Hobby and interest ideas

Learning how to dance – either alone or with a partner – no longer requires you to go to a dance studio to learn. Nowadays, dance studios are taking their classes online and offer courses in breakdancing, ballroom, hip hop, jazz, tap, and much more.

Yoga is one of several at home hobby ideas because you can do it in your bedroom, home office, or the living room. Feeling like a little fresh air? Head out to the balcony or your backyard. For those who want to tone some of their yoga skills, the Youtube channel Yoga with Adriene is exceptional.

Along with the fanny pack, this 1990s staple is also weaving its way back into popularity. Rollerblading or roller skating (if you need a little extra stability) are other fun hobby ideas for those with excellent balance and strong ankles (of course, a neon visor over a tight perm is also welcome).

Slacklining is a cheap hobby because all you need to practice your balance and tone your leg and ab muscles is a couple of trees and about 50 feet of one-inch flat polyester webbing.

Give the Oven Some Lovin’

Baking shows seem to be a dime a dozen these days, which just goes to show you that anyone can learn to bake. Start small with baking staples like biscuits, cookies, and pie (Mel’s Kitchen Café and Sally’s Baking Addiction are fantastic websites to learn these skills) and gradually expand your repertoire to artisan breadmaking and pastries. You’ll never want to eat store-bought baked goods again!

Cooking can seem a little daunting at first, but with countless food bloggers trying to carve out their place on the internet, you’re sure to find someone who speaks to you. If you’re a visual learner, check out tasty.co for step-by-step video tutorials for both simple and fancy cooking.  

Cheesemaking and home brewing are two interesting hobbies that put the “fun” in “functional.” These aren’t the cheapest hobbies to start up, but once you have the necessary equipment, it’s pretty inexpensive to keep up. 

Craft Your Heart Out

Handicraft (knitting, embroidery, cross-stitch, quilting, clothing construction, and crochet) is no longer just a hobby for your grandma. In fact, handicraft is making crazy waves right now between young people upcycling thrift store finds, irreverent cross-stitching, and DIY tutorials that anyone can follow.

Basic woodburning kits cost about as much as a fast food dinner date, but they can bring hours of entertainment and produce countless gifts for your loved ones. From coasters to wall hangings, woodburning can add a little rustic charm to your life.

Financial Fun

Whoever said budgeting can’t be fun wasn’t doing it right! There are countless money management blogs and podcasts out there offering advice, and you can even install digital envelope apps on your phone, so you don’t overspend.

Short-term investing is one of several hobby ideas where you can make a little cash without tying up your money for a long time. Investing in mutual funds and Certificates of Deposit require just a couple hundred bucks to begin, but can grow quite a bit over time. If you want a little more risk, day trading may be right for you, but start small and take things slow while you learn how to do it the right way.

Few things are more thrilling than finding a screaming deal on that perfectly unique outfit at the thrift store. By cleaning up and reselling thrift store items, you can even make a good chunk of change.   

Learning a new hobby doesn’t have to take a ton of time, energy, or money, but doing so can yield some pretty impressive results. 

By devoting just a few minutes a day and setting a goal to learn something new, you may find yourself becoming proficient in something you never dreamed possible.

The hobby ideas list above is just a starting point to get your self-improvement juices flowing. Soon enough, you’ll not only have another skill in your toolbelt, but the mental and physical health benefits will leave you healthier, happier, and feeling more fulfilled.

Which of these hobby ideas are you going to try first? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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25 new hobby ideas and 50 helper resources

January 27, 2018 Inspiration

A large selection of sites and channels for those who are looking for a hobby to their liking.

1. Calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing

If you think that calligraphy is only hieroglyphs, you are mistaken. It is possible to elevate alphabetic characters to the rank of art in Cyrillic, Arabic script, and Hebrew. And it's always more than drawing. Calligraphy is pure creation and zen.

