Increased time at home can be an excellent opportunity to build or rediscover different types of hobbies. Picking up new or old hobbies brings us joy and enriches our lives. It gives us something fun to do with our newfound leisure time and allows us to learn new skills. Whether you are trying to organize your photos with our unique scrapbook styles, improve your gardening skills, make your home cozier with personalized home decor, and more, we’ve gathered a list of different types of hobbies that you can try at home in these times of COVID-19.
In navigating these uncertain times, Shutterfly plays an important role to look after our employees, support our customers, and aid our communities. See how Shutterfly For Good is dedicating resources to help those in need and help us, as a society, emerge stronger on the other side. We also want to help live out 2020 as best you can with relevant themes from the year in our Art Library. Create vote merchandise as you exercise your right to vote, and encourage others to speak up as well.
Benefits Of Having A Hobby
Hobbies are an essential way for us to connect with our passions, identity, and each other. They help us find ways to stay active, mentally and physically. Here are some of the many reasons why all of us should have at least one hobby.
- Picking up new hobbies can relieve stress by keeping you engaged in something you enjoy. They let you relax and get excited about activities that aren’t related to work, chores, or other responsibilities.
- Hobbies increase your knowledge and help you develop new skills. As you spend more time doing your hobby, you will gain new knowledge and become better and better at it.
- Having hobbies will help you become more patient. Developing a new hobby means that you will have to learn something that is brand new to you. Being involved in activities that are novel and challenging will build your patience.
- Hobbies offer an opportunity to step away from your busy life and take a break – but a break with a purpose. They will make you feel productive while still having fun.
- Hobbies will help you create bonds with other people. Whether you join an online group, ask a friend or family for help, or just want to gift others your fruits of labor, hobbies are a great way to connect with others who have the same interests as you.
Interesting Hobbies For The Collector
If you find yourself accumulating objects that you might “someday” need, but that awaited day never comes, your new hobby could be to start a collection of those things. Some collectors go after the traditional like old coins or postage stamps, while others are passionate about postcards, magnets, or holiday cards. This type of hobby could be fun and relaxing for you if you like the idea of curating a collection of things that are unique to you. Check out these interesting things you can start collecting right now to kickstart your hobby.
A Beloved Mug Collection
If you drink a lot of coffee and tea, you probably have a favorite mug you gravitate towards every day. Whether it’s because that mug was a gift from someone you love, a souvenir from your favorite vacation, or simply because it feels good in your hand, your special mug is associated with a beloved person, place, or feeling. Growing your mug collection as a hobby can be emotional, fun, and functional as well. If a mug collection sounds like it could become a part of a cozy, comforting routine, you can start by making your own personalized photo mug with photos of your favorite memories or your initials.
Collecting Memories Through Photo Books
A single photograph may tell a story, but photo books can show entire lifetimes of the best ones. If you already have a digital collection of hundreds, if not thousands, of photos stored in your phone or camera’s memory chip, the best hobby to take up is creating and collecting photo books of these most memorable moments. Make reminiscing your wedding day, travel adventures, and baby’s first steps into a fun hobby with our custom photo books. Collecting photo books means creating thoughtful narratives – from the cover design to choosing from hundreds of pre-set themes, personalized texts, and finally, the photos themselves.
The Simple Joy Of Collecting Stamps
The process of searching, locating and buying common stamps, new stamps, old stamps, rare stamps, or even personalized stamps will give any collector a sense of pride, success, and accomplishment. For some people, just the simple and pure fun of the hunt to the moment of successfully acquiring a particular stamp is a good enough reason to collect stamps. Whether it’s because you are intrigued by the various pictures, designs, and colors, just like a person who collects antiques or paintings, there is joy and satisfaction to filling up a book of stamps.
