Hobbies that lend themselves well to creative/sentimental gifts?

January 29, 2021 3:35 PM

I don't have any particularly creative hobbies. With my free time while I'm completely alone in quarantine, I would like to explore and hopefully pick up a new hobby. I'm especially interested in a hobby which lends itself well to nice sentimental gifts.

I'm open to any suggestions - even very obscure ones. I honestly don't have any "natural" artistic talent, so I would be starting very much from scratch. I would prefer not to spend a lot on materials (<$100 initial budget, preferably much less) to get started. I would also like to give people close to me (my girlfriend, family, close friends) personally made gifts, but I can never think of anything that I can currently accomplish that will look better than something a first grader did in art class.

posted by unid41 to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (37 answers total)

I have really enjoyed learning to crochet. It’s inexpensive and YouTube is an endless source of ideas.
posted by Hop123 at 3:58 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

Knitting and crochet probably have the lowest initial outlay. You could probably do ok with some small scale woodworking but that ramps up in cost amazingly fast if you aren't really strict with yourself.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:02 PM on January 29, 2021 [4 favorites]

Cross stitch might work well for this? You can do very cutesy little ones and the starting materials are cheap: Aida fabric, cheap lil hoops, needles and embroidery thread. It's mechanically easy to accomplish but the end results look crisp and precise. You can even use graph paper to lay out your own designs.
posted by foxfirefey at 4:05 PM on January 29, 2021 [12 favorites]

A few months back, I created a list of hobbies that have the following traits:

- They are learnable; they have some level of skill to them and you can see yourself getting better.
- The initial outlay is cheap, somewhere between free and $100.
- They involve some physical materials; they aren't just thought exercises.

Here's the spreadsheet. I hope you can find something in this that speaks to you!
posted by LSK at 4:07 PM on January 29, 2021 [49 favorites]

You can get a Speedball block printing set for $50.
posted by kevinbelt at 4:10 PM on January 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Cooking. You can make jam, cookies, bread, etc and then give it away!
posted by chbrooks at 4:21 PM on January 29, 2021 [6 favorites]

Cross stitch is great for this. I started with patterns and kits from Etsy.
posted by esoterrica at 4:22 PM on January 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Watercolors, watercolor paper, a few brushes, and a stack of envelopes. Send cards to your friends! Doesn't matter if you suck at it. All of these things can get very expensive, but the basics can be had for real cheap until you know if you like it.
posted by phunniemee at 4:22 PM on January 29, 2021 [6 favorites]

Crochet and needle felting and plasticine modeling all lend themselves to slightly-comic, highly customizable memento figures.

Writing verse is not quite the same as writing poetry - if you practice a couple of bouncy rhyming forms you can write people triumphal odes and so forth for any experience. Can combine with calligraphy or illustration!
posted by clew at 4:22 PM on January 29, 2021 [5 favorites]

Gardening.
posted by aniola at 4:24 PM on January 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Rock polishing? My dad was pretty into it and had some lovely results. I know it probably doesn't seem super sentimental like a blanket or a painting, but I find them pleasing and liked getting them as gifts. Or, I recently saw someone who had a bowl of polished rocks with "inspiring" words painted on them, so that's a secondary direction you could take it if you want to personalize them. I'd go more for creative curses in fancy script if it were me, but you know your family/friends best.
posted by teremala at 4:27 PM on January 29, 2021 [4 favorites]

Some interesting things to do with concrete that I think lend themselves to gifts that people might actually like...

Transfer photos or images onto tiles, stones or similar (I have often used a service that does this and then frames them in recycled timber for gifts)
How to transfer an image onto a stone
DIY picture tiles

Not as sentimental - make your own concrete planters and then fill with succulents (easily propagated from bits you can find in the neighborhood or from asking around). Can use same technique for candle holders etc.
Make concrete planters example..