Get better at calligraphy:

1. Ultramarine is an online magazine about graffiti, street art, design, art and street culture in Russia and abroad. A separate section is devoted to calligraphy.
2. Calligraffiti.nl is the site of one of the most popular calligraphers and street artists, Nils Mölmann, known as Shoe. He is considered the inventor of the calligraffiti style.

2. Dudling and zentangle - irrational painting

This activity is suitable for those who begin to scribble as soon as they pick up a writing medium. Dudling is translated from English as “doodle” (doodle). This is an irrational style of drawing that develops memory and creativity, as well as an independent form of modern art.

Doodling and zentangle leveling:

• Tanglepatterns.com is a famous site with a huge number of patterns for creating zentangle tiles.
• Zendoodle is a large community for those who love doodling and zentangle.

3. Marbling - drawing on the water

Have you ever looked for bizarre figures in the sky from the clouds? Then this hobby is for you: a pattern is created on the surface of the water with insoluble paints, and then transferred to paper, fabric or any surface. It turns out very unusual and beautiful, and the process is truly mesmerizing.

There are two main marbling techniques: Persian Ebru and Japanese Suminagashi. The first one is dominated by abstract patterns, while the second one is dominated by circular patterns.

Level up in the art of marbling:

• Marbling. org is an international community of marbling fans with a library, gallery and forum.
• Suminagashi.com is a site dedicated to suminagashi and other types of marbling.

4. Freezelight - frozen light

You may have already met strange young people who conjure flashlights in front of cameras. These are freezelighters. From English freeze - "freeze" and light - "light". The light really seems to freeze in the frosty air when it is shot at a slow shutter speed. With the help of this technique, both beautiful abstractions and solid figurative compositions are created. Most importantly, no computer processing.

Level up in freezelight:

• Lpwa.pro is a worldwide alliance of light painters.
• Freezelight.ru is an author's Russian-language art project dedicated to drawing with light. On the site you will find video tutorials and a gallery with cool works.

5. Mehendi - henna painting on the body

An ancient oriental tradition that is again on the wave of popularity in the 21st century. There are more and more artists developing in mehendi, and if you are also looking for new forms, then be sure to try painting with henna on the body. Another form of mehendi hobby is photographing in the images created on its basis, including in the nude style.

Pump up in mehendi:

• Mehendischool.ru - online training in henna painting.
• Nidhi's MehndiART is an author's YouTube channel with mehendi video tutorials for beginners.

6. Kanzashi - Ribbon Jewelry

Kanzashi is a traditional Japanese hair ornament that women wear with a kimono. With us, this term has acquired a new sound - kanzashi - and a new meaning. Kanzashi is a handicraft technique used to create beautiful hairpins, brooches and other jewelry. To try yourself in this direction, you will need a few satin ribbons, a candle or a lighter and a needle and thread.

Level up in kanzashi:

• Kanzashi.club is a site where master classes and literature on kanzashi are collected.
• "Masters Fair" - in the section dedicated to kanzashi, there are many photo and video tutorials.

7. Felting - wool felting

Felting (felt) is a handicraft technique when three-dimensional drawings, toys, panels and other decorative elements are created from wool. There are several directions: dry, wet felting, nuno-felting. To work, you will need sheep wool, a special needle or soapy water. The hobby is ideal for women and children.

Level up in felting:

• Woolwares.ru is a site about felting for beginners with videos and master classes.
• Club.osinka.ru - a section of the forum about felting on the most popular site about needlework.

8. Isographic - embroidery on cardboard

We also call this activity thread graphics or simply isothread, and in English-speaking countries - embroidery on paper ("embroidery on paper"). All you need to create in this direction is thick paper and threads. Great for co-creating with kids.

Level up in isographics:

• "Country of Masters" - this site contains a lot of master classes and examples of finished works, including those in the technique of thread graphics.
• "Favorite lesson" - a series of master classes on isothread.

9. Patchwork - patchwork

A kind of applied art with centuries-old traditions, when scattered pieces of fabric turn into a single mosaic canvas. Using the patchwork technique (quilt, quilting), you can sew not only a blanket, but a bag or, for example, a toy.

