Love From Random is the perfect place to buy a kooky gift (or at this time of year, stocking…read morefiller) when you want something fun or unexpected! For example I recently purchased a book entitled 'Hot Guys with Kittens' for a friend with a penchant for chiselled males and baby animals, and on an entirely different note I got a dummy with a moustache for a mate with a new baby! Literally something for everyone! I'd say the quality of the things they sell all seem pretty high and the owners have great taste in a great range of quirky objets. They also sell a good selection of naughty, pun-tastic and silly cards!

From the owner: Vintage toys , kitsch vintage collectables and homeware . Vintage advertising and ephemera. New fun…read moreretro silly gifts and stationery . Our website updates daily www.lovefromrandom.com

I absolutely love Iota on Gloucester Road for having all the quaint charm of Bloomsbury with the…read moreprice tag of Habitat. This family run business is fully stocked with sweet espresso cups, floral make up cases and pretty purses as well as other beautiful girlie house hold items. It's the perfect place to pick up gifts for feminine friends or to treat yourself to needless but attractive. Always busy with window shoppers, but there's always a friendly sales assistant at hand when you need them.

Like a cheaper (in a nice way) Bloomsbury, this is a mix of kitsch and modern gifts, books and…read morehomewares in one lovingly presented shop. Perfect for fitting out your boudoir or your kitchen if you, like me, prefer to bake than wash up. I had a lovely potter through here and came out with some unique wrapping paper and a vintage-inspired apron by local seamstresses Flo-Jo Clothing. Definitely one for the ladies who shop only, boys would easily get bored with the chintz.

Kind Thoughts is an independent little gift shop located along the busy high street of Kingswood,…read moreand they have a variety of bits and pieces for sale as well as a good selection of cards for all sorts of occasions. This is the kind of place where some of the stuff is very random and you wonder why anyone would buy it, but then other stuff is really lovely and could be perfect as a nice gift for someone's birthday. They are really good value here and you'll find that their cards are a lot cheaper than Clintons or the likes, and they are nicer too and more unique in my opinion. As it's a little independent business they don't generally put on special discounts and offers, but nothings too pricy anyway. The shop is very small inside, and the decoration is very basic, but they manage to fit quite a lot in here and it's just somewhere nice to have a little pop into and a browse around - even if you don't leave with anything. There's generally just one person working in here behind the till, and they like the company so in my experience they are very chatty and friendly - which a love about these kinds of shops. As well as cards and gifts they also sell an odd range of posters and calendars here, if this is what you're looking for. Basically it's a nice little light hearted shop that serves a purpose if your out to buy a small gift or a card, but they don't have much more on offer - give them a visit though if you're in the area.

I love this store, I am madly in love with about 3 of the windchimes on display here, I already…read morehave 2 from here - there are only so many chimes a person needs, but they are so pretty. I know nobody needs a geisha snowglobe in their life but again, its hard to resist when you are surrounded by cute trinkets! It isn't just cute and silly, it sells some nice accessories. I got a bag from here which got loads of compliments. This is a great place to buy some pretty pretty gifts or just treat yourself to something fun.

Evolution is a gift shop in The Galleries in Broadmead. I think this is my favourite shop to buy…read morepresents from thus far! They used to be quite a Balinese style gift shop buy quickly has moved towards a more Brittania, cutesy and kitsch feel lately. I would happily decorate my apartment with the stuff here. There are great welcome mats here that I've been eyeing up recently that look really well made and are affordable too, at £12. They have a few pieces of kids wooden furniture, some chairs sold here are so very cute, with carvings of animals on the chair backs- however I have no children to buy them for as yet! A few presents I have bought here are their rustic metal gifts; like wall clocks made to look antiquey and wall hangings with old style postcards printed on them. I bought my best friend one that said 'live well, love much, laugh often', which she loved. When on sale, I bought a huge amount of candles here which lasted me ages, and smelt great (they were mighty cheap). I could go on talking about the many various things they sell, but the best is if you keep this place in mind to check out for when you next need a gift!

Despite the nauseating name, this is a nice little toy and gift store with an emphasis on…read moreold-fashioned wooden toys, stocking fillers and feminine gifts. They had a mini vintage racing car made of wood which is just beautiful and at £40 not bad prices at all. They also had things like Flower Fairies and mini robots.