Sentimental Magnet Collections
Not only are magnets extremely useful for sticking important notes and to-do lists on your fridge door, but collecting them can also be a fun hobby to pick up. Many people start their magnet collections from souvenirs that serve a pleasant reminder of their travels and adventures. Collecting magnets is a fun hobby to take on as each magnet has a different story behind it – an Eiffel Tower magnet shows that the collector may have visited Paris or dreams of taking a trip there. Creating your own custom magnet designs can give you the chance to let your imagination run wild and possess magnets made to your liking. They can be customized with names, special dates and even unique messages that mean a lot to you.
Creative Hobbies To Pick Up
Taking up a creative hobby can be a wonderfully energizing way to recharge your batteries and reignite your imagination. Giving yourself a creative outlet by working a crafty hobby into your routine can make you feel refreshed and even boost your work performance. Explore your creativity by picking up types of hobbies that get in touch with your artistic side and make your daily routines more fun.
The Art Of Hand Lettering
Hand lettering is the process of creating decorative letters and fonts. One of the most appealing parts of this hobby is that there are near-endless ways to do it. You can use any type of medium for writing or drawing, ranging from pens to markers to brushes and beyond. Hand lettering also allows you to develop your own unique style with just a little bit of practice. This type of hobby in particular can be used to create cards and signs for your friends and family.
Organize Your Thoughts With Bullet Journaling
Bullet journaling is a technique that you can use to record the events of your day, stay organized, and plan for future goals. Rather than buying a planner, you can create one yourself that only includes the things you need. The three main things you’ll write down each day are the tasks you need to get done, notes about things you don’t want to forget, and noteworthy events you want to remember. Bullet journaling is a quick way to express yourself and get your thoughts on paper. To get started, design your own personalized journal with a color palette of your choice and photos to add a personal touch. Writing in general makes for a great hobby, so whether it’s fiction, poetry, or jotting down your emotions in a healthy way, your journal could have lots of significance in years to come.
Learning How To Knit Or Sew
If you are looking for a more challenging hobby to try, knitting or sewing might be the right option for you. These hobbies provide more freedom and choice in what you produce and how. Cross stitching, arm knitting, loom knitting and needlepoint are examples of types of stitch and embroidery that could lead to various creations. Before you know it, you could become a stitch master and get a head start on homemade holiday gifts for your loved ones. The possibilities are endless as long as you have an ample supply of thread.
Make Beautiful Flower Arrangements
Consider picking up flower arranging as your next hobby to express yourself as someone who loves nature. There are so many books and websites that offer tutorials for intricate and complex arrangements using many different types of flowers and greenery. Floristry is a hobby anyone can get into and by learning just a few basic principles, you will be able to create attractive floral designs to brighten up your home. You can even wear your flower arrangements by making them into crowns, corsages, and more.
Relaxing Hobbies That Sharpen The Mind
Hobbies that make us problem solve and think through tough scenarios can help stimulate our minds and keep our brains in shape. A clear and sharp mind is an important thing to pursue. Having hobbies that keep our minds active can reduce stress levels, help you recall information faster, and make you feel more engaged with life. These relaxing hobbies will help enhance your mental function and capabilities:
Relax With Origami
Origami uses your fine motor skills, so it’s therapeutic as well as creative and productive. This hobby will entice you if you enjoy cooking from recipes because it has clear instructions. There is also the pleasure in using beautiful paper to make intricate plants, animals, and other nature-inspired folds. The best thing about this hobby is that you can find projects that are simple enough for beginners or ones that require a little bit more detailed folding for more experienced folders.
Brain Boosting Puzzles
For those who spend a lot of time staring at a screen, a tactile hobby can help them switch off. Puzzles are a fantastic way to relax and stimulate your mind by creating something physical. To make this hobby an extra special experience, design your own custom photo puzzle with one or more photos and choose an iconic color and theme that goes along with it. Set your sights on an easy challenge with 60 pieces or a long term project with 1014. Soon enough, you will find yourself completely engrossed in putting together a puzzle that you could even frame upon completion.
