There are all sorts of Budapest mementos offered at stores citywide, but for authentic contemporary handicrafts by diverse local artisans, there is no better destination than Projekt Showroom, found at Bécsi Street 3 just steps away from Deák Square. At this quirky pop-up shop organized jointly with We Love Budapest, accessories by talented Hungarian designers are sold alongside many iconoclastic city souvenirs, from practical items to gifts that are basically useless, but too charming to resist. Adding to the appeal of this one-of-a-kind bazaar, now it will remain open through Christmas!
Giving cotton tea towels to your loved ones after a trip to Budapest doesn’t initially sound like a good idea, but think about it and you’ll realize that a genuinely nice piece can make a great gift that’ll be appreciated hanging in any kitchen. FruFru csoport’s Budapest-influenced textiles are charming and made of durable materials.
Going against 21st-century trends toward digitalizing everything, Manufaktor Workshop creates puppets and paper toys. We can hardly think about anything cuter than somebody making marionette figures for families, children, theater plays, or home movies. At Projekt Showroom, our favorite product of theirs are the shadow theaters made of paper, that are put together at home. We wish that every family would spend the night playing with these instead of their mobile phones…
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Pilot Project bookmarks
Everybody who hasn’t switched to e-books and doesn’t want to dog-ear their favorite tomes would love to have a hand-polished, stainless-steel bookmark. At Projekt Showroom, you can find a lot of bookmark characters, but the founders of Pilot Project are always open to special orders, too.
What makes the bonbons and dragées of Cinq Filles Budapest so outstanding? Their taste and their packaging. It feels way more exclusive to have a taste if you pick the sweets from a box like theirs, not from a box of chocolates bought at a supermarket.
We’ve already wrote about these creative cartographers, and we are in still love with Urban Sidewalker’s detailed Budapest maps. Their posters not only make a good gift, they look good in every household.
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CUCC paper sacks
Those who are active on Instagram must have seen the decorative paper sacks of CUCC. Apart from the more minimalist bags and those which follow actual fashion trends, they make Budapest-themed versions too. You can store random things like sock balls in it, making this the rare gift that can serve as a present and wrapping paper at once.
