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.

Look Sharp is the kind of shop that makes me want to cry. It's stuffed with impulse-buys and…read moreplastic, plastic, plastic junk as far as the eye can see. I can understand why people get excited about it though- there's so much cheap stuff and it does all have a purpose...it's just that the purpose is usually one day of being a St Paddy's day costume or a party decoration, and then being chucked. I get even more moralistic when I think of the wages the people are paid who make this stuff that. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I never buy anything plastic or made in a developing country. I just don't want to see a whole shop full of the stuff. It brings me down.

One of the most useful and chaotic stores I've ever been in, Look Sharp Store does what other…read moredollar stores try (and fail) to do. It's clean, well laid out and easy to find whatever you're in the market for - from costumes to dress socks, candles to key rings, Look Sharp has it all... and it's cheap! Many times I've rushed to this store for that last minute item that will make a costume or decorated room really pop - I can't even count the number of times I've flipped on the hazard lights, parked in a place that really annoys the taxi drivers and run in to grab streamers, beer-drinking hats, striped armbands or paint. Seriously, anything silly and frivolous you could ever want is under this roof.

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 ordered a lovely classic notebook from Passion for Paper online - it was to be a very special…read morepresent for someone and when it arrived it was gift wrapped beautifully with a gift tag and string - all without charge, with a little note saying thank your for the order, and I might want it wrapped as it was to be a present. The order came quickly and the product is going to be well loved.

As a kid I used to be so excited for the day that we would get to go and buy stationary for the new…read moreschool year, And a trip into Passion for Paper is like the grown up version of the same excitement it's great. So much classier than typo or Kikki D, the items sold here are really well made. Indeed they are specialists in stationary and paper products. I often find myself buying little gifts for my friends and familia when I am in here. They do their own printing service for engagement and wedding invitations etc and if you so desire you can even choose wax seals as a finishing touch! Totes the real deal. If you want to check out the rest of their offerings, hit up their website. It has most of their catalogue online.