Get Patchworked:

• Jacquelynnesteves.com is the blog of Jacquelynnesteves.com who loves quilting.
• Loskut.handmadecrafts.ru — patchwork workshop with materials from the paper magazine of the same name.

10. Painting gingerbread

A hobby for those who love to cook and draw. This can be done at the same time if you start painting gingerbread cookies with icing (special sugar icing). If you really get carried away and fill your hand, you can even earn money with it.

Level up in gingerbread painting:

• “Masters Fair” is the most famous marketplace in Runet with handmade goods, where, among other things, there are master classes on baking and decorating gingerbread.
• Julia Mylle - author's YouTube channel for painting gingerbread.

11. Brewing - making a foamy drink at home

Brewing is a whole science. And many successfully master it right in their kitchens. First, the result incites: you will not find tasty beer with fire during the day. But then the process itself is delayed.

Master your brewing:

• The Home Brewing Guide is a complete guide for beginners.
• "Russian" Wikipedia "about home brewing" - all about how to brew a drink from malt and hops on your own.

12. The second life of old things

Recycle in translation from English means "reuse of things". This is the name of the ecological direction, which implies waste separation, responsible consumption and energy saving, as well as the direction of applied art. Why throw away Grandma's old chest of drawers, cargo pallets, plastic bottles or wine corks when they can be given a second life? Just show your imagination.

Recycle:

• Recyclemag.ru is an online publication about an eco-friendly lifestyle. The site contains news, articles and tips on how to take care of the planet and live in accordance with the philosophy of minimalism.
• Pinterest.com - In the most creative of all social networks, you will find a lot of workshops on reworking and decorating old things. Request - DIY recycle.

13. Customizing from jeans to bikes

Customizing is the alteration of clothes. Customizers turn jeans into skirts, shirts into dresses, and ordinary T-shirts into designer ones. A hobby for those who want to always be in style, but are not ready to spend a lot of money on clothes.

For men, customization is often expressed in the transformation of motorcycles and cars. Custom bikes are real works of art, and their creators are usually literally sick of their passion.

Level up in customization:

• “Second Street” is a site and a community of the same name, where thousands of craftsmen post their work on remaking things and get inspired by each other's ideas.
• Customoto.com is the site where you can find everything you need to know about building custom bikes.

14. Modding - the transformation of technology outside and inside

The term "modding", that is, modification, change, is traditionally used in relation to the alteration of computers. The peak of fashion for this hobby came in the middle of the 2000s. Now smartphones and tablets rule, so they modify them, as well as other gadgets. For modern modders, not only the appearance is important, but also the performance of devices.

Level up in modding:

• Modding.ru is a large modding portal with a forum.
• Topmods.net is one of the oldest Russian sites about this hobby.

15. Cultivation of butterflies

Beautiful and unusual hobby for biologists and romantics. In addition to special knowledge, you will need an insectarium, a humidifier, a thermometer and other devices to make the fluttering beauties feel good. But if everything works out, then breeding tropical butterflies can become a profitable part-time job.

Level up your butterfly farming:

• Wikihow.com - A detailed tutorial on creating beauty from a cocoon.
• Raisingbutterflies.org is an English-language blog by a man who has been raising butterflies for over 30 years.

16. Contemporary - self-expression through dance

Contempo is a dance direction that combines classical, modern jazz and oriental art of movement (qigong, yoga and taijiquan). There are no clear boundaries in it, the main thing is self-expression. Contemporary teaches you to understand your body, control it and express your inner world with movements.

Level up in contemporary:

• Contemporary.rf is a site about the history, theory and practice of contemporary. Lots of useful information about movements, methods and techniques.
• Contemporary-dance.org - a large English-language website about contemporary dance.

17. Dancehall - music and dance from the heart of Jamaica

This is a music and dance style that grew out of reggae. Dancehall dance is especially popular now. His dynamics and emancipation captivate from the first seconds. If you are tired of the routine, you need a burst of energy and you want to compete in dance battles, this hobby is for you.

