Well, there’s a teenager in the house and even though there hasn’t been much change to the beautiful girl that she is, she’s all of a sudden grown up and no longer interested in toys like she used to be so finding suitable gifts that aren’t too provocative or ‘grown up’ has been hard but I’ve compiled this budget gift guide for teenage girls hoping that it might help others.

Stationery

One thing my daughter has been interested in forever is stationery. She loves to draw and use all types of medium to create drawings and write stories. I think I should’ve bought shares in a stationery company years ago because I’ve spent quite a bit of money over the years on pencils, paints, drawing and colouring books. 

Gone are the days of normal markers and crayons. Teenage girls who are interested in drawing are learning new mediums to use at school and extend their artistic capabilities.

Here is a range of different and fun stationery items that will appeal to young female teens.

Water Colour Markers (available in packs of 12, 18 or 24)

• Sketch pad
• Exercise book
• Watercolor pad

Water Colour Pencils with Brush (available in tins of 24, 36 or 48)

Pencil cases of any and every description. The more unusual the better.

There are all types of cute stationery items for young girls like erasers, memo pads, sticky notes, rulers, lead pencils and pens. Just keep your stash hidden or it will be open slather.

iPad/iPod Accessories

Whether it’s an Apple or Android device, most teenage girls (well, mine in particular) have it stuck to their hands permanently. Whether it’s messaging friends or watching Youtube clips, they’ve got to be ‘in the know’ and kept up to date at all times. (I think back to my childhood and it’s not much different to me being on the hard-wired telephone to my girlfriends and my mother telling me to get off the phone. It’s just a sign of the times.)

So why not get them some cool accessories to compliment their device.

Headphones like the above light up cat’s ears headphones

A Pop Socket in any number of designs. Folds down flat while device not in use then pops out so you can grip the device better. (I only know because my daughter requested one for her birthday.)

No, the above isn’t a fidget spinner. It’s a bluetooth speaker. They come in every shape and design known to man kind. Again, the more unusual the better.

And there’s always a new case for their device. Just like any fashion accessory, the case is such an all important must have (according to my daughter).

There are so many different accessories for iPads, tablets, iPhones and laptops that any teenage girl would love to receive. I didn’t know half of them existed or were even a thing so there’s something for everyone at every budget.

Make Up

It might be karma for all the times I got into my mother’s make up, but my teenager has already been testing how to apply makeup using all my products.  Not that I let her wear it out except for a soft pink lipstick and maybe a clear mascara but they’ll still want to experiment when they’re young and of course want to wear it as they get into their older teenage years.

A make up kit stocked full of different coloured eyeshadows, lipsticks, blush, nail polishes and everything in between will keep her occupied for hours and hopefully out of your makeup stash.

Skin Care

The hormones are raging and so are the break outs. My daughter has pretty good skin, at this stage, but it’s never too early to develop a good skin regime. There are a lot of products on the market specifically designed for the teenage girl.

Look for all natural products or make up your own using ingredients found in your pantry. Buy some pretty bottles or jars to store the products in.

Make sure they learn to remove their makeup each night before bed. Throw in a soft makeup removing cloth to add to a cleansing kit specifically for your teenage girl.

Books

I’m lucky in that my daughter has always been an avid reader and she’s read most books over and over again. You can always find the cheapest price for the book on a website called Booko or browse the secondhand stores for a bargain. This comprehensive list details 17 books every girl should read before she’s 17 from Seventeen mag.

 

Throw in something like the above ‘book cushion’ which also doubles as an iPad holder and hope that she uses it more for reading a book rather than her iPad.

Jewelry

Between high school and their after school commitments, there’s probably not much opportunity for young teenage girls to wear jewelry but that’s not to say they don’t love to wear it. Pretty bangles, friendship necklaces and chokers compliment their outfits when they catch up with friends at the movies.

And there’s always those ‘best friend’ pendant necklaces that they will want to share with their ‘bestie’ (or is it BFF)?

 

I hope you like this list I’ve put together. Depending on your own teenager, they might be into other specific things. I know my daughter is quite scientific and loves things about the solar system and outer space so tailoring the above to specific interests will always be a winner.