Arty 12yo girl, need suggestions!

[BearSoFair]

Starting early with ideas for DD this year as I know it's going to be tricky. She's 12, not yet at the 'wanting to be grown up' stage of asking for make up etc, not really interested in fashion, but too old to be wanting toys now.

She's always been very into art and crafts, but most of the sets are aimed at younger children. She already has a good set of markers and decent paints, so I'm a bit stuck for ideas!

Graphics tablet, for drawing on a computer

I came on to suggest this. My dd bought my ds one (11) he has used his a huge amount. I don't think it was very expensive, certainly a lot cheaper than upgrading his old iPad.
He also does a fair amount of homework on it, posters etc.

Diamond painting is really good if she likes gem stones the idea is to stick the gems on to a numbered grid picture with a special pen, it takes patience but the end results are good and they come in kit form.

you can't have too many art supplies

@akkakk Right.... But professional opinion Vs affordable art gift for a CHILD. Suggesting an iPad that costs around a grand Vs a graphics tablet that costs around £50 is not really comparable.

My dd loves diamond painting, she’s done quite a few. Also the adult colouring books, jewellery making kits and knitting loom. At the moment we are making soap and candles.

Right.... But professional opinion Vs affordable art gift for a CHILD. Suggesting an iPad that costs around a grand Vs a graphics tablet that costs around £50 is not really comparable.

Actually the ipad starts in the UK at £349 RRP though the pencil is an additional c. £120 - so a total of c. £470 - the smaller non pro tablets do now accept the pencil after recent Apple updates...

There are cheap Wacom tablets at

Thanks all, some great suggestions, can't believe we hadn't considered a sewing machine before! She loved watching the Sewing Bee so I'll definitely have to start asking some questions and see if she seems interested in starting to sew herself.

She has recently got into the scraperfoil kits so already planning to stick a couple of those in her stocking

RE the tablet debate, she has a friend with a Wacom so she's had a little try on that but didn't show any great desire to have one herself, so for now she's happy with paper and pencil/paint/markers. Thank you though, I'll make a note of the points made in case she wants to go for a tablet at some point!

DD had a set of wood carving knives plus a book on woodcarving / whittling around that age & it was a massive hit. She made some gorgeous little carved pendants, leaf earrings, little wooden toadstools & several Harry potter wands for friends. (Only downside was wood shavings everywhere!!)

Copics have a brush tip that's the main difference between those and ohohu markers. I have both but I do honestly prefer the copics they're horribly expensive to start with (£2.49 on cult pens for a ciao) but you can buy refills for £8 and they will refill the ciao about 20 times and that's what reduces the price. They also have a huge range of colours bigger than any other marker currently on the market.

Apart from they're just what every insta artist uses.

There are some gorgeous colouring things on Smallable.com

i got my first sewing machine around that age and i loved it so so so much!

ah i'd love an arty child