Dancehall Pump:

• Dancehallreggae.com.au is an Australian site dedicated to Jamaican culture. There is a lot of music, videos and news from the world of reggae and dancehall.
• Dancedb.ru is a site that contains video lessons and information on various dance styles, including dancehall.

18. Zumba - dance fitness

Zumba was born at the intersection of hip-hop, salsa, samba, merengue, mambo, flamenco and belly dance. This direction was invented by Colombian Alberto Perez at the end of 1990s. The maximum number of muscles is involved in Zumba - this is not only a great pastime, but also an effective way to lose weight.

Zumba:

• Zumba.com is the official website of the Zumba fitness brand.
• Zumba.pro - Zumba events online poster. Here you will find like-minded people, information about parties and master classes.

19. Bookcarving — book carving

Bookcarving is the creation of three-dimensional compositions from multi-page paper manuscripts. Carving in English means "carving", book - "book". Book carving is popular all over the world, but requires patience, diligence and accuracy. This is a hobby for diligent people with artistic thinking. Brian Dettmer, Nicholas Galanin, Guy Laramie, Kylie Stillman and Robert Te have reached the greatest heights in this art.

Level up in bookcarving:

• Briandettmer.com is Brian Dettmer's official site with photos of the great master's work and videos of his performances.
• Artifex.ru - a selection of articles about book carving in this creative almanac.

20. Bookcrossing — book exchange

Bookcrossing can be called one of the ways to beautifully get rid of old books. The bottom line is this: a person who has read a book leaves it in some public place (library, cafe, bookstore, subway, and so on). A random passer-by picks it up, takes it for himself to read, and in return he “loses” another book somewhere. You can track the movement of books on the project website. Its mission is to popularize reading and respect for nature.

Level up in bookcrossing:

• Bookcrossing.com is an international bookcrossing website.
• Ballycumber.ru is a Russian-language site in support of the international book exchange movement.

21. Postcrossing - a postcard from a stranger

Postcrossing is a global project, the essence of which is the exchange of paper postcards. The system gives you a random address, you send a postcard to a person, and you yourself receive it from someone else (one of the schemes). As of 2017, over 676 thousand people from all over the world are registered on the official postcrossing website. People exchanged more than 40 million postcards. Postcrossing is very popular in Russia and Belarus because it is romantic and helps to find new friends.

Level up in postcrossing:

• Postcrossing. com is the official site of the project.
• Postcross.ru is a Russian-language portal for postcrossing enthusiasts.

22. Geocaching - treasure hunt

This is an international travel game, the essence of which is the search for "treasure". Some players make caches, while others use GPS to find them. For almost twenty years of history, the game has gained millions of fans. The advantage is that this hobby can be done not alone, but with the whole family or a group of friends.

Level up in geocaching:

• Geocaching.com is the official site of the geocaching movement.
• Geocaching.su is the main site of Russian geocachers.

23. Survivalism is the mastery of survival

Survivalists are people who intend to survive in any emergency - from natural and man-made disasters to epidemics. Whether something similar happens to them or not is irrelevant. It's important to be prepared! Survivalists collect their alarming suitcase, arrange training games and acquire a number of useful skills (provide first aid, make fire, disinfect water, and so on).

Level up in survivalism:

• Odnagdy.com is a blog about the survivalist movement.
• Survivalbook.ru - a forum about survival and preparation for the post-apocalypse.

24. Historical reconstructions

Do you want to feel like a brave Roman legionnaire or a Russian combatant fighting for the prince? Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of historical reconstruction. It is both science and art. Some restore ancient equipment and restore armor, others arrange performances. To recreate everything authentically, you need deep knowledge and patience. The historical reconstruction has many fans, clubs are created, various festivals are held.

Level up in historical reconstructions:

• Rushistory.org is the official website of the Russian Historical Society, a portal for professionals and history buffs.
• Reconlog.ru is a directory of historical reenactment clubs and events related to them.

