Do you find yourself at home scrolling through Netflix for something to watch or wondering what you should do with your evening? This huge list of hobbies and crafts for adults has the answer. Split into three sections, this list has the craft hobby ideas you’ve always wanted!
Table of Contents
Crafts for Adults
Check out these craft ideas before moving on to even more hobbies and crafts for adults further down.
Wood Burning
Wood burning is the art of writing or drawing on wood with a wood burner. Besides the wood burner, you don’t need much to start. If you are learning to whittle or do any kind of woodworking, this is an excellent adjacent skill.
Origami
I’m sure you’ve done some origami when you were younger, but that simple jumping frog you made is just the tip of the iceberg. People are making unbelievable things with paper folding; you can learn to do it too.
Leatherwork
Leatherworking can be simple – like a small keyring, or very complex, like a pair of shoes. Pulling out a wallet or purse you handmade is a rewarding feeling; of course, they also make excellent gifts.
Knitting
I used to sit watching my Mom knit our clothes when I was younger. This hobby seems to have fallen out of fashion now, but there’s no reason you can’t bring it back! So start knitting yourself a scarf and show your social media followers what you made.
Cross Stitch
If you prefer to follow a pattern and end up with something recognizable, cross stitch may be for you. Find a cheap starter kit and if you want more patterns, Google “free cross stitch patterns.”
Basket Weaving
Why would anyone want to weave baskets in 2022? They add a beautiful personal touch to a simple gift basket. Take them on picnics filled with goodies or make small baskets as ornaments for around the house.
Candle Making
Candle making takes you back to a time without electric lights when if you didn’t have a candle, all you could do was sleep. A stