Funky and quirky are the two words that spring to mind when buying pressies for a teen girl. But there's only one problem ... what falls into that category for the the young lady you're buying for?

You need to be nosey or get a parent or sibling to do some legwork on your behalf.

Gather any intelligence you can, finding out what the girl's bedroom is like, her most frequently worn piece of jewellery, the poster that has pride of place on her wall, or the heart-throb movie or rock star whose DVDs or CDs are constantly being played.

Then base your decision on those findings. If you dig deep enough you can seek out a gift that can really help you bond, but if you merely scratch the surface you'll end up with a reputation as the uncool relation or friend who just doesn't have a clue. Your answer to that might be: "Am I bovvered?" Well, yes, of course you are, otherwise you wouldn't be agonising over what to buy.

Ten tips for teen girl gifts

Mum and Dad can probably get away with girlie gifts, as long as the teen's peer group are kept out of the loop. We're always being told that kids grow up too soon, and with so much pressure on teen girls to skip a few years and race towards womanhood, it might be nice to invest in a couple of cuddly toys for bedtime!

Does she have a pet? A pressie from the pooch or a gift from the guinea pig would be nice, and let's face it, animals can get away with anything. So how about something personalised with a picture of the creature in question? A framed picture or a geeky gadget from the computer shop would be a quirky enough to go down well.

Find out the fashion fad sweeping the school or college and buy accordingly, always accepting that it'll be out of date by the time Easter rolls around. Ho-hum, just grin and bear it.

Purses, little bags, or anything for storing knick-knacks in always go down well. If you buy a purse you could pop a tenner or two inside for good measure!

Gift vouchers with a difference. It's not just boys who like to be adventurous, so what would your action girl like to do? An older teen girl might fancy a spin round Silverstone race-track as a passenger in a fast sports car, or maybe strap herself to a dishy parachutist with a tandem leap from a plane.

Pre-book some tickets for a day at her favourite theme park, and buy two so she can take her best mate or girlfriend.

Make-up kits are great Christmas gifts for teen girls. If she likes to experiment with different looks see if the shops have anything new on offer. Gift packs abound at this time of year.

A book might sound dull, but if it's full of pictures of Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, et al, it's sure to go down well.

Jewellery, especially a locket or adult style necklace will make her feel really special.

If the teen girl drives she would love Christmas gifts such as awesome accessories for her car. Pimp her ride with some cheeky cushions or a sparkly gear knob.

By Graham Harris