The Here Gallery is such an assuming little place. They are fully stocked with tonnes of inspiring…read morearty things; books, posters, wallpaper, stickers and lots more, that always makes me really smiley when I'm here. There is a gallery downstairs which exhibits interesting work, from local and international artists. They always welcome submissions for their consideration, and you can tell they are quite select with the work they choose, as the work shown always is quite spectacular. If you're a little down in the dumps or facing a mind block with your own artwork, this place will really help re-jig your mind.

Stokes Croft's got a few flowers poking through the grey concrete, the Here Shop is one of them. A…read moregallery and bookshop, they've got an often changing range of contemporary art. They do exhibitions by visiting artists, with pen drawings of slightly alien looking organic shapes (that description's ripped off their website) by a Yugoslav-American Yellena James currently on display. Whatever is being shown the gallery is always a warm and quiet respite from the traffic on Stokes Croft. The bookshop side of things is similarly left-field and varied. They have loads of children's books, as well as books on graffiti, manga, and an eclectic mix of other subjects. You really have to go along to get a proper sense of the sort of thing they have. It feels like one persons just taken their personal interests and made a shop around it. I like this about the shop, you get exposed to things you might not otherwise get exposed to. The Here shop is kookish and neat, a nice play to wonder round for half an hour or so.

Named after the song in one of the most wonderful yet tragic motion pictures of our time (with just…read morea hint of sarcasm there), Hakuna Matata is Easton's head-shop - your one stop for all that is associated with smoking dope, getting high and the Rastafarian community. In this shop you can find all the expected grinders, papers, lighters, stash boxes and magazines affiliated with marijuana that you would expect, plus a few extras you may not have thought of. They have a very broad and wonderful smelling incense and scent collection for starters, and a good collection of Indian-based art postcards. More gems that I found (excusing the pun) were some healing crystals and the guide books to go with them. This isn't just a collection of getting high tat, but rather a well thought out stock of gifts and treats based around a more relaxed and easy going way of life.

Not just another " head shop " But an amazing gift shop also offering craft and clothing from many…read moreparts of Africa, Urban clothing at reasonable prices, greeting cards, sandals, jewellery including body piercings, and of course the biggest selection of smoking paraphernalia in Bristol, A one stop experience for all your gifty needs, Llewsob

This garish gift shop on Cotham Hill is enough to put any boy, or un-girlie girl off just by the…read morepinker than pink paint on the outside of the builder. But once you're inside its glittery doors you'll find a whole host feminine gifts to make you cringe either further. There's birthday cards, candles, soaps and bath bombs in abundance here to buy for cutesy girls, mums or girlfriends. Sadly I just can't seem to see past the pink and have over visited Soukous twice. But there's no denying that they do gifts for girls like no other shop in Clifton.

Another little business on Cotham Hill which is kept alive by the Student Loans Company, Soukous'…read morebright pink facade draws in the anxious males looking for girlie gifts and girlie girls looking for pink paraphernalia. If you're looking for fairy lights or fancy quilts, this is a great place to come. Also, Soukous stock Banksy cards if you fancy sending a Bristolian greeting to a friend. My personal favourite are the jelly bean candles, they've come in useful a few times!

I'm a sucker for arts & crafts and creativity in general and Craft Works ticks all the boxes. This…read moreshop is one of the most comprehensive of its kind and one of the best in Bristol if you discount the likes of Hobbycraft. From the outside you might be forgiven for thinking this is a frivolous, girly shop for bored housewives and old ladies but oh how wrong you would be! There is a large selection of sketchbooks, drawing paper, paintbrushes and Daler-Rowney paints - all essential for art students and established artists alike. The store itself is lined with cards and displays that have been created using products from the shop, such as decopache kits, rubber stamps, ink and stencils. The only thing that limits the possibilities of the products in this shop is your own imagination. Price are reasonable and there is also a framing department at the back of the shop where you can take in your masterpieces to hang with pride.

Craft Works is probably the largest shop of its kind in Bristol. Stocking everything you can…read moreimagine, (and then some), for those with handicrafts in mind. Reasonably priced with knowledgeable staff on hand to explain what everything is for, Craft Works is creativity made easy. They even host workshops in the evening. They also stock resources for those of us who can't quite decide what hobby would suit us best, or for those of us that would like to be a bit more creative but aren't exactly sure how. A full range of magazines is available with comprehensive advice on hand. And just for the record: I'm in the market for a knitted toilet roll cover with a Cindy-type doll miraculously emerging from the middle. There's a commission in for anybody who can master the skills required to make one. I'd like it in shocking pink. Get enrolling now!