Christmas Ideas for 16 Year Olds?

[minkydog]

My DD16 loves makeup, jewelry, iTunes, Broadway music,movie tickets, starbucks gift cards. and cash. I found a great animal print throw for her; she's always walking around with somekind of throw over her shoulders.

what she does NOT want: gloves, hats, clothes (our tastes are polar opposites), flannel sheets, boots(again, our tastes...)

DD really loves to get money tied up in pretty little packages. I don't blame her. I felt the same way when I was a kid. My grandparents lived far away, so they didn't know what we wanted. THey would come down for Christmas and take all 5 of us to Woolworth's. They would give us $25(and enormous amount in the late 60s) and we'd pick out everything we wanted. Granny would buy the really nice wrapping paper and bows, and we'd go home and wrap our own presents. The only rule she had was "You can't open them until Dec. 25. Those presents tortured us for almost a month!

 

[mominwestlake]

My dd16 loves gift cards and cash and I always try to come up with clever ways to package both. One tradition is to buy one of those puzzle gift card holders so she has to figure out the puzzle to get her gift. One brand is biltz I think. Last year I also got her a pair of fuzzy gloves and stuffed bills of different denominations in each finger. Another time I found a cube shaped box, cut a slit in the top, taped bills of different denominations together, put the roll of bills in the box and she could pull them out through the slit as she needed some cash. I used painters tape so the bills wouldn't rip.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

Maybe a restaurant/ ice cream gift card so she can take out a friend...or meet them there with her car...mall or movie gift card...I just thought of something else but now I can't remember...hmmm....maybe something for her room? New bedding, throw pillows, desk, new desk chair or lamp, etc? Organizing stuff (bookcase or other closet thing)?

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

I remember! How about a magazine subscription...you could subscribe soon and wrap the first issue. Teen People, Self, etc?

 

[klacey1]

Ooooh, shopping for teenage girls is so fun!
For my brother's girlfriend, I'm getting a Vera Bradley headband (can buy on their website or through private crafters, online or small boutiques), Vera Bradley zip Id case (great to hold liscense and cash), and VB wristlet. She can throw pens and her keys in the wristlet during school. Not sure if your daughter likes VB, but their stuff is very practical and makes for great gifts!
When DBF's younger sister passed her driver's test, I went to the Dooney and Burke store and got her a nice leather key fob. She loved it-- plus they wrap their things up so nicely! It was only $20, and something she obviously uses everyday. Other car things that could be fun-- auxillery jack to hook up her iPod to the car to play her music, nice air fresheners from Yankee Candle, fun steering wheel/seat covers (My brother's girlfriend also has these-- she loves the steering wheel cover in the extreme temperatures!)

 

[Ppufi]

Does she need a new purse? Vera Bradley has some cute purses/wallets for under 50 dollars.

 

[kristinleigh]

My dd will turn 16 five days after Christmas and I am trying to figure out some things to get her as well. She loves photography and already has a nice camera, so I went on etsy.com and searched camera straps. They have some really cool camera straps...it was hard to pick just one!

 

[3boymthr]

I'm not the mom of girls, but I am a daughter, and a very picky one at that, especially when I was a teen. One of my favorite gifts was fine jewelry (gold, silver, gems, pearl - oh yeah, bling ). Jewelry is one of gifts that 10 years from now she just might still have it. I still have several of the pieces I got as a teen (oooh so many years ago). And there are lots of nice jewelry items that can be had for under $50 - sterling is very popular now and there are some beautiful things that can be had. Tiffany of course is all the rage, but most of their stuff is around $100 so a little over your budget of $50 - in that price range I love the stuff from Silpada.

Another thing my DM did to get around my pickyness was take me window shopping. Well, actually she'd say, I have to go christmas shopping for X or Y or Z, come with me and help me choose. I'd go in the stores with her and say oh, I like this and that and that and that and that. She'd go back the next day and pick up a few of the things I'd pointed out. We continued this tradition until DM got debilitating arthritis in her hips a couple of years ago.

 

[DVCLiz]

Wow - I could shop for a whole classroom full of 16 year olds with all of these great ideas!!!!

The car she will be driving does not have a current XM/Sirius subscription but it does have satellite radio capability, so I thought I would call and see about transferring my subscription over to her (I have a new car and it came with a free year of Sirius/XM.)

I also ordered the Lash Stash and the Lip Service samplers from Sephora - she will love those. And I'll do a few gift cards, etc. And a new key chain!!!

Thanks DISers for helping me finish my Christmas shopping!! One phone call, one online order, two items from specialty shops, and a Target run for stocking stuffers and I'll be all finished!!

Feel free to keep adding ideas for others who are shopping for the same age group!!!

 

[N.Bailey]

My dd will turn 16 five days after Christmas and I am trying to figure out some things to get her as well. She loves photography and already has a nice camera, so I went on etsy.com and searched camera straps. They have some really cool camera straps...it was hard to pick just one!

If she's into digital photography, how about a nice photo program like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop (I'm partial to Paint Shop Pro because it's easier to work with IMO, though Photoshop offers more and comes with a stiffer price tag attached)?

Or, some nice frames and/or scrap booking items to display them?

 

[JohnsPrincess]

I always like getting a new book with a gift card tucked in there! Is she into crafts?