Fun Ways To Learn A New Language
If you are fantasizing about far-off places, learning a new language could be the perfect way to pass your time. Studying a new language has the obvious benefits of allowing you to communicate with people who speak that language but will also make you more perceptive and even better at speaking your own native tongue. There are plenty of online programs and apps that can help you out. Once you’ve learned the basics, find a pen pal to help utilize your skills in a more authentic way. Making a new connection in this time of social distancing is always a plus. You can also try watching your favorite movie or TV show in the language that you’re studying with subtitles.
Take Up A Musical Instrument
When you play a musical instrument, certain parts of your brain are stimulated as you memorize the notes, use your hands, and feel the music. Doing these simultaneously means you are also developing your motor skills, analytical skills, memory, and creativity. Having a musical instrument as a hobby is a creative release that you can become very involved in. It might be a bit of a challenge in the beginning, but over time the brain benefits and newfound confidence from making music will outweigh any pressure limitations.
Fun Hobbies For Kids And Families
Share your interests with your family by picking up a hobby everyone has a passion for. There is likely something you all would enjoy doing; you just have to try new things and find out what it is. Here are some very simple hobbies you and your family can carry out and have fun.
Grow Something Together
Gardening is a surprisingly beneficial hobby. There’s the obvious benefit of growing your own fruits and vegetables, as well as pretty flowers and plants. The added benefit is that gardening is good for the mind and body, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Gardening becomes an even more engaging activity when you bring kids into the picture. This type of hobby is a fun and relaxing way for you and your kids to get in touch with nature as they learn to nurture a plant from seed to fruit-bearing trees. Try having your kids grow a pizza garden with easy-to-grow ingredients for a delicious savory pie, such as tomatoes, eggplant, and herbs, all in the same area. Once the vegetables and herbs have grown, you and your family will have loads of fun putting together the ingredients for a real pizza.
Preserve Your Memories With Scrapbooks
Creating scrapbooks is a great way to share memories with your family while making new ones in the process. It’s a popular hobby that allows you and your kids to document special life events in unique ways. Plus, young children love to hear stories about themselves as well as their families. Putting stories together as a family is a fun activity that will ultimately encapsulate memories to be passed down through generations. Have everyone bring their favorite pictures to light with multiple format photo prints. Assign each family member a page to work on, set up work stations with scrapbooking supplies such as scissors, markers, glue, stickers, letters, washi tapes and more. And finally, start creating!
Make Learning Fun With Memory Games
One effective way of helping your kids become more successful learners is by incorporating memory games into their routines. Playing memory games is a great hobby for you and your kids to build skills and memory. These games are good for children and adults alike as they help young brains make connections and the older ones stay sharp. Our customizable memory game will encourage memory training as it takes a considerable amount of concentration to watch and remember where each card is. Adding fun pictures and bright colors will help retain their interests and make learning more fun.
Bonding Over Model Trains
If your family likes to collect things, consider picking up model trains as a hobby to do together. Model trains not only look great, but they are fun to watch go around the track. As you build up your collection, you’ll be able to build more intricate lifelike tracks, giving you something to show off on your socials. Your kids will love helping you find new trains, and may even want to start building some on their own.
Make Thank You Cards Together
Making thank you cards for essential workers is a great way to bond with your kids. Show appreciation for our doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery store clerks, and all the essential workers who are keeping us safe and healthy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Get creative with your kids and make thank you cards and fun artwork to hang on your windows or send to hospitals and clinics. To show gratitude, share your child’s artwork with the hashtag #CreateThanks. Shutterfly will transform their creative works of art into thank you cards and posters and deliver them to essential organizations. Find more information and check out the #CreateThanks digital gallery here.
Woodworking Together
Woodworking is a fun hobby you and your family can do together. Each family member can be responsible for different parts. For instance, if you wanted to build a bookshelf, one person could cut the wood, another could help assemble it, another could paint it, and together, you all could put a finishing on it. Once it’s completed, the final product can be proudly displayed in your home, knowing you all had a hand in it.