Maybe you can combine the two!!
posted by AnnaRat at 4:57 PM on January 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Recently I printed out a heap of photos from my sister and made them a collage of their kids.
posted by freethefeet at 5:05 PM on January 29, 2021

Seconding scrapbooking/photo collage. A friend made one for me that has a place of honor on my wall! You can also learn decoupage and use the collage to decorate something -- like a wooden chest.

If you're musically inclined, you can make Spotify mixes or take it up a level and write songs for your friends. I have a pal who created "theme songs" for each character in our DnD campaign.
posted by egeanin at 5:27 PM on January 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Macrame plant hangers? They're pretty easy and inexpensive. Here's a beginner video. I intentionally used crappy twine that was lying around the house for my first one in case I got frustrated with the entire thing or lost steam, but I finished it in about 15 minutes and I still use that hanger today. Here's an 'intermediate' level video tutorial. If you decide to start using nicer supplies, you can find shops on Etsy (1, 2) for softer/thicker/more colorful rope for $6-7 plus shipping. Moving from metal S rings to wooden rings is a little nicer, IMO, and those are also fairly inexpensive.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:22 PM on January 29, 2021

Thirding cross stitch!
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 6:23 PM on January 29, 2021

hand-drawn post-cards to send to friends, they don't have to be perfect
posted by ovvl at 6:32 PM on January 29, 2021

Yes, cross stitch! I'm a fan of Subversive Cross Stitch and if you buy a kit from her, you'll end up with everything you need for a project + stuff to reuse for the next one (like needles, embroidery hoop, etc.).
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:09 PM on January 29, 2021 [3 favorites]

People looooooove it when you knit them things for their baby, some of which can be quite simple to make. While good yarn can be pricey, the best yarn for baby stuff--machine-washable and -dryable acrylic--is the cheapest there is.
posted by praemunire at 7:14 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

DIY hand-molded incense cones
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:33 PM on January 29, 2021

Hand-carving or, if you’re aggressive, engraving (note that engraving supplies can get pricey so take care, but you don’t need GRS gear to start out).

Carve spoons, little birds, whatever, out of scrap wood.
posted by aramaic at 7:33 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

Tablet weaving, if you want to make bands* of either decorative patterns or lettering. The materials are just yarn and some punched cards (recycled playing cards work well) and maybe a clamp or two. In a lot of US literature it is also called card weaving.

*guitar or camera straps, bookmarks, handles for other items, shoelaces, work-badge-lanyards...or tumplines, whatever.
posted by janell at 7:54 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

CHOCOLATE

It's the lingua franca of speaking from the heart in hand-crafted ways

World-class chocolatiers are waiting for you at YouTube.
posted by BadgerDoctor at 7:59 PM on January 29, 2021 [3 favorites]

Crocheter here. Once you get the hang of it, crocheting in cheap, portable, can be done almost anywhere and any time, and creates functional artwork.
Do not use black yarn without strong lighting or a lighted crochet hook.
Supplies --
Acrylic yarn. Some have allergies to wool. Do not combine different types of yarn unless on an art project (never washed).
Red Heart Supersaver is cheap, colorful, wears well over time, and widely available, but scratchy (until washed) and can be inconsistent in quality; RH With Love is softer. I Love This Yarn is available at Hobby Lobby and is soft and sturdy. Bernat Softee Baby, Bernat Baby Sport, and Caron Simply Soft are thinner yarns and lovely for scarves.
Hooks (G, H, and I are the standard sizes for scarves and blankets), scissors, several big-eyed needles for working in tag ends, gallon Ziploc bags to hold your WIPs (work in progress), and larger bags or boxes for storage. Write down your project choices as you go (the hook, the yarns, the pattern).

Crochet instructions can be found on YouTube, books, magazines, and DVDS. Check for in-person teaching at your local crafts store, community center, high school or vo-tech, or ask friends and relatives if they can get you started.
Possible small and quick projects -- scarves and cowls, shawls, lap blankets and baby blankets. Slightly more complex -- hats, mittens, socks, amigurumi (craft kits are available online and at crafts stores).
Basic stitch instructions -- slip stitch, single crochet, half-double crochet, double crochet, chain stitches, working the foundation row, beginning and ending each row, working in tag ends.
Good luck.
posted by TrishaU at 8:15 PM on January 29, 2021 [3 favorites]

Alcohol inks are surprisingly easy to use to create abstract or somewhat abstracted imagery that nevertheless looks quite nice.
posted by vegartanipla at 8:31 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

IMHO, if you got some creativity and is good at arranging stuff, I'd say, do some Dollar Star DIY, esp. if you are willing to physically go visit a dollar store, and/or a craft store. There's a lot of "dollar store DIY" videos online using items from dollar store with creative repurposing into organizers. But you do have to go at least once for supplies, as often you get inspiration only when visiting it.

If you want something with only delivered materials, it'd have to be crochet, knitting, and similar pursuits.
posted by kschang at 9:16 PM on January 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

I always suggest origami, kalligraphy, handlettering. You can use any of those to make fancy birthday cards and stuff.

I've had some success with exploding gift boxes, for instance like this one. It's basically a way to construct more elaborate cards. My fine motor skills are nothing to write home about, but it can absolutely be done with first grader art class craft skills, doesn't take up too much space or requires terribly expensive materials - the value is really mainly in the sentimental aspect. Honestly, I find the main challenge can be thinking of cute little messages to hide in all the compartments.
posted by sohalt at 3:07 AM on January 30, 2021

Shrinky dinks!
posted by mahorn at 6:44 AM on January 30, 2021

Loom knitting!
Wire wrapping pretty stones
Friendship bracelets
posted by ellerhodes at 6:49 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

At least two of my acquaintances etch glass for gifts!
posted by batter_my_heart at 10:17 AM on January 30, 2021

Seconding that calligraphy is great--you can start with inexpensive supplies and simple tutorials, then branch out in style, color, and boards/mounting as you get better at it.
posted by wintersweet at 11:30 AM on January 30, 2021

You could make tiny terrariums out of old jars, etc.
posted by Comet Bug at 4:23 PM on January 30, 2021

Whittling is great for this, you can work out aggression and make a bunch of little practical or cute things using just a regular knife and found wood.
Relatedly, foraging is also great for gifts. Gets you outside, learning about plants and mushrooms, finding treasure, and figuring out how to cook and preserve. And the end results can be fancy af local organic foodie wonders that will delight loved ones. My wedding favours were hundreds of tiny jars of jams, chutneys, spices and boozes made from stuff handpicked in Significant Woods and Yards - there were cute labels and so many tears.
posted by Freyja at 7:55 AM on January 31, 2021

Book binding.
posted by notyou at 11:13 AM on January 31, 2021

I've started making cold process soap since the lockdown. I gave away a lot of soap for Christmas, and they've been well received.
There is an initial investment, but it can be kept to a minimum, and if you don't use fragrances, you can use the same utensils/ingredients you may already have in your kitchen.
To learn more about it, you can check out YouTubers Elly's Everyday Soap Making, I Dream In Soap, Ariane Arsenault and Royalty Soaps.
posted by snakeling at 12:18 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

I love LSK's list and want to endorse Dollhouse stuff as a hobby. It can turn into an expensive one, but if you have some imagination and are resourceful, you'll find materials everywhere.

I was into dollhouses as a kid and have been restoring and making art and furniture for my childhood dollhouse for the past year. I shared some pictures on my Instagram and was shocked at how many people were gleeful about it. Something about seeing a little tiny chair or bed or pillow just makes people happy.
posted by elvissa at 12:36 PM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Oo, those book-sized vignettes that people put on their bookshelves instead of as freestanding dollhouses. Rooms, streets, walled gardens.
posted by clew at 6:16 PM on February 1, 2021