Ideal for creative souls who are looking for a new favourite past time.
Social distancing and the coronavirus have many of us self-isolating at home, searching for meaningful ways to pass the time. With so many of us stuck inside, there’s no better time than now to pick up a new pastime or learn a new skill. And nope, this isn’t one of those pieces about how your lockdown has been an abject failure if you didn’t start a side hustle, learn Hassaniya Arabic or read the complete works of Tolstoy.
Instead, something light, gentle and reassuring for these strange times; perfect for a spot of self care and a few moments peace. Here are 10 hands on hobbies to try during quarantine, IDEAL for creative souls who are looking for a new favourite past time.
KNITTING OR CROCHETING
Knitting and crocheting are not only relaxing, but they’re also super useful hobbies that engage both your hands and stimulate your whole brain. Not only do they have proven health benefits – both for your mood and motor function – but they can also give you a sense of accomplishment which is tough to find when you’re spending so much damn time in your living room, in your pyjamas.
These crafts are easy to learn and many yarn stores offer delivery, great for hunting down high quality yarn for crocheting without even having to leave your home.
WATERCOLOURING
Watercolouring is another therapeutic art form that doesn’t require a lot of knowledge or tools to get started. Chances are, you may even have a watercolour set lying around in storage or leftover from your school days (or your kid’s current ones).
This inexpensive craft can easily be turned into a social event like a Zoom paint night (though perhaps not a life drawing session, seeing as the platform is so prone to being hacked) and serves as a great introduction to other forms of painting.
EMBROIDERY
If you’re looking for an easy craft you can do while multitasking, consider trying your hand at embroidery. All you need to get started is some embroidery floss, a needle, and a project idea. If you’re stuck with what to stitch, look to the seasons. Think watermelons and wildflowers for summer, halloween embroidery designs and the harvest for autumn, and snowflakes and Santa’s for winter.
Embroidery is a great way to personalise old articles of clothing and is one of those hobbies you can make as simple or complex as you like. You can learn a few essential stitches, experiment with cross-stitching, or simply go at it free hand.
For inspiration, check out the custom embroidery patches over at Patches Co. These guys allow you to customise your patches according to colour, style, wording and more, and are a great way to get motivated to then take your embroidering into your own hands!
SEWING
If you already have some experience with crafting, then you might want to consider taking up sewing. Although it may seem intimidating, sewing is actually a really straightforward and easy to learn activity.
If you’re keen to perfect your skills with the ol’ needle and thread, then you’ll find teachers the world over ready to share their knowledge, whether you’re after a sewing class in Melbourne, crocheting courses in London, or a knitting lesson in Paris.
You can even put your new hobby to work by sewing cloth face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19 or support frontline health workers in your area.
BULLET JOURNALING
Bullet journaling is a practical activity that combines journalling, organisational planning, and artistic expression all in one notebook. It’s another creative pursuit that can alleviate anxiety and help you incorporate mindfulness and self-reflection into your daily routine, too.
JEWELLERY MAKING
One of the ways you can satisfy your love for fashion while everyone isolates indoors is by creating your own handmade accessories. Jewellery making is actually a really broad art form that includes everything from beadwork to metallurgy. You can start off with a jewellery making kit and work your way up to designing your own pieces using hand selected materials.
POTTERY
Pottery is one of those classic hobbies you have probably always wanted to try but never had the time for. Although you likely don’t have access to a professional pottery wheel, you can still try this incredibly fun activity while staying at home thanks to oven-bake and air-dry clays.
Practice sculpting the clay with your hands and see just how many ceramic bowls you can make by the end of quarantine. Check out this guide to making your own clay at home, with flour, for inspiration.
CALLIGRAPHY
If you’re looking for a hobby that you can try using only supplies you have at home, then calligraphy might be the perfect craft for you. Hand-lettering is a unique art form that can be used to create beautiful pieces of home decor and hand-written correspondence. You can practice with speciality brush pens or simply use whatever pens, pencils, and paper you already have at home.
UPCYCLING
If you’re interested in doing some home repairs during the downtime and upping your decorating game, too, then you have to try upcycling. This environmentally-friendly hobby is the art of repurposing used items and giving them a new life as something else.
With a little bit of paint and creativity, you can use upcycling to spruce up your home, create beautiful pieces of interior design, and recycle the things you no longer use.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Spending all this time at home has presented its own set of unique challenges. Whether you’re feeling anxious or simply looking for an entertaining way to pass the time, taking up a creative hobby is a fantastic way to keep your mind engaged and make something special during quarantine.
These fun hobbies will help support your mental health and well-being while also giving you a sense of accomplishment. So why not get started and try something new!