I don’t understand why but for some reason there seems to be an expectation that if you live in Paris you’ll be able to buy really greats gifts for everyone at home. The fact that everything is so expensive here and that your earn a pittance doesn’t seem to cross the minds of friends and family members and so the pressure is on to make your euros stretch as far as possible. Luckily I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help you out.
Eiffel Tower Keyring
Now I know you’ve spent the last few months avoiding these vendors but these little keyrings actually make pretty cute stocking fillers. For like 1 euro each, these guys will often give you a better price if you’re buying in bulk, you can give your friends a little reminder of your new home every time they get home!
Food Items
Now I’m not sure how this will work if you’re flying home but good French wine is super cheap as you know so add some saucisson (it’s preserved so travels well) and some local cheese (my cheese-monger will vacuum pack items for travel so do ask yours) and you’ve got yourself a food hamper. Maybe throw a bar of Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate in there. Yes it’s Swiss and you can buy it in the UK and the US but it’s all part of the overall package. The fact is that you brought them over from Paris. That’s the bit that counts.
Anything in a fancy tin works well. Amaretti biscuits and Panettonne (not French, I know, see above.) Go to the Christmas section in your nearest supermarket and choose the prettiest looking tin. That way it’s two gifts in one. Jars of things like Lotus Speculooos Original Caramelised Spread and Clement Faugier Chestnut Spread also work well and only cost a couple of euros. If you want to be really fancy then buy a box of Ladurée macaroons but just consider how you can get them home without crushing them.
Book Boxes
Meander along the banks of the Seine and pick out some gifts while you’re at it. Postcards with some glitter sprinkled on make a good alternative to the traditional Christmas card and kitschy fridge magnets are wrap up nicely for last minute visitors. You know the ones! Those extended family members who pop round unexpectedly on Boxing Day and give you a gift even though you’d agreed not to exchange presents this year.
These book boxes also sell decent prints of iconic images, such as the Chanel perfume bottle, for around 6 euros. Get a cheap frame when you get home and that’s a bargain gift for your cousin who’s studying fashion PR.
Speaking of Book Boxes, the world famous bookshop Shakespeare and Company have a pretty canny idea. Their gift boxes include a beautiful edition of a classic book, such as ‘A Moveable Feast’ or ‘Alice in Wonderland’, and then some extras such as postcards, temporary tattoos, a tote bag and a handwritten poem. All presented in a gorgeous red and gold gift box. It’s the presentation and the personal touch that makes this gift so exquisite and if you have the 30 euros to spend then go for it but I also think you could recreate this idea with a shoebox, some nice wrapping paper and a few well thought out, home-made extras thrown in. A copy of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ in a box filled with sweets and stickers for your younger sibling. Or ‘The Sun Also Rises’ in a box with some good ground coffee beans and a packet of cigarettes for your bachelor uncle. You get the idea, now run with it.
HEMA
This shop will save your life this Christmas. I could have easily just written an entire post about this place. Glittery stamps, cute notebooks, little tins of herbal tea, herringbone throws, photo albums, kitchenware. And all of it looks like it cost more than it really did. I’ve chosen some of my favourite items but really you need to mentally prepare and just face the festive madness yourself. They also sell everything you need to wrap your presents beautifully. Ribbon, wasabi tape, wax seals. It’s all there and for about two euros.
Paris Travel Journal €3.00//Pineapple tin €2.50//Brushed bronze spatula thing €6.00//Fairtrade Black Tea Pomegranate €2.50//Bird Tea Infuser €1.50//Plaid Graphic Throw €15.00//’Lovely’ candle €2.50//Eiffel Tower Light €15.00//Fairground Letter Light €15.00//Cocktail Mason Jar €2.50//Paris Make-up Bag €2.50
If you want to read more pieces from the Seventy Fifth, check the website!
Check our article on the strangest Christmas traditions.