Delicious Hobbies To Cook Up
For those with busy schedules, cooking homemade meals is a task that is often put on the back burner. But having some extra time at home presents an opportunity to explore learning new dishes that you’ve always wanted to try. When we feed ourselves, when we feed each other, we’re actually providing a level of care to one another. Sharing pictures of your new hobby to social media provides that exchange of social connection, which is an important piece to have right now. Whether you are suddenly discovering – or rediscovering – a deep-rooted interest in cooking, we’ve got a list of different cooking hobbies to help you get started.
Home Baked Comfort
Creating delectable treats is a creative hobby that comes with a truly sweet reward at the end. Not only is baking very satisfying, but it will endear whoever you are living with to fall in love with your cakes, cookies, and other creations. If you already know that baking is something that you enjoy, but you tend to stick to the basics, branch out to the world of bread or try something different like scones or turnovers. No matter what you choose, the best part of trying this hobby is that even failures have the possibility to turn out pretty delicious. Make baking even more enjoyable by creating your own unique personalized apron that will keep your clothes clean from any mess.
Start A Pickling Kit
Picking up pickling is a low-energy, high-reward hobby that could keep you moving and feeling a connection to life beyond the coronavirus outbreak. Packing vegetables neatly into jars, watching the little bubbles of carbon dioxide escape through the airlocks, and sampling the results with your housemates is relaxing and rewarding. Pickled vegetables – cabbage, turnips, radishes, carrots, and more – add a bright, crunchy, sweet and spicy finish to any taco, sandwich, and almost everything else. It’s also a great way to preserve your vegetables’ lives and improve your health with probiotics, which are known to aid in digestion and boost the immune system. After you’re done pickling, you can create a custom glass jar to store your tidbits of deliciousness.
Coffee Morning Routines
Every morning, if you long for the smell and taste of coffee, there’s no better time to learn how to make your perfect cup of joe than now. If you are sick of drinking those sugar-loaded instant coffees, learning to brew your own coffee could become a new passion that brings joy and excitement. Even after coronavirus settles down, you won’t feel the need to buy specialty coffees because you’ll know how to make your own drink by then. Whether you want to invest in an espresso machine or get yourself a French press, the process of making coffee can be an everyday comfort. You will have fun experimenting with different brew ratios and unique flavors. Pour out your perfectly brewed coffee into your preferred custom drinkware.
Active Hobbies For Adventure Seekers
With gyms and fitness studios temporarily closed, trying to preserve a sense of normalcy is essential for your own well-being. When we’re confined to our home, every little bit of movement counts. Not only will active hobbies improve your physical and mental fitness, but they can be practiced with little investment. You don’t need fancy equipment or lots of time. You just need to learn to weave exercise into your schedule. We found some hobbies that will have a noticeable impact on your outlook and physical well-being.
Virtual Workout Classes
Work out from the comfort of your living room by taking advantage of online workouts. There is a never-ending library of free classes online, ranging from intense cardio routines to relaxing yoga sessions. Some instructors are even live-streaming their classes from home so everyone can follow along! With hundreds to choose from, there is a workout video tailored for different ages and abilities.
Meditate With Yoga
Yoga is a convenient hobby to take on because of how easy it is to replicate the workout at home, given the minimal amount of props needed for the practice. Knowledge and time are all that are required to learn the fundamental basics. While not necessary, purchasing a simple yoga mat can also optimize the comfort during daily workouts.
Even if you have never tried yoga before, it’s worth noting that there are actually lots of different types of yoga – from the more dynamic, designed to make you sweat workouts, to the more steady flows for those who need a stretch after sitting down all day. Whichever you fancy, there are so many resources available to stream that make yoga routines simple and easy to follow.
Wrapping Up
Hobbies have the ability to become part of our lives and captivate us in a very personal way. Bringing small moments of joy into our days is essential for our well-being. Hopefully, this time of stillness and isolation will create an abundance of creativity and joy in your household. New or old hobbies can sharpen the mind, provide an outlet for stress, and bring us closer to each other.
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