When people get to know each other, they often ask about your hobby. And then you either give the answer or get confused. I'm one of those people who like many things at once, and it makes it hard to give a definite answer. My priorities vary depending on my mood, time of day and probably the lunar phase. In this article I want to mention the fun activities that you might not have considered doing, maybe because you thought they were too hard. Not only they are easy, but they also don't require a big investment. And most importantly- they're very relaxing!
When it comes to choosing leisure activities, I consider the following criteria:
1. NO to shopping lists that are way too long. I absolutely hate when they require a large number of items that can't be either substituted or used anywhere else. If you didn't like the hobby, you'd be left with a bunch of useless stuff that will take a lot of space.
2. NO to things that are hard to find. When your hobby requires something you haven't heard of before, shopping takes a lot of time. Of course, you can search the Internet, but remember that things could be out of stock, sold in large quantities only or each sold on a different website. That's how the total price becomes too high to actually enjoy the hobby.
3. NO to activities that require too much time and concentration. I want to spend as much time on the hobby as I want on a current day, basically to be flexible in planning the time for the activity. When the time to finish the activity is too long, I want to be able to make breaks in between or continue on another day.
Today I want to talk about home DIYs, so let's also add the fourth rule - useful. I want to display my so- called art, because I'm proud of it no matter what. Well, unless it turns out to be a complete failure.
DOT PAINTING
You will need:
- painting canvas (a thick paper, or any other surface)
- dotting tools
- acrylic paint
- a pair of compasses (optional)
It's all about dipping the dotting tool in paint and leaving symmetrical dots on a surface. Well, it's much more than that. Also a way of expressing yourself and being able to make a professional looking drawing without learning how to actually draw. You can paint on different surfaces, just check whether you must also substitute the type of paint.
Source: @i.love.my.moon
AMIGURUMI
Supplies and Materials:
- Crochet hook
- Yarn
- Fiberfill
- Amigurumi pattern (there are plenty of them online for free)
It's just like normal crocheting, but way cuter. First, choose the pattern you want to follow. Second, choose the right hook and yarn (they vary in size). Third, use fiberfill to stuff the toy once you've finished crocheting. I learned crocheting in school, but don't worry if you didn't. It's actually very easy to learn the basic techniques! However, it might take some time to get your hand moving at the same pace and twist distance, so the final product looks smooth. Avoid spending too much time at once crocheting, because it can cause pain. That was once my big mistake, and I could feel a lot of pain for over a week. To get you started, check out the links below.
T-SHIRT YARN CROCHET
Supplies and Materials:
- Big crochet hook
- T-shirt yarn (either buy or make your own)
- Crochet pattern
Unless you have a baby or love toys, amigurumi might just not be your thing. Home DIYs is something I enjoy doing, simply because I can't find everything I see online in stores. I found out about t-shirt yarn also through the Internet while I was doing a search for cute cat stuff. But you can do much more with that: rugs, baskets, bags, etc. It wasn't perfect, but my cat loved his new bed! Luckily, you can always open the stitches and redo the whole thing.
MACRAME
Supplies and Materials:
- Macrame cord (can use different materials, check what's easily available)
- Support (branches, rings, etc)
- Scissors
- Macrame pattern
I'm in love with a bohemian theme, and if you are too, you might have noticed a big comeback of macrame decor. I have a hanging piece of macrame on my wall, but there's much more you can do with that technique: plant hangers, bags, bed throws, hanging shelves and chairs.. The choices are almost unlimited. Also, you don't have to learn all techniques before starting. You just need patience and that's it.
WASHI TAPE WALL ART
Supplies and materials:
- Washi tape
- Scissors
At some point of my life I realized I have too much washi tape. Just enough to cover my walls and ceiling at least twice. Then I searched Pinterest for ideas. That's how this bear with a awkwardly long body ended up on my wall. Washi tape doesn't damage your walls, and is easily removed. You can also go for patterns or wall calendar instead.
