Gifts for 14 Year Old Girls: What My Teen Artist Actually Wants

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Shopping for a 14-year-old girl is hard. She doesn't want toys, she has opinions about everything, and she'd rather have nothing than the wrong thing. My oldest is 14, and she's an artist. She sketches, she does digital art on her iPad, and she takes her work seriously.

So I don't guess. I start with what she does every day: draw, read, listen to music and hunt for new artists, and watch anime. Here are the gifts for 14 year old girls I'm buying or would buy again, sorted by what she's into.

How I shop for a teen

At this age, I ask her for a list and I actually use it. Then I add one or two things she didn't think to ask for. With six kids, everyone gets the same number of gifts, so each one for her has to count. That's how we keep Christmas on a budget without anyone feeling shorted.

For the teen artist

Art supplies are at the top of her list every year, and they always get used.

A real drawing and sketching set. I bought her this 100-piece set to upgrade her tools, with pencils, charcoal and everything for sketching. It felt like a grown-up artist's kit, and she uses it constantly.

An acrylic paint set. She asked for more paint this year. A set with brushes and a few canvases lets her try something new without me buying it piece by piece.

A heavy-paper sketchbook. Thin paper doesn't hold up to markers or paint. A sketchbook with thick pages makes her work feel more finished.

A how-to-draw manga book. She loves anime, so a drawing book in that style fits right in with how she already draws.

For the digital artist

She does a lot of her art on an iPad with a stylus. Two ideas I like for that:

A premium plan for ibisPaint. ibisPaint is the drawing app she uses on her iPad, and the upgrade is the one thing she asked for by name. The free version only goes so far, and premium unlocks more brushes and tools. It's a gift that takes up zero space in the house.

A paper-feel screen protector. It gives the glass a little texture, so drawing with a stylus feels more like pencil on paper. A small gift, but a nice one for a kid who draws every day.

For music and anime

Wireless headphones. She's always finding new artists to listen to, and good headphones make that her own little world, even in a house with seven other people.

A manga box set. She loves to read, and she loves anime. A box set covers both and lasts for weeks.

Kindle Unlimited. I use it for my own reading every night. If your teen has a Kindle or the Kindle app, a subscription is an easy gift for a reader who goes through books fast.

Clothes and shoes

Clothes, hoodies and shoes are on her list too. For these, I let her pick. A teen's style changes fast, and she knows exactly what she likes. I'll get one cozy oversized hoodie as a surprise, then let her choose the rest with me, or give her a gift card and a shopping trip together.

The quick list

• A drawing and sketching set

• Acrylic paints and a heavy-paper sketchbook

• A how-to-draw manga book

• An ibisPaint premium plan

• A paper-feel screen protector for her iPad

• Wireless headphones

• A manga box set or Kindle Unlimited

• A hoodie, plus a shopping trip for the rest

Shopping for younger kids too? Here's what my 8-year-old daughter actually plays with, and what all six of mine love in my Christmas gifts for kids by age post.