The rain is pouring outside, and you’re stuck at home with nothing to do. It’s times like these where thoughts of adopting a new hobby seem particularly appealing, but where to begin? Thankfully, you need not look much further than your bits ‘n bobs drawer, crammed full of crafting pieces that can be used to create something brilliant. To get you started, we’ve compiled a (beginner friendly) list of four new hobbies for you to do at home this year. Wave goodbye to the indoor blues!
Homemade interior design
There’s no better feeling than transforming a house into a home, and what better way to inject some life into your space than taking up a new hobby by designing your own interior? If you’ve already had a read of our previous blog post on the best rope decor ideas to renovate any home, you’ll know that it’s not actually as difficult as you may think. Anyone can purchase furniture items from their local shop, but there’s something about doing it yourself that makes the whole experience a bit more fun. Perhaps you could use twisted jute rope to craft your very own rustic rope vase, full of your favourite florals, or get to work with some cotton rope and create some coasters, photo frames and mason jar lids.
You need not stop here either. Taking up interior design as a new hobby is a fun way to bring something extra to your space, proving your creative crafting abilities to your family and friends. Using decking for your garden makes for a much more pleasant experience when the neighbors come round for a glass of wine, creating plant displays or garden bridges with manila decking ropes and polyhemp/ hempex ropes.
Passion for plants
Discovering a passion for plants is another productive hobby, used to add an extra pop of colour and much needed freshness to your home. With benefits a plenty, they’ve also been scientifically proven to boost health and mental wellbeing, so if there’s ever a time to begin growing your very own jungle, it’s now. Species such as spider plants, string of hearts and pothos have tumbling leaves that look stunning when cascading from the ceiling, so craft yourself some hanging planters using macrame twine to complete the biophilia aesthetic. This rope has a great deal of other uses too, so take a peek at our blog post on the best macrame cord craft ideas for some more inspiration.
Making your own clothes
Learning to sew is another hobby you could take up at home this year to not only save money, but to put your new found crafting skills to the test. It doesn’t take a fashion designer to use a sewing machine, so start off slow and take a look at some YouTube tutorials to get yourself started. Once you’ve equipped yourself with needle and thread, select some scrap pieces of fabric or choose an item of clothing you’d like to upcycle. Use decorative braids for added creativity, or have a go at visible stitching to create some fun patches for a totally different look.
Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is another effective way to reduce anxiety and stress, instead pouring your emotions out onto a piece of paper and documenting your most fond memories. Perhaps you saw the first signs of autumn when out on a walk and enjoyed the sound of leaves crunching under your feet, or maybe you went to the beach and found an unusual shell. Whatever the occasion, there will be either a material or an item that can be stuck into your scrapbook – there are no rules to this hobby, so experiment as much as you can with different colours and textures. Another technique that can be used when scrapbooking is string pull painting; simply snip a piece of yarn or twine to roughly 18 inches, dip into acrylic paint and coat fully (except the tip), lay on a piece of paper as you wish, sandwich a piece of scrap paper on top and lift up the string. And with that, you’ve just created your own unique artwork!
If you’ve finished reading this blog feeling inspired to start some new hobbies, take a look at our vast collection of crafting ropes. If there’s a particular DIY project you’re looking to start and you need some advice on the best rope to use, have a chat with our team of friendly professionals today.