What would be a good hobby for me?

April 7, 2010 7:45 PM

I really want a new hobby, or a new way to think about my existing hobbies. I have no idea what I want to do.

Lately I've been feeling that all I do is work and take care of my family. I decided that I need to do something for myself, like have a hobby.

I love creating things - I like to draw, take photos, make beaded jewelry, and things like that. I had a ton of fun arranging silk flowers for my wedding a few years ago. I've also started using my husband's sewing machine, which I love. Unfortunately whenever I make something I just look at it and think, "What the hell do I do with this now? What do I do with another bracelet? What do I do with a photograph of trees? What do I do with another sketchbook filled with drawings?" I don't want to throw it away because I made it, and I don't want to give it away as a gift because it's not especially good, but I don't have the space to hang onto a bunch of things either. Also, it's hard to make something when I know I'm just going to finish the project and think, "Okay, now what?"

Unfortunately I can't think of anything else to do. Can someone suggest a good hobby for me?

Here are some other conditions:

1. I'm six months pregnant, so I don't want to do anything too physical. Also, I'd like something that can be done indoors while my kids nap or after they go down for the night.
2. We're on a budget, so something that doesn't require a huge financial outlay would be great.
3. I can knit, cross-stitch, quilt, sew by hand, and crochet, but I don't really enjoy it because I'm extremely slow.
4. I have little interest in video games, lousy physical coordination, and no musical talent.

Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks!

posted by christinetheslp to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (27 answers total)

Best answer: Baking.
posted by box at 7:46 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

Mosaics. My best friend is very fond of it. She does surfaces on furniture.
posted by griphus at 7:49 PM on April 7, 2010

My (awesome) mom volunteer for Amani Beads in Indianapolis using her skills as a jewelry designer. The beads are made by women at a factory in Africa, shipped to the US, arranged and sold. She is given the less-than-perfect beads to arrange in a pleasing way. She does a great job and her necklaces sell very well at surprisingly high prices. She finds this very relaxing, creative, and rewarding. I would maybe see if there is something similar near to you. The benefit would be you wouldn't have the stuff taking up space after you do it, and you'd be raising money for a great cause.
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 7:51 PM on April 7, 2010

Any kind of cooking, really. And gardening is a lot of fun too, especially if you can grow some fresh ingredients and thus combine the two hobbies.
posted by box at 7:51 PM on April 7, 2010 [2 favorites]

I would recommend Papercraft! It's fun and easy, and when you finish, you've got a sweet paper thing to put on a bookshelf. The financial outlay is minimal, my set up is an xacto knife, some toothpicks, elmers glue, a small metal ruler, a cutting mat, and some tweezers. You can print out tons of models for free online, so no need to spend money on stuff. I did, however, spend about 10 bucks for a ream of heavier paper, but it was 500 sheets, so the per model cost is still super low.

Have fun!
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 7:58 PM on April 7, 2010

WheresGeorge.com

It's Free, Fun, and Quiet.

Simple hobby; take out dollar bills from your wallet; enter the serial number and series, mark the bill to direct people to track the bill too and get updates when they are found all over the U.S!
posted by MrBCID at 8:05 PM on April 7, 2010

2nd the gardening, indoor planting, container pots, etc etc. start growing your own heirloom veggies and herbs and some flowers to arrange....
posted by lakersfan1222 at 8:24 PM on April 7, 2010

If the problem you're having is that your existing hobbies seem pointless or lacking in utility, then what about a home-improvement-oriented hobby? Painting (of the decorative variety-- like murals on walls or designs on furniture), upholstery, tiling, woodworking, and stained glass are all creative pastimes that have a real purpose because they can beautify your living space and add value to your house. (Furniture refinishing is another possibility along these lines, although you'll probably want to wait until you're no longer pregnant to take that one up).

Some of these require more initial cash outlay than others, but if you get really good, you could ultimately stand to make a bit of money-- for instance, by fixing up old pieces and selling the revamped products on Craigslist or Etsy.
posted by Bardolph at 8:26 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

google "container gardening". google "heirloom seeds", or something like that. that can get seriously involving, it's safe for a new momma, it will chill you out, you can get nerdy with all of the cool varieties of veggies/herbs/flowers....you don't need much space. all you would need is some good light, and hopefully you have that.
posted by lakersfan1222 at 8:28 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'm the same way- I love the journey, not the destination. But your hobbies could have use to someone else. I'm not a big etsy user, but I don't see why you couldn't put together a pack of some drawings and photographs and sell them as "collage kits". If you're not that attached to them, you may as well try to make a little money off of them.

