They also offer knitting classes, all at very reasonable prices. If you order coffee from Alleluya, they'll even bring it over to you in the cafe!

This is such a cool store, one of the go to options for when I have to buy gifts because everything…read morethere is unique. Even though it is New Zealand designed and made, there is not too much kiwiana, that makes for good gifts for tourists or people you know who are overseas but much of the store is just products created by amazingly talented people of whom Texan Art Schools bring collectively into their store. You'll find textiles, glass, ceramics, jewelry and prints here as well as what I think must be feijoa candles because the store smells of feijoas. A while back I purchased some amazing glass vases and a dish for myself and had wanted to go back and get another colour of one of the vases. It was gone. So lesson here is that you need to just buy it at the time. Stock is often limited.

Is this an Art School? I'm not sure. What I know it has is a great New Zealand gift and NZ made…read moresouvenir shop. If you want good quality New Zealand gifts then this is the place to come. They do loads of stuff, including Jewellery, paintings, signs, korus, ceramics, wood carvings, sculptures, you name it. Many of the items they sell are also one offs so very unique bits which are wonderful for special gifts whether it be for someone living in NZ or family and friends overseas. Also while some things are expensive, I think they have something for everyone's budget. I have been to the Newmarket and Ponsonby stores and have found staff at both to be very helpful with advice for gifts.

Oh crikey - we have found the holy grail of cheap and cheerful. This place is packed with…read moreeverything you could ever need when dressing up or getting crafty, and is surprisingly huge. There is a huge range of costumes and accessories, fake flowers, themed-decorations, crafts, and more and more and more. Around the time of office Christmas parties and St Patricks Day, the place is packed. And they order in more stuff depending on the celebration. There is a very entertaining R18 section for funny presents, or just actual stuff. But it;s not just silly stuff, head down the back and you'll find kitchen utensils, rubbish bins, frames, cleaning products, bathroom stuff, hangers and all the rest of that kind of stuff for super cheap. It's actually not a bad idea to see what you can find.

This place is Mecca for costumes and silly novelty items. It's a one stop shop for all your fun and…read morefrivolity needs: dress up parties, St Patrick's Day, sporting events, or just silly gifts. If you want it, Look Sharp probably has it, and you'll probably only pay ten bucks. I've accumulated a small collection of awesomeness from Look Sharp, including costumes, canes, hats, wigs and flags. I have also made extensive use of their wonderfully inappropriate R18 section for Secret Santa gifts - hilarity and awkwardness ensued. In short, any occasion is better if preceded by a visit to Look Sharp.

Recommended by Harry the concierge, and we found Lisa who was so helpful & knowledgeable. I'm…read moresorry we didn't start shopping for gifts here, this is the place! We found perfect gifts and all kinds of tchotchkes that say New Zealand to bring home. They were very reasonable things for under $10 and exotic large things for much more, lots of price points and beautifully made unique items.

Wonderful collection of decorative items for the home, jewelry from local artists, woolens and more…read morein a light bright uncrowned space. Delightful shopkeeper. A go-to spot for gifts.

I took art and graphic design all through school and university, which meant a lot of visits to…read moreGordon Harris and many dollars spent there. If you're looking for any kind of art supplies - paper, brushes, pens, foam board, design books, notebooks, sketch pads, paints, easels, pencils, erasers, fix, spray glue, you name it - this is the place to go. It's kind of a dark, dingy-ish building, but it does the job and the staff are nice and pretty helpful. If you've got student ID you can get 10% off which is handy, because it's likely you're going to be spending a lot there. A lot.

I have never been good at art. One time I drew a bird with a beak AND a mouth. But that doesn't…read moremean I don't appreciate artists and their tools. I have always been a fan of new stationary, so strolling around Gordon Harris gives me a nice little buzz. Newmarket is a pretty styly place anyway so the scene is set before you even go in. The staff are always really friendly and arty looking and are generally people that you want to like you and be friends with. This is the place for everything in the way of art supplies. From easels to pens to paper in many different forms and spray glue, if you're wanting to get crafty, Gordon Harris should be your go-to. The place itself could do with a bit of a spruce up, but it doesn't really matter, and the stuff they have there is the best quality. Student IDs get you 10% off and they've always got something on special. Even if you don't actually know what you're doing, walking arounf Gordon Harris is a lesson in creativity and is enough to inspire you to get crafty.