25. Volunteering - free help

Volunteer activity is multifaceted. This is not only work in national parks and sports and cultural events, but also, for example, helping orphans or homeless animals. You can choose the area of ​​volunteering to your liking and every day, through good deeds, receive a portion of new knowledge, experience and love.

Level up in volunteering:

• The European Volunteer Service is an international volunteer program.
• Volunteers of Russia.rf is the main volunteer resource in Russia.

What are your hobbies? Tell us about your unusual hobbies in the comments.

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• Hobbies that make money
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25 hobby ideas that can also make money

Pottery, massage, photography, life coaching, terrarium, martial arts…

Most people have hobbies. Someone collects wine corks, and someone enthusiastically spends their free time embroidering. Vinyl, vintage, floriculture, ceramics - the types of activities where a person finds a continuation of himself cannot be counted. If you don’t have a stable hobby yet, but there is a persistent interest in something that can brighten up the boredom of doing nothing, here is a selection of 25 hobbies.

Basically, they do not require any special skills or initial investment, they can be of interest to both men and women equally. Most importantly, by taking up a new hobby, you can meet new people, spend quality free time and even earn some money.

1. Pottery

Today, almost everything is available for this activity. How exciting it is: to make a dish, or a jug, or something small with your own hands. So that, having painted your own “hand-made” by hand, go with this to visit: after all, now there is no need to think about what to give to the owners.

2. Massage

In addition to good and strong fingers, this business requires more desire than knowledge. But, having the first and becoming more skilled in the second, you will become an indispensable member of any society, because everyone loves massage, especially if it is done for free. And if you continue to study in depth this craft, which many - and rightly - call art, you can become a graduate, which will allow you to extract a good profit from your original hobby.

3. Photography

A sharp eye, good taste, lots of energy and a great camera are all you need to start taking beautiful pictures. Perhaps this is where your path to great photography will begin. This art takes time to master, but it's worth it. Even if you do not become a glossy magazine photographer, you will always earn your piece of bread by doing custom work for wedding ceremonies, graduations at schools and kindergartens.

4. Yoga

Those who have managed to turn the initial and natural interest in yoga into a part of everyday life will never give it up. Self-knowledge through a variety of practices: the more and deeper you dive, the more interesting this area becomes, almost endless. Yoga classes unite millions of people, they are a closed league for the “uninitiated”. Try to start, and you will see how your life and attitude towards it will change.

5. Renting a home

Thanks to popular services on the Web, renting a home has become a profitable and very common activity. The main thing is to create a positive image of yourself as a landlord. This will help not only the good location of the apartment or house, but also a pleasant design, comfort, arranged by you for guests, as well as attention and efficiency to their wishes. Isn't it great to go somewhere warmer at the end of the season with the money earned from just a few smiles?

6. Life coach

In our fast-paced time, dealing with stress is one of the ways to make good money. For example, as a coach-psychologist. Get a few groups and de-stress them with a kind of theater. Role-playing games are very effective for personal development: education of leadership qualities, self-esteem, struggle with clamps. Communicate correctly with people, give clear settings and reasonable advice, and the result will not be slow to affect.

Regardless of gender, everyone should be able to defend themselves. But in addition to improving the physical form and knowledge of self-defense techniques, all martial arts teach the main thing: to be strong not only in body, but also in spirit.

8. Terrarium

A hobby that has become extremely popular in recent times. A little cost, and you can create a world for your pets, focusing on your imagination and taste. Working with earth, stones and plants has a beneficial effect on energy, calming and appeasing.

As a rule, a purely male hobby. Already formed men come to him, who know a lot about life, food, and especially drinks. Seriously: tell me what you drink and I'll tell you who you are. Today there is everything for the production of alcohol of various strengths at home. It's easy and very exciting. And at the exit - a noble drink of "your name."

