14 Creative Hobbies You Can Pick Up While at Home

Engaging in creative hobbies is important for us to keep ourselves mentally stimulated. Of course, in an effort to curb the spread of the disease, we’re bound to the confines and safety of our home. 

What results, however, is a build up of lethargy: We don’t receive the same motivation that we get by being exposed to outdoor stimuli. Stepping outside, you get to interact with different people, hear the sounds of traffic, and even relish the smell of the air after rainfall. Indoors, however, we adhere to a mundane, routine activity within an unchangeable environment, which can render us tired. 

Also read: How to Work From Home Productively, Without Losing Your Sanity

Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of various types of creative hobbies so that you can constantly keep your nifty fingers and brain engaged. Don’t worry, we’ve also made the items easy to follow for any beginners, just in case you’re intimidated by stepping into the kitchen or picking up a paintbrush (I know I am!).

Creative hobbies for the craftsy folk

1. Solidify your memories with collage art / scrapbooking

A quintessential example of a beginner-friendly craft hobby, collage art works like scrapbooking old material together for archival purposes. You’ll most likely have everything you need at home already, as common items include photos, movie tickets, and book pages — anything of sentimental value to you. In other words, you can make a memory scrapbook! 

You can even further embellish this item with ribbons or flowers! What a neat way to personalise this decorative item, right? It’ll even make a splendid gift idea for a loved one. 

2. Express your creativity with brush stroke art

This one’s for anyone who’s a beginner at painting and is usually daunted by picking up a paintbrush (I surely am). As the perfect entryway into painting, the basis for this craft is the blending of brush strokes — simple as that! The colours you want to choose are up to you. But of course, don’t overlook the beautiful piece that you can manage to create!

3. Tap into your childhood with colouring books

I’m sure that many of us owned colouring books and packs of colouring pencils when we were younger, which certainly made for an enjoyable pastime. However, you might find that many adults still dabble in colouring books — so why not give it a go again? Truly a walk down memory lane, colouring, for any age, is very therapeutic (it might be even more necessary in adulthood). 

4. Unleash your inner boho vibes with macrame

Though this might be a term not familiar to many, the craft itself might be more recognisable. By intertwining rope from a short wooden rod, you can make this intricate and very pretty decorative item. 

You can even make a place mat, or a holder for your potted plant! There are many easy-to-follow instructional videos available online to help you make your own macrame design.

5. Unwind with a TV show while you crochet / knit

Gone are the days when this hobby would be associated with older folks. I’ve seen a rising number of tutorials on YouTube introducing people into the world of knitting, with videos hitting millions of views. Comments are left from users who, like me, picked up the hobby from spending all their time at home. 

Though learning to understand how to sequence the yarn can be confusing at first, once you pick it up and get used to it, crocheting and knitting become muscle memory and can easily be done while you’re watching a show. Also, even though the craft is a little more time-consuming, it’s certainly a project that’s worth it because you come up with a piece that you can say you’ve made yourself. You can even customise the colours or designs, which will make a perfect gift! 

You can make a range of things that are no longer bound to scarves or mittens (living in the tropics, you don’t really need these things anyway). From cute, everyday essentials like a rug, a cup holder, and a place mat, or something a little more advanced like a teddy bear, the creativity is entirely up to you! 

6. Practise your precision with cross-stitching / embroidery

I remember that as a child, whenever a piece of thread came loose on our clothes, I always witnessed my mom as she exerted a great amount of effort to pull the thread through the small hole of the needle. Though I initially didn’t understand why that was necessary, I eventually realised just how difficult this first step is once I picked up cross-stitching. 

I was given my first cross-stitching kit when I was 11 years old, which included the materials I needed, plus an instructional guide. After only a few hours, I was impressed with the design I managed to create as a young child! It’s a craft that requires a certain amount of precision, but you’ll be surprised at what you’re able to come up with. 

7. Become a wordsmith with calligraphy / hand-lettering

Nope, I’m not talking about the dread my classmates and I would feel during the penmanship lessons we used to have in school. I’m talking about the peacefulness that comes from owning brush-stroke markers of different colours and special quality paper to produce beautifully handwritten text. 

Though it bewilders me as to how someone can make writing so elegant, I’d always feel calm whenever I’d watch ASMR videos of artists doing calligraphy and hand-lettering. Besides, as handwritten notes are nearly a thing of the past, why not try picking up the craft to give a personalised message to your loved one? 

