11/12/13 year old girls - the definitive Christmas gift thread.

[Earlybird]

I keep thinking I must get started Christmas shopping for dd - to avoid the crowds and craziness that comes with leaving it 'til December - but there is one problem: I have no clue what to get her! I am usually pretty good with ideas, but not this year. Ugh.

Anything she 'needs' (clothes, etc) mostly need to be bought with her input because she has her own style, and increasingly dislikes things I think are lovely. Also, because she has grown so much in the last year, anything she needs, she needs now, and it can't wait until Christmas. The 'want' category seems to skew toward technology (which I am not opposed to, but would like to consider other things too), or items that are £££.

I am hoping for some inspiration and brilliant ideas from others here. What are you planning to get for your girls? Big and small pressies, stocking stuffers etc - all ideas welcome!

They're 7mm needles, bestbefore. Its inspired, you only have to do 7 stitches per row, and it grows very quickly, so perfect for less-than-patient 11 year olds!

Drum kit
Ps3 game
Minecraft book
Minecraft lego
Earrings
Books
Glitter nail varnish
Fox satchel
Funky hat with ears
Soap and glory face powder....it's really light but slightly bronzing and a bit glittery.
Some Lush stuff.

Oh and despicable me 2 on DVD

Viva, where did you get the fox satchel please?

I know dd would like a satchel, too - I think they're definitely popular with that age group.

I've seen some lovely satchels in TKMaxx and on Ebay.

Paperchase have a fox satchel which dd likes and I've also got her one from eBay.

ebay

paperchase

Have just realised the eBay one is an owl not a fox.

I heart that paper chase one!

Thanks

Here's a parallel teen/tween boys thread which might be worth reading too, as there's a high level of cross-over.

I got one of the TK Maxx satchels for DD today (and managed to remember to hide it before she came home). A good recommendation, thanks.

It is good to get the wheels turning as ideas are posted here.

Yesterday I found a little cross-the-body bag with a special pocket for a phone. It comes in a cheery print fabric, so hopefully she'll like it.

This is not an easy age.

Thank goodness for this thread. Dd2 now has a ball of wool for Xmas

Really can't think of anything else!

Her 14 year old sister will be getting a lens for her camera, necklace with her name on and clothes. Her birthday is in a couple of weeks and she is getting posh riding boots, Silver Brumby book, some make up.

Lol at the ball of wool. ( my dd is getting one too)
Just added a couple of cheapies

Hair turban from Primark £1
Posh John Frieda hair stuff ( blonde) £4 ( that she would use anyway!)

May raid Primark for some more cheapies, unfortunately this doesn't work quite so well for ds.

Dithering over the sewing machine. Could be a big hit or a disappointment

DD will be 14 a few days after Christmas. She's not getting nearly as much as others on here but this is what she''ll have between both days

a whispering dragon
some bits and bobs of cheapy jewelry
some homemade earrings
vampire diaries DVDs
home knitted frilly scarf - a bit like the one above in purples/lilacs
hand monogrammed hankies in lilac and purple
knitted wrist warmers
nice mug with snowman soup
kindle
sweets
toiletries that she needs anyway
voucher for local hair/eyebrow wax place
bigger violin

My dd is 14 a few days before Xmas and isn't getting as much as that, I feel mean now! What's a whispering dragon?

A Whispering Dragon is one f those earrings that wrap around your hear so that it looks like the dragon is whispering to you. Like this.

most of her stuff is made by me. She may or may not get the kindle, depending on how the money goes, she might just get some new Pjs and a couple of books, instead. Depends how things pan out with the 5 of them. Voucher will just be a tenner one to pay for her regular brow and lip wax. I always feel really mean when I read these threads

She is likely to get only the violin for her birthday with a couple of charity shop books and an hm bookmark with some nice text on it.

They sound great presents Stressed. We don't spend anywhere near what some spend. Last year was the most ever, as dd got a kindle fire, and ds a bike. But we don't spend just for the sake of it, and they seem happy enough.

I've got my 14 yr old niece some jelly belly bamboozle beans. A bit like Russian roulette with jelly beans, some interesting flavours not to get, like vomit and dog food. Good for a stocking I thought

I was so unsure about the sewing machine that I asked her in a roundabout way if she would like one. She thinks it would be amazing so thank you so much.

As we're all casting about for ideas: I've been meaning to post that one of dd's favourite gifts last year was an electric piano keyboard, along with a beginner's book of Disney movie theme songs. She mentioned yesterday that it was one of her best gifts ever.

Dd1&2 are getting a popcorn maker and flavourings/corn/bags etc.
Dd1 is getting a new phone for her birthday.
Both are getting cinema vouchers.

Last Christmas I bought my dd a sewing machine (less than £100 from John Lewis, not too complicated) and a pattern for a top. We then went shopping just after Christmas so she could choose the fabric. I failed O level needlework big time so we both had fun trying to understand the pattern! She was so proud of the end result, wore it quite a bit and has since used the sewing machine to make all kinds of things. The staff at JL have been as helpful as ever, guiding us towards patterns that we might just be able to understand!

I hated getting clothes for christmas when I was a kid so I try to buy clothes that are a bit out of the ordinary. When dd was younger, and still believed in Father Christmas, each year I used to buy a really pretty dress from Monsoon (or the Fairy Shop, as we call it in our house), wrap it in special wrapping paper with lots of sparkly bits and write a card in wobbly writing. The card would be from FC and say that Mrs Christmas had helped him choose a special dress for her.

This year I am getting her:
Furry slipper boots
Scarves (not the woollen variety)
Pastels and art paper
Body shop parcel of smellies, lip balms etc.
'Voucher' for boden
Hair accessories (she soooo wants hair straighteners. Not happening)
Patchwork book and squares
Label maker (she has wanted one of these for ages. Bizarrely, I remember wanting one when I was her age too). I guess this means her walls, drawers, cupboards,furry animals, door, bed etc will be covered in labels by Boxing Day....