Where to Buy Unusual Souvenir Pieces for Friends Back Home

It has become quite a habit to bring home souvenirs to our friends and family waiting for our return back home. Giving away souvenir gifts to friends is also a special way of sharing one's experiences in Paris although they were not there in person.

Many tourists make the mistake of going to malls and shopping stores to buy souvenirs without realizing that what you find in a French mall could be ordered online or bought wherever you are in the world. If you want your gifts to stand out this year, here are four places to visit:

 Muji is a small shop in Les Halles that sells unique gifts and souvenir pieces. If you want a truly French gift to take home, Muji is where you can buy a wooden toy kit of the Parisian skyline.This wooden piece is the perfect wall decal for you, or your friends' rooms, back home.

If you want something unique and historical, it would be best to hit museums. There are hundreds, even thousands, of museums in Paris alone and each establishment has its own souvenir shop. Make it a part of your tour plan to drop by the popular ones and buy a cheap souvenir.

If you want gifts that are odd and cheap, the best place to find them would be at the Puces St. Ouen in Porte de Clignancourt. You can find old medical tools here, vintage items, and even taxidermy pieces. Most of the merchandise sold in this part of town is cheap but you could still ask for a discount from the merchants.

Finally, there are certain streets in Paris that sell unusual paintings and sketches; perhaps the most common of these areas would be around the Marais, Notre Dame, and Canal St. Martin. You could get an oil painting of yourself or a friend here and perhaps buy little office pieces like Gargoyle-shaped erasers.