It is not necessary to graduate from the conservatory to be an excellent musician, to understand the quality sound of a popular composition, especially if you have both an ear and professional knowledge of a sound engineer. They are more technical than musical. For those who like to tinker with mixing, this hobby will be an excellent antidepressant. For those who are ready to dive deeper, there are courses, master classes with the prospect of working in professional recording studios.

Great hobby! Although, if a person is aged, the first steps will not be easy. Music notation, basic playing techniques, solfeggio: percussion instruments, guitar, piano, saxophone. .. But after passing through the “zero cycle”, learning will become easier. No one requires you to go on a professional stage. But learning to play simple popular pieces, world hits known since childhood, or to accompany while singing is wonderful. Any age .

12. Cooking

Nothing brings people together like tasty and healthy food. As well as the method of its preparation. That is why all kinds of schools, courses, master classes in cooking are so popular. Women learn new things in cooking salads and preparations, men learn the secrets of barbecue. Such skills and knowledge are useful in any situation. And sometimes they can help and earn.

13. Confectionery

Professional chefs believe that confectionery is the pinnacle of culinary art, which can be learned throughout life. If you have a sweet tooth, love baking and tinkering with dough, feel free to improve your skills. If you can make a luxurious cake "from and to" with your own hands, consider that your life is a success. Including personal.

Being a magician today is easier than ever. There are tons of videos and tutorials on the web about the secrets of legally deceiving viewers. And if you have knowledge and creativity is in full swing, then you can significantly expand the traditional repertoire. How to know where and how far in this case your hobby will “lead” you.

Computer games have long ceased to be fun for adrenaline gamers. Fights have reached a different level, now it is a sport, and an official one. In eSports, tournaments and championships are held, including world championships, where not only quite real (and not exclusively virtual battles and passions) are played, but also decent cash prizes. So if you are a savvy and confident gamer, you might want to give it a try.

Sports and hobbies come together here. To try your hand at diving, you need a thorough preliminary preparation and training on the shore. For all its beauty and fascination, diving is not only addictive, but also very dangerous. Therefore, especially at first, it is recommended to dive together with an instructor.

It's easy and simple to become a blogger: you need a computer, Internet access, an account in a popular social network, and … that's it. Plus, a topic, preferably not too hackneyed and in which you at least somehow understand. A few years ago, when the blogosphere was just emerging and gaining momentum, some especially energetic users made both a name and a business on this craft.

18. Dancing dance

Do you know what sumba is? Or bachata? For the uninitiated: this is the name of the dance styles. They are based on Latin American rhythms and are actively used as fitness programs to combat excess weight. But it is not at all necessary to waltz or beat the step, just to lose weight. People sign up for dance courses to learn how to move beautifully, people come here for bright and refreshing emotions. And many even found their other half here, with which they happily joined their fate.

19. Learning languages ​​

"Do you speak Chinese?" Today, this question no longer sounds strange. Language schools and courses are experiencing another wave of excitement, when there is no end to those who wish. No wonder: the world has become open, transparent and accessible. A foreign language - second, third, next - is necessary for more lively communication, in order to know a new country from the inside, more fully and capaciously.

Another way to find a passion associated with physical activity to music. Many, especially women, who "stay up" at home or in the office, find in these activities an attractive alternative to physical activities, fitness. Group exercises are full of excitement, they charge with positive, the desire to live and contribute to the improvement of physical fitness and overall well-being.

21.

Despite all the breakthroughs in technology, the emergence of incredible possibilities that a computer can give, the good old "hand-made" has not gone away. It has only become more popular and more accessible. Now you can buy almost everything you need to create a cool print with your own hands and make clothes unique. A few tutorial videos from the Web - and now you are a guru.

22. Puzzles

A hobby on which a huge industry is based, each year releasing tens of thousands of puzzle titles in gigantic print runs. Experienced "puzzle-makers" are advised to start small - with simple puzzles, in order to then take on large-scale canvases consisting of several thousand pieces.

In addition to a strong desire to practice, lovers of tourism will need special equipment, good endurance, readiness for long journeys and for life away from civilization. In addition, a few enthusiastic companions, free time and some free money.

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