Paris Shopping Tips by oneonta_ni

La Droguerie: Crafters paradise!

This is a chain of craft shops located throughout France. My sister sent me a magazine clipping that mentioned this place so I tracked it down and thought I had died and gone to heaven - they have some really beautiful bits and pieces here.

There is a shop located on the 3rd floor of the Bon Marche that I was in and didn't realise was part of the chain. They have nice beads and a few other things but I don't remember it being as good as the shop on rue du Jour.

The shop is always packed - with men and women. They have some of the most gorgeous yarns that make me wish I knew how to knit more than just a potholder! They also have loads of beads and a good selection of borders (like you would sew on the hem of a dress - I don't know what these are called!). They have samples on the wall that are really inspirational and there are plenty of staff members to help. If you like to do crafts - you will love this place!

What to buy: I bought some beautiful wool yarn for my step-mother who is an experienced knitter. There are strands of yarn on the wall that I thought were for sale but you need to find a member of staff to 'ball' it for you. It is then sold by the weight.

They have lots of small bits and pieces like tiny flowers to decorate cards or sew on clothes. It is packed with different things and even more packed with shoppers - even during the week!

Address: 9 - 11 rue du Jour, 75001

Directions: Near Les Halles, behind St Eustache.

Other Contact: Fax: 01 42 36 30 80

Phone: 01 45 08 93 27

Theme: Hobbies

Website: http://www.ladroguerie.com/

La Boite a Perles: Hidden bead shop

This shop may be a bit of a challenge to find. I did some research for craft/bead type shops on the Pages Jaunes and found a place that I thought would be good. When we arrived, I realised it was only a wholesale shop. However, they had a sign referring customers to their resale shop nearby. We decided to have a look and walked up and down the streets before finally venturing down a rather dingy alleyway. This is where we found the shop - but it was closed for lunch (1pm - 2pm). We had a look at a few passages in the area (there are many in this area) and then went back for a browse.

What to buy: This shop sells beads of all kinds but mainly plastic and wooden. They did have a few fancy glass ones but not a big selection. They had mountains of buttons and belt buckles. I don't know if I would recommend going out of your way to get there but if you were in the area looking through the passages and have an interest in beads, you should have a look out for it. The woman serving was very friendly and didn't seem to bat an eye when one of her customers (not me!) dumped several trays of small beads all over the floor!

What to pay: I paid just over Eur5 for a pack of 10 fancy glass beads but I also got a couple packs of pretty wooden beads for Eur1 each.

Address: 194 rue Saint-Denis, 75002

Directions: Hours: Mon - Thur from 9.30 - 5.30, Fri from 9.30 - 4.30.

Theme: Hobbies