Creative hobbies for those who enjoy being in the kitchen

8. Brew your own kombucha

Once again, my first exposure to kombucha came when I was at home: I walked into the kitchen and was greeted by a waft of sourness. Once I found out where the smell emanated from, I was introduced to the superfood known as kombucha! My mom had set up her workstation of fruits, glass bottles, and fermentation, and she let me sample a bit of what she had been brewing for a couple days. I was surprised by the amount of alcohol that could accumulate from fruit; but at the same time, I was delighted by how refreshing it was! 

Years later, I began to see kombucha served at my local zero waste stores, health food stores and supermarkets; it’s now more widely known and readily available on the market. I’ve also seen a friend of mine begin her online shop selling kombucha that she brews from her own home. You now can purchase kombucha starter kits online, and choose from a variety of dried tea leaves and fruit to flavour your own kombucha with — the choice is yours!

9. Experiment with a new recipe

If you’re used to making the usual fried rice or pasta for a quick weeknight dinner, why not take the time to dabble with a new recipe? Since you won’t have to battle the peak hour traffic and rush to get home in the evenings, it might be a fun idea to indulge in a recipe that’ll take a bit longer to do. 

From Beef Wellington, to fresh pasta, or even fresh, homemade bread, you’ll certainly love the aroma that will fill your kitchen (and of course, the yumminess that will fill your tummy)! 

Also read: Lazy but Tasty: 12 Asian Recipes You Can Cook Using One Pot

Creative hobbies for the homemakers

10. Care for the environment by upcycling old materials 

This one should be the most readily available as the fundamental materials you’ll require are things you’d normally dispose of. You’ll just need some additional basic craft supplies which you won’t need to splurge on! 

This craft is all about repurposing materials, and transforming them into pretty decorative items. For instance, you can make a hanging decoration from cardboard egg carton trays, a pencil holder from toilet paper rolls, and planter boxes made from plastic egg carton trays or milk carton boxes! 

11. Have a green thumb by being a plant parent

Live plants are notoriously known to wither very easily, as they’re extremely sensitive to light and water. However, now that you’re bound indoors, why not give being a plant parent another go? My suggestion for the best indoor house plants are the snake plant, the monstera, and the pothos plant! 

I love how adding a plant to your room not only adds vibrancy, but can also lift up your spirits as well. Since you’re spending more time indoors, why not make your space as homey and cosy as possible? 

Creative hobbies for the movie lovers

12. Speak your mind by reviewing movies and TV shows

Movies and TV shows are an impressive work of art: They manage to create a believable world rich in characters and storyline. Thus, writing a review after makes you reflect on what especially resonated with you. It’s a great way to zone out and think not about your life, but about someone else’s journey unfolding before your very own eyes. For me, I found my passion in writing when I began reflecting on the movies I’d watch and how much they changed my perspective. 

Also read: 15 Best Feel-Good Movies to Watch on Netflix Right Now

13. Finish that book or movie you’ve been holding off

I hope I’m not alone in keeping a “to read” pile in my room and constantly adding a new film or TV show onto my Netflix account’s “My List” tab. However, now that I’ve got a bit more free time on my hands, I’ve been working my way through this to-do list of entertainment outlets. 

Also, why not create a list of must-watch movies and/or must-read books? You’ll realise that this personally curated list says a lot about you because of how much time you spent enjoying these entertainment outlets, and how much they resonated with you. 

Also read: 10 Books That Will Inspire Your Next Vacation to Europe

14. Film a day-in-the-life routine

This one’s for the aspiring filmmakers or anyone who enjoys filming as a creative hobby and outlet. Using just your phone, why not experiment with capturing events within the comfort of your own home? Whether it’s as simple as making a cup of coffee, prepping lunch, or cleaning up your room, you’ll be surprised by how much effort goes into a task that you’ve become so used to! 

There are multiple camera angles to consider, and you might need to capture different takes to capture if you’re feeling camera-shy; and of course, there’s the post-production editing.

Or why not a little bit of everything? 

Ultimately, the key is not to feel demoralised, as this is the time to be creative and to try out any hobby (and everything, if that’s what you feel like doing)! You’re not supposed to feel the pressure to succeed or be super competent at something, as this is time for all of us to unwind. We should, after all, be focused on staying healthy and safe.

And there you have it — 14 creative, yet easy to follow hobbies that you can pick up to add some inspiration to your time at home. Why not share this with your friends and family who are looking for a little bit of creative inspiration, too? 

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Featured image credit: Vladimir Proskurovskiy | Unsplash