Since you're learning to sew on a machine, quilts are a lot more fun when you're not hand sewing- I've made a couple of baby quilts and given them to the neo-natal unit at the hospital. Kids clothes are also pretty easy- especiallly toddler and little girl dresses.

I also check One Pretty Thing for ideas.

Otherwise, I like the suggestions of cooking, baking and gardening above. All things that leave you with something consumable so you don't have to wonder what to do with it!
posted by dogmom at 8:39 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

photography! get a decent dslr and learn to shoot stuff...the end result only needs some hard drive space, and you might find that it even pays for itself (i did)...everybody wants good pictures, if even just to post on facebook or wherever...i have a costume designer friend who lives in the neighborhood who pays me to document his work, and a bunch of friends have had me shoot headshots and interiors for them...current technology is very flexible (you can use just about anything for lighting...home depot sells tungsten work lights for under $10 that i've had great results with, for example) and actually pretty inexpensive (esp. considering the savings on film/processing) an entry level camera starts around $500 new...but you can probably pick up a used one for half that...BUT: do not skimp on lenses...they are the most important part of the camera, and will have the greatest impact on your shots... an excellent prime lens with a large aperture is a joy forever...i finally got this one (for around $350 used) after stalking it on ebay for a year and it just plain takes amazing shots...

worried your shots aren't good enough? take a class! get a book!...once you 'get' how f-stop, shutter speed, and distance work together to create depth-of-field, there's really no stopping you...

question: what kind of camera are you using now?
posted by sexyrobot at 9:08 PM on April 7, 2010

Hmm, seems to me maybe you'd get more fun out of improving your skill at the stuff you already like to do (beading, drawing, etc) than taking on yet another hobby. If you got really good at your art/craft, you could sell your stuff on Etsy or give it proudly as gifts.

I also like to make foofy stuff that I have no use or space for, so Etsy is my relief valve that lets the foof drain out of my house before it overflows. It takes a lot of trial and error to find the intersection between "stuff you like to make" and "stuff people will buy" and the price they're willing to pay for it, but it's very satisfying when you find it. Plus it's a big ego boost when people actually give you money for your stuff, especially if it's just a part-time hobby.

So I'd suggest you practice your current hobbies, hone your skills (and resign yourself to donating a bunch of less-than-perfect projects to Goodwill), and get to the point where you're proud of your work. No real cash outlay, nothing outside your comfort zone, and you already have a good head start.
posted by Quietgal at 9:40 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You might like embroidery. It's awesome because it's relatively easy, you get to be as creative as you want, and you can customize just about anything made of fabric. You can do pretty floral curtains or crazy mythical creatures up the side of a skirt!
posted by troublewithwolves at 9:58 PM on April 7, 2010

Photography! Get an account on flickr. Connect with other parents while developing your talents. And best of all, you don't have to "keep" anything physical. Take the photos and post them. Over time, you'll build a huge online library of photos. Maybe start framing some of them around the house? That's always nice! Maybe build a collection of photos of your child? Share them online with your family and friends. Photography!

20 years from now, you'll be thrilled that you went this route!

Best of luck!
posted by 2oh1 at 10:16 PM on April 7, 2010

Pickling vegetables!
Nthing baking and mosaics.
Starting an internet rumor?
Best wishes for the new addition!
posted by flowerofhighrank at 10:36 PM on April 7, 2010

sorry, but i'm going to stick a pin in 'etsy'...i know a lot of people who've posted stuff on there with no results...including a large number of talented, professional artists and craftspeople...like you said, 'who needs another bracelet' ;) whatever you decide, though, always keep a sketchbook...
posted by sexyrobot at 10:50 PM on April 7, 2010 [2 favorites]

Best answer: How about making Little Dresses for Africa? They're fun, quick, highly customizable, and people really appreciate them.
posted by rags at 11:53 PM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

Card making. Everyone always appreciates a nice hand-made card, and they can be as fancy or as plain as your skills allow. You can make them out of any old scraps, and there are loads of bargains to be had if you hunt only moderately. The added bonus is that whilst you're creatings something, you don't actually need to find something to do with it afterwards except give it away! You might also like to try scrapbooking (about your kids, and family life) if that sort of thing floats your boat.
posted by car01 at 1:36 AM on April 8, 2010

What Quietgal said, with one addition: don't be afraid to destroy/break apart your previous work if it's not up to your current standards. If you have no use for another bracelet, just break it apart and reuse the beads for another project, and repeat until you have stuff you feel good about keeping/gift-giving/selling. The advantage to that over donating to Goodwill is that you'll go through less materials that way.
posted by bettafish at 4:20 AM on April 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Get a ukulele and you'll be able to sing songs with your kids. No musical talent required and every home benefits from music.

