ALT-4 Christmas 2007 Gift Ideas for Creative Teen Girls
Buying gifts for a creative teen can be really fun and affordable. There are so many great ideas to chose from, that narrowing it down to a few will be tough. Depending on if the leaning is towards arts and crafts or creativity in a different vain say in music or writing will help eliminate some ideas. I have listed a few that seem to be cool enough for teens and provide hours of entertainment.
1) Beading and jewelry making. With many stores to chose from, there are hundreds of colors, sizes and shapes of beads. Not only are there beads, but fixings such as wires, ear hooks, pin backs, fasteners etc. There are no boundaries when creating your own jewelry - the only limitation is your own imagination. Bobby Bead or The Bead Monkey are two Minneapolis/St. Paul bead shops that have great selection and customer service. For a beginner, an instructional book on beading basics is a good idea, along with some of the basic tools needed to snip, thread and wire jewelry. Seed beads are great for experimenting with design and color scheme, plus they are cheap and you get a lot of them in a tube.
2) For the artistic teen who has shown interest in sketching, painting or watercolors, a gift of art supplies can be an inspiring as well as an encouraging gift. Any art supply store will have all you need. For a real beginner, a nice set of charcoal pencils, sketch pad and erasers/shading tools. If painting if preferred, than a nice set of watercolor or oil paints with a set of paintbrushes and a palette.
3) For the musically inclined teen, a gift choice is more challenging. Depending on if the teen already has an instrument, it may be more of a "music appreciation" gift. You can't go wrong with an i-tunes card, but you can also give sheet music or a collection of songs for a pianist or guitarist. Groth music is a well-rounded music retail store which specializes in music education.
4) Learning to sew is something passed down. Teens often become interested in this skill when they decide to experiment with fashion. Novelties such as interesting buttons, unique fabric remnants and an easy pattern like Simplicity are great ideas for a beginning seamstress.
5) Last, but not least, cooking and baking are creative and considered art forms. Not at all to suggest a stereotypical image of a female cooking, but again, learning basic cooking skills is essential before venturing out on one's own. A well-rounded, basic cookbook like The Joy of Cooking is a must for every kitchen. For fun, add a decorative cake pan or a cake decorating set. Williams Sonoma has elegant, quality kitchen items.
In conclusion, all of these ideas first and foremost encourage creativity in many facets. Oftentimes, talents, although obviously there, need to be encouraged in order to be cultivated. Your gift could be the reason that a true talent is discovered!
