A good hobby should be enjoyable, energize you, and even make life more meaningful. Some hobbies are conducive to relaxation (such as reading or painting), while other hobbies help you get in shape or you learn a valuable skill. Don’t have a hobby? No worries. Keep scrolling for plenty of hobby ideas that don’t cost you a cent to learn.
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Years back, I loved to scrapbook. I have so many good memories of weekend getaways with friends for a massive scrapbooking weekend. We would scrapbook into the wee hours of the morning, and of course chit-chat the whole time. In addition to having incredible memory albums, I also have great memories of those weekend getaways with friends.
Blogging and learning how to do oracle card readings are my two favorite current hobbies. When working on my blog, time flies by and I forget about the rest of the world!
Hobby for Your Health!
A good hobby usually provides some stress relief. No matter what hobby I’m currently enthralled with, I always find my hobby-time to be very therapeutic. To me, a good hobby will help you focus your thoughts on that activity so that you forget about your troubles.
Hobbies can also connect you with a like-minded social community. Just as scrapbooking brought me together with friends, there are various clubs that you can join to learn more and share your hobby. For example, you might join a gardening club, book club, or participate in local wine tasting events. A sense of community is always good for your mental health.
Skip a Netflix Binge – Learn a Hobby
Instead of doing another Netflix binge or letting boredom take you over, consider giving a new hobby (or two) a try.
One of the best things about today’s technology is that you can learn almost anything for free online. I put together a list of FREE ways for your to expand your skills and try a few new hobbies to see if they might make your life a little better. Enjoy!
(Thank you to my fellow bloggers who shared their hobby tutorials with me. Please click through to the links and discover some new, creative blogs.)
One of my favorite stories of coming up with a hobby is when my daughter started using my dad’s wood burner. After he passed away, she asked to have his burner, and then started creating custom wood ornaments, coasters, key chains, necklaces, and more. She taught herself. You can teach yourself, too. OR, you can purchase them on her WisconsinWoodBurner Etsy Shop!
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35 Hobby Ideas You Can Learn For Free Online
1. Painting art with acrylics – learn to paint art using free online videos.
2. Learn yoga in the comfort of your own home with free videos.
3. Paint kindness rocks – get creative with painting rocks, and then enjoy hiding them in your community as a way to spread kindness.
4. Writing for fun – start with a journal or maybe go public with a blog.
5. Learn how to listen to podcasts and enjoy endless hours of entertainment and learning.
6. Start a fairy garden by yourself or with your children.
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7. Learn how to refinish wood furniture – make your old furniture look new again. Save money and have fun!
8. Paint pouring – a whole lotta messy, beautiful fun that you cannot mess up!
9. Sewing basics 101: Learn about your sewing machine, what fabrics to use, how to do basic sewing techniques, and even get easy beginner sewing patterns.
Click image to view on Amazon:
10. Scrapbooking for Beginners – With some basic supplies and a little imagination, you can create lovely scrapbooks that will be adored for years to come.
11. How to build gallery wall shelves – suitable even for a beginner carpenter.
12. Learn brush lettering – learn Modern Calligraphy or Hand Lettering.
13. How to Start a Bullet Journal
(Click image to view journals on Amazon)
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15. Container Vegetable Gardening For Beginners – indoors or outdoors.
16. How to Start a Garden – all thebasic gardening tools you’ll need, how to plan your garden, and more!
17. How to Start Growing Seedlings Indoors – save money on gardening by growing seedlings indoors. It’s easier than you think!
18. Container Gardening: The Step-by-Step Guide
19. Gardening with Kids: Easy 3-Step Indoor Herb Garden – Container Gardening makes it easy for the beginner gardener to grow as much or as little as they want.
Edible Gardening Available on Amazon:
20. How to Macrame Spiral Bracelet for Couples or BFF’s – includes video tutorial.
21. How to do punch needle – It’s a pretty old school needle craft that has a lot going for it.
22. How to Crochet Scarves – make them for yourself and to give to others as gifts!
23. How To Crochet (Beginner Course + FREE Crochet Patterns)
Click on image of knitting supplies to view on Amazon:
24. How to Make Folded Book Art – includes free folding templates
25. How to Stencil
26. How to Make a Concrete Planter
27. How to Make Easy Homemade Lavender Soap – make 12 melt and pour lavender soap bars in one hour. Perfect for yourself or DIY gifts.
28. How to Make Lotion Bars – these DIY coconut oil lotion bars are chemical-free, inexpensive, and easy to make yourself.
29. How to Start Doing Embroidery – embroidery requires minimal supplies and skill.
30. Living Room Design 101 – guide through the step-by-step process to design a living room.
31. Learn How to Cook – a collection of resources (lots of videos) that will take your cooking from boring to wow!
Click on Cooking Supplies Image to View on Amazon:
33. Learn a foreign language. The Duolingo app is also available on your cellphone.
34. Learn to play guitar – Great for adults and children! Andy Crowley has a whole YouTube Channel of videos to help beginners learn to play. Here is his video lesson 1 for absolute beginners:
Buy a Guitar on Amazon – delivered to your door!
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35. Learn to play piano – YouTube is also filled with videos that make learning to play the piano. Here’s an example:
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Find Your Passion
It takes time and some exploring to figure out what you’re passionate about. Trying some of the above hobby ideas is a good way to start figuring out your passion. You’ll likely discover some things that you don’t like, and that’s great because it’s part of the process of discovering your true passion. But if you’re lucky enough to figure out exactly what your passion is, it’s very rewarding. Drop me a comment with a hobby idea you enjoy!
RELATED: Why You Should Try Yoga and the Best Free Online Videos to Learn Yoga
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Excellent ideas! I started making upcycled wool mittens this winter 😊
I should have thought to share that with you. Thank you for all the other ideas. I might try making those planters
Hi Joy! I’ve been looking for someone who makes wool mittens. I have an old sweater that are in the perfect color.
I also like the concrete planters. I’ve been saving orange juice and almond milk type containers, and plan to put a solo cup in the middle to keep space for a succulent plant. Someone gave me the tip of using fine concrete for a smoother look. Thanks for the comment!
I love to quilt. It is really very simple straight stitching. I started when my kids were little with an Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day book. It’s easy to get the basic ideas of some simple shapes that make fun quilts. After that my friend introduced me to her quilt group where I learned new techniques and different patterns. There are so many ideas online and any neighborhood quilt store would be willing to give you some pointers.
My favorite part is designing and creating new ideas. Start small and simple so you don’t get overwhelmed. It feels wonderful to create something totally unique as every pattern looks different depending on fabric choices.
Hi Linda,
I didn’t realize you had started quilting when your kids were young. With all your quilts (including the one hanging on my wall), I thought you had been quilting much longer. A quilting group sounds twofold… fun and learning. Thanks for sharing, and keep on quilting because everyone loves to receive a quilt from Linda!
I absolutely love this post! Thank you for putting it together and including all the resources. There are several I’m going to try.
Hi Julie, so glad you found some useful tips to give yourself some TLC!
Thank you for sharing this list.
I’m struggling with an empty nest as a single person.
I still work but I definitely want to learn some new things and hopefully discover some new passions. 😊✌️
Congratulations on taking steps to find your passion! Empty nest hood can be scary at first, yet it brings about new opportunities – if we choose. Sounds like you’re well on your way. Enjoy the process of sorting through what you like and don’t like. Thanks so much for the comment!
Thank you for making this list. I am pinning it to my Pinterest board to come back to later to peruse again. I want to have a hobby that lets me give what I make to other people, too. I so often start hobbies and then fizzle out fast within a month or two. I really need something that engages my mind and my hands.
Sharing with others is so admirable and a great way to commit to a hobby! Bonus, learning something new help you grow your joy and confidence! Make it happen, and enJOY sharing your end products. 🙂