Also, a sketchbook is always worth keeping up. Maybe try new exercises that push your skills a bit, like drawing from life, in coffee shops, a 20 minute sketch from memory of some thing you did that day.
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:22 AM on April 8, 2010

I agree with the cooking and gardening suggestions. If you love your current hobbies, though, and they just feel a little stale, you could try writing a blog about them, with photos of your projects. Or write a blog about something else entirely.
posted by spinto at 6:26 AM on April 8, 2010

Best answer: I'd like to suggest sewing by machine, too. I'm a crafter much like you, I've dabbled in a lot of things, and I don't think my stuff is necessarily that good. But I LOVE doing it! I would beat myself up about not having just one hobby that I could perfect, etc., etc.

I finally discovered sewing, and here's what I like about it... It taps into my creativity and keeps me busy, like any hobby would. But it satisfies my need to try different things because you can make such a huge variety of stuff. I quilt, make clothes, make handbags, make toys, all sorts of things. But through it all, I'm sewing, which means I'm getting better all the time. I'm now thinking about getting into pattern-making (we'll see ;). It can take a long time or just a few hours to create something, depending on the project. What do I do with it all? Well, my daughters wear the clothes. We use the quilts when lying on the couch, and as decoration (hung on the wall in the kids' room). I carry a couple of the bags I've made, and my daughters use the toys I've made. I never give away the first thing I make, but if I make the same thing again, I'll have learned something and can turn out a better product. Overall, I don't much worry about what I'm going to do with something I make. I make what I feel like making, and it ends up where it ends up.

I just wrote another comment about getting started with the hobby, if you care to check that out. Oh, and I still do some of the other hobbies I've tried in the past. Dabble dabble!
posted by wwartorff at 6:53 AM on April 8, 2010

Have you thought of making baby clothes? A friend of the family made us a bunch of things when my oldest was born. She said it was easy to do because the size was so small, the whole outfit sat on the table in front of her. She made outfits with matching hats, matching dolls, and these are still treasured keepsakes for our family.

You could even start on a halloween costume. Once the baby is here, you may no longer have the time.
posted by I am the Walrus at 12:14 PM on April 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh, I also want to give some tips regarding crafting and baby...

When the baby is really young (<>needs you right now, so pick a hobby you can abandon at a moment's notice. I'd shy away from something requiring a soldering iron, for example. Or something that requires use of a product with a specific timing need (like crackle finish).

After 6 months, he's going to start to get mobile (rolling, then crawling), and wanting to interact with his world a bit more. You'll have to really start keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get into anything dangerous. And he'll take up more of your time because his nap schedule will lighten somewhat, and he'll want to actually play with you more. This is not to say that you can't craft through this stage, just that you'll have less time for it.

Around age 2, you'll start having more time again, because he'll be old enough to actually play by himself a little bit. You'll have child-proofed everything by then and will be more aware of his abilities so you can judge how well he can be left to his own devices, and for how long. And by "left to his own devices" I do NOT mean "left alone". You've still got to keep him close so you can keep your eye on him :)

Re-reading your question, maybe you already have kids, and are just adding one more. If so, please ignore this, 'cause you already know what you're doing ;)
posted by wwartorff at 12:38 PM on April 8, 2010

Weight training. Since you are pregnant you can use 2, 3 or 5 lb handheld dumbles now and build up your arm muscles. When baby comes s/he can be your weight as you lift up and down (and make goofy faces and noises because babies seem to like that kind of thing). Once baby grows up a bit you will have built up some decent strength and endurance. At this point you should look into dance! Partner dancing is fun and there are a lot of small community based dance events. You usually don't need to bring a partner and can just pair up with someone to dance with at whatever event you go to. The more dance partners you have the better - doing the same dance with a different partner is like doing a whole new dance.

If you are shy, do not underestimate the goofy fun of home dance instruction videos (Darren's Dance Grooves was one of my favorites in college). a fun way to get fit.
posted by WeekendJen at 1:11 PM on April 8, 2010

It seems like you mostly want your finished items to have utility, rather than just be decorative. So sewing and knitting and the like, where you can wear the items at the end, seem like your best bet out of the hobbies you've listed. But it seems like you've rejected that, and I'm not sure why. What makes you have a 'what the hell do I do with this now?' reaction to something like an item of clothing?
posted by jacquilynne at 2:58 PM on April 9, 2010

If you can find a way to enjoy your knitting even though you go slow, you might consider donating your creations. Knitting hats for chemo patients might be really rewarding.
posted by kristi at 12:11 PM on April 10, 2010