This newly opened shop is the latest in a number of excellent independent businesses to set up in…read morethe famous Jewellery Quarter area of Birmingham and it compliments well the many already there. It's a gift shop with a difference, the difference being that profits are reinvested in the good works undertaken in the city by its parent social enterprise. So when you buy something here you also leave behind some added value that's reinvested in the community. I'm not sure whether everything sold is actually produced by other social enterprises, but I think that is the aspiration. The range of stock actually surprised me; there's everything from wrapping paper, scented candles and retro vases to gift boxes filled with all kinds of wonderful stuff, so it's an ideal stop off for Christmas gift hunting. When I popped in I right away found several items to add to my shopping list, including an item or two for those difficult to please folks we all struggle with. The shop itself isn't that easy to notice at present, but it's only been open a few days. If I didn't live within a minute or two I may have missed it, but I had seen the shop had been taken over, having been empty for quite a long time now, so my curiosity was pricked. I'd suggest an A-Board outside to help potential customers notice as they walk down the street. It's got a great old-style but rather discrete frontage that belies the size of the interior. OK, it's not huge but it's actually very nice and bright inside with lots of room for stock. Knowing how the building was before I'd say they've worked hard to bring it up to scratch! The staff are pleasant and attentive but don't hassle or linger. I felt quite comfortable browsing. While the shop had one or two people in while I was there, three staff did seem like overkill, but it's clearly great work experience for them and that's part of the social enterprise idea I guess. They'll probably need three as we approach Christmas! This end of Vyse Street was fairly dead when I first moved here but over the last few years has picked up nicely. This is a lovely and welcome addition, very well located close to the brilliant, rather fascinating JQ museum and a couple of excellent cafés, one a traditional egg and chips place, possible the best in the area, the second more a deli and tea shop (also really good). So you can have a walk down the street checking out the jewellery (remember to haggle!) and the famous museum, pop into Citizen Home for a few gifts and a browse, then finish off with some lunch or a decent cuppa! I wish the business well - a great idea that seeks to make the world a better place!

This is a lovely new shop located within Great Western Arcade. It was originally a Pop-up Shop…read morebased in the Mailbox, but due to their refurbishment - it could no longer remain in this location. It's probably the best thing that has happened to the little store, as it now has a permanent base in a very cool location. Everything on sale is handmade in Birmingham, which means it's full of lovely original pieces dripping with character. All of the items are priced sensibly, meaning you can grab a cute notebook for around £2, whilst the handmade children's clothes price around £22 - £25 (very reasonable when you see the quality). This is their first opening week, but they are already doing a great trade - so ensure you pop in regularly to see the swiftly changing stock (as one artist sells out and another one moves in).

I was left with a great first impression of Walnut and Weave. They have some cool things for the…read moreladies. They sell a variety of furniture and trinkets for your house such as: mirrors, photo-frames and crockery. I particularly liked their crockery. Most other shops in Solihull who sell similar things are very costly so I was pleased to find Walnut and Weave is better priced. This was even better as they had a sale on for some items. Even though I didn't buy anything the staff were very friendly and even thanked me as I left without buying anything. This is definitely a shop for the ladies.

This place is just plain cool. It's the kind of place you might want to bump into that old friend…read morefrom school days so that they knew you had class. However, with my Phil Spencer hat on I find it hard to understand its unique selling point or purpose. It's not clear at all. The home stuff sort of has a cottage-y vintage feel to it, but the discount section right next to it has Olympic themed toys. They have a card and gift-wrapping section at the back and then upstairs there's furniture by 'SIA Home Fashion'. It's a bit of a mixed bag of a shop but I do really like the stuff they've got. In the furniture section they had a denim chair that still sort of resembled a pair of jeans. I thought that was pretty cool.

This quaint little craft centre is great place to visit if you're on the hunt for a unique gift for…read morea friend or loved one. Impressive art from local and national artists adorn the walls and vary in price from reasonable to very expensive. I'm a fan of two shops in particular, the chocolate shop has a yummy selection of handmade chocolates and cakes for sale. It offers a bespoke service whereby you can have your own design made for those very special occasions. The other shop is the kitchen shop, here it has quirky utensils, pots, pans, baking dishes which are all quite unique and reasonably priced. I'm also a fan of the on site cafe, which gets really busy during lunch time, I had a simple cheese and pickle sandwich and a cappuccino for around £6.00. There's a comfy area with sofas, you can sit at a table or there's outside seating which is very pleasant in the summer months.

There are some lovely craft shops at Mitchell's, I got some great unique Christmas presents this…read moreyear, plus a pair of earrings for myself! The knitting shop has a huge collection of wool and is very reasonably priced. Plenty of free parking here and it's a lovely place to browse!

Antiques and Curios Creations is an eccentric, wild and downright charming little shop. Which is a…read morereflection of a really nice owner. I can't summarise the antique, aged and authentic goods that they have in store other than under the phrase weird and wonderful - which really doesn't do it justice. I bought a Matisse print from there framed for £15, which is ludicrously cheap in comparison to most places that would charge you triple that (if not more) just for the print. It is full of quaint jars, mirrors, candle holders, chests, tin helmets, lanterns, snow shoes etc. all of which give this shop a historic quality. I feel as though I could be in 1920s Paris when I'm in there. It's really worth visiting, even if its just to mooch around and see an assortment of items and ponder how so many strange and delightful things converged on a little shop in Birmingham. You never know, you might just be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

I love having a good old root around in this bazaar. I have never committed to buy anything because…read moreI'm not always sure of the usefulness of the things I pick up. They have all sorts of weird and wonderful things in there and what's great is that every time you go in there the selection has slightly changed. They have a collection of tins and trinket boxes which always catch my eye. I'm a sucker for bags and they have a whole section of vintage leather suitcases and bags. I once saw a perfume bottle which looked like something dug up from the sea bed of the Titanic wreck. Another eye-catching item I wish I could afford is the big brass-finished globe; it's pretty special.

Lots and lots of shiny things at a range of prices, vary rarely have I made it down to the Custard…read moreFactory and this place has been open but never-the-less this shop always has interesting pieces to admire through the window. Usually i'm busy analysing the pieces to figure out how it was made and can i do it too. Everything is beautifully displayed and even when window-shopping it's easy to spy something to catch your eye at the back of the shop. If you are looking for something hand made and a contemporary piece of jewellery or craft then it's well worth a look in here. There are regular bi-monthly exhibitions and with the gallery showcasing a range of artists work there is always something new to admire.

I have visited this shop numerous times, so I can't believe today was the first time I had checked…read morein on Yelp (very bad!). Sara is such a lovely lady. She is so welcoming and really informative and will help you with any indecisions about jewellery buying! As well as displaying artists work from around the country, she also designs and makes her own silver ware. She has a small workshop upstairs in the shop itself, so it can be fun to watch her creativity take shape. I have bought many items of jewellery as gifts and for myself(!) She caters for a wide range of tastes. Also, she sells cards, scarves and small items of porcelain.

Birmingham lacks many high quality art & craft supplies shops. That's where Birmingham Bead Shop…read morefits in. Small but perfectly formed haven full of shiny things and pretty things and crafty things for you to buy to make yourself prettier, or to make something pretty for someone you know. I've been spoiled by a recent trip to NYC where I visited the Brooklyn Charm Shop and spent a long time ogling shiny expensive and inexpensive charms and other jewellery making supplies. I was grizzling away about how there's nothing that even compares anywhere near me - so it was an AWESOME surprise to pop into the Birmingham Bead Shop only to be blown away by the range they manage to cram into such a small space, as well as the helpfulness of staff who can show you how to properly open and close a jump ring, or what a crimp bead is for. They've even run classes in the past in jewellery making, though they have none advertised at the moment. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled though!

Just one store that shows there's life yet in Birmingham's independent retail scene, the Birmingham…read moreBead Shop is a haven for craftsy types who like to create pretty things for their own amusement, to give as gifts or sell online. Back in 2010 after consuming too much cider at the sunniest Glastonbury in recent history, myself and my equally sun/cider-addled friend decided we were gonna give up this capitalist lark and make felt owls with button eyes and sell them at festivals. This never happened, of course, but having my eyes opened to her skill with a sewing needle and bits of material I couldn't make heads or tails out of, I was on the search for a shop like this for a while until discovering it just before Christmas. Now, our annual DIY Christmas gift pact (make each other garish jumpers, stockings, etc. - this year, a onesy has been proposed, eek!) means I always make a trip here to stock up on supplies. Whatever I don't use in my fumbling attempts to create something cool, I simply give to her as part of the gift seeing as she's into her jewellery making and whatnot. As well as lots of cool stuff to aid in 'Blue Peter'-style craftsmanship, fashion fans who like to pair things together to make something exponentially cooler can find all kinds of cool charms and sparkly bits and bobs to add to charm bracelets, necklaces, pin to their clothes, etc. As someone who works for a high street jewellers that sells massively popular Pandora and the like, I have to say this little shop of treasures offers something a bit different for those who like to get creative with their accessories.

This shop definitely had the wow factor for me. Back when I lived in Sheffield there was a gift…read moreshop my friend and I used to obsess over and for 3 years our family got all birthday and Christmas presents from this shop. Maddison immediately reminded me of this Sheffield gift shop and I was so happy to find a Brum counterpart! They have those good-enough-to-eat Yankee candles when you first walk in and as you go round there are just more and more wonderful gift ideas. I loved the cake stands and the cardboard versions that come as a flat pack. They have an extensive section of cards for all different occasions. The tea sets were so cute, especially the kids Hungry Caterpillar collection. Prices are a little steep however it's the perfect place to buy something special for a family member or a beautiful frame for your favourite photograph.

Maddison Avenue is a card and gift shop just next door to the rather forlorn looking Clock Tower…read more(more on that later) that has recently relocated - I rather suspect they haven't quite got the shop layout sorted because whilst it stocks a nice enough range of cards and bags (mostly Radley) I have mixed feelings about the place. The combination of fragile looking vases and densely packed aisles means that I am constantly on edge - convinced I will break items or get told off by staff for messing up their display of scented candles. This is definitely the place to go if you need a smelly candle or a nice box of chocolates - up until very recently they stocked Thornton's but I'm not sure they still do - as I've hinted the layout is a bit confusing so they may well have been hidden behind a set of Monet table mats. Staff are pleasant even if they do seem to be on constant guard against shop-lifters. One of the better places to get a decent birthday card in Harborne though.