Joburg is a place where everything needs to be instant. This means getting a wide variety of items in a short time. Two of our favourite stores that give us just that are Miniso and Typo. These stores allow us to find what we need, without having to break a sweat.

Why These Two Stores Should Be Your Go To

So, let's check out these awesome stores to find out which one is our favourite.

Miniso

Miniso is one of the most unique retail stores to hit Johannesburg and has quickly become one of our favourites. They have a wide variety of unique and interesting items for sale.

Miniso's philosophy is, “simplicity, nature and good quality”. Offering more than 5000 products, you'll be spoiled for choice.

This is the perfect store for gift shopping. You will definitely find something here, whether it's quality driven, style driven or just simply unique.

Typo

Typo takes stationery to a whole new level. They make order and administration fashionable. However, Typo offers more than just stationery. They also stock products that makes life more convenient.

They have products for both men and women, such as necessities that make our lives easier like cups, water bottles, bags and more.

Typo is one of the best spots for gift shopping. Not sure what to get? Simply mix and match to create one big gift.

Which do you prefer, Mimiso or Typo? Let us know in the comments section below!

Exploding Box

For the record, this gift doesn't actually explode. Instead, it blooms like a flower, revealing hidden treasures. Like all the gifts on this list, it can be customised to fit any occasion with colour and content. Choose red and black for Valentine's Day, green and gold for Christmas or pink and white for Mother's Day. It can be filled with photos, quotes, special messages from loved ones and even music lyrics or poems. Check out Instructables to find out how to make your own.

Candle Making

Not only does this make a delightful gift for any occasion, it is also fun to make. Personalise this gift by changing the colours, adding special scents or even a few items like flowers. You can also vary this gift with the jar you use. Think old mason jars, tea cups or styled glasses. See Candle Deli for a tutorial on how to make your own soy candle as well as other tips and tricks.

Customised Candles

If making a candle seems like too much work, why not customise an already made candle? This blog shows how to personalise a pillar candle using only a heating tool, candle, paper, wax paper and tissue paper. You can use photos, printed designs or even drawings to add to your candle gifting piece.

Quilling

Quilling is a fun craft that involves rolling paper into shapes to form a 3D artwork. The process is quite easy. Simply draw your pattern of choice on a board, then roll coloured paper strips into shapes and attach to the board. The end result is quite stunning. The Spruce Crafts will make you a quilling pro in no time.

Etched Glass

Glass etching is a fun way to make endless creative gifts for the people you love. With this technique, you can create custom glasses, mirrors or anything made from glass. Simply paint a design on a piece of glass using etching fluid, allow to dry, wash and you're done. Etching fluid is available at select PNA stores. Practically Functional has a helpful etching blog.

gift wrapping

Engraved Wood

All this DIY gift entails is a piece of wood, a soldering iron and a design. Simply draw your design on a piece of wood, heat up a soldering iron and then burn in the design with the iron. We suggest practicing on another piece of wood before starting. Once you're done soldering, erase any traces of the original design drawing, and your gift is done.

Bath Goodies

Most of us love a relaxing bath, filled with essential oils and minerals that leave us feeling refreshed and gorgeous. So bath time goodies always make an appreciated gift. Make your own bath salts, bath bombs or even bath oil. Pair this trio with the aforementioned candles for an extra special gift.

Hot Chocolate Jars

This gift is really easy, yet spectacular. All you have to do is fill a jar with hot chocolate mix, either homemade or bought, chocolate pieces and marshmallows. That's it. Try using flavoured chocolate, such as peppermint, for a gourmet hot chocolate. To add a little something extra, include a small bottle of liqueur or cookies on the side. The Loopy Whisk has recipes as well as nifty decorating ideas.

Cookie Kit

We love cookies, baking and the luscious smells wafting through the house. So this makes an awesome gift for all cookie lovers. Fill a jar with a cookie mix, add some chocolate chips, attach a recipe and you're good to go. Sally's Baking Addiction has a few delicious cookie mix recipes as well as a printable recipe card.

Personalised Mugs

Coffee and tea lovers will adore having their very own unique mug. Purchase a plain mug and draw patterns, write names and colour in designs with a Sharpie Marker. Then bake the mug to make the design permanent. You can include names, special dates, puns, jokes or even a few drawings. Check out this DIY guide from Like Mother Like Daughter.

gift

Chocolate Bark

We love chocolate bark because it's easy to craft and oh so yummy. It is also very easy to make it your own. Start with a base of melted chocolate, either white, milk, dark or caramel chocolate. Then top the chocolate with an assortment of ingredients like nuts, sweets, dried fruit, cookies and sprinkles. Crazy for Crust has six recipes to spark your ideas.

Edible Bouquet

Edible bouquets are show stopper gifts that are relatively easy to make. All you need is a jar and some edibles on kebab sticks to make a fantastic arrangement. Edibles can include fruit, sweets, cookies, cake pops or cupcakes. Fill the jar with oasis floral foam, Styrofoam, maize meal or flour to hold the sticks in place, then arrange the edibles and finish with an elegant bow. Check out Pinterest for some inspiration.

Gift Boxes

After going through all that effort making the perfect gift for your loved ones, you probably want to present it beautifully too. Getting the right sized gift box or bag can be difficult and cost a pretty penny. But you can make these yourself too. The Spruce Crafts has 15 astounding DIY gift bag ideas or make one of the origami, printable or foldable gift boxes from Gathering Beauty.

Ribbons

Perfect your gift with an alluring eye catching bow! These can be tied with fabric ribbon, plastic ribbon or even yarn and twine. Add a flower sprig, cinnamon quill or some art and craft pieces for the pièce de résistance. The knot has a handy guide explaining how to tie four magnificent bows.

DIY ribbon

What Is It?

Saturdays are all about relaxing and doing a little shopping. There is better things to do, other than lazing around the house on this beautiful morning, then why not head to the Crafters & Food Market at Cedar Square? Expect a morning (and afternoon) filled with delicious foods and loads of drinks, plenty of arts and crafts, accessories, gifting ideas and so much more. This makes for a great outing for the whole family.

When Is It?

Saturday, 28 April 2018 at 10:00 - 15:00

Where Is It?

Cedar Square Shopping Centre, corner Cedar and Uranium Road, Fourways, Johannesburg.

How Much Is It?

Entrance to the market is FREE.

For More Information

For more information about this market, visit their Facebook page

Cardies

If you're looking for sentimental gift cards and gift products, Cardies is always a good place to start. Most of their products are more on the sentimental than funny side. However, you can get a few options on something "just for gags".

Big Blue

For quirky novelty and predominately locally made gifts and products Big Blue should definitely be your first stop. The store also stocks, among other things, some awesome clothes that represent the Proudly South African statement with some local lingo printed on them.

The Space

The Space specialises in locally made products by local designers. Their products range from great clothing to novelty gifts and awesome local books. With the variety of products in the store you might even find it difficult to leave due to being awestruck.

Typo

If you love stationery, unique stationery and nifty décor products, Typo is the place to go. Not only do they stock quirky stationery products, they also stock novelty gift cards and mugs among many other exciting and fun products.

The Crazy Store

For strictly novel products at low prices, The Crazy Store is the place to go. Here you can go crazy and even overload on the fun factor to giving novelty gifts. Everything from naughty to nice, and even functional – make sure you don't lose your mind!

By Cleopatra Shava

Know other cool novelty and gifting stores not mentioned above? Let us know below!

Remember that our "Top Picks" are not paid for and are compiled at the discretion of the journalist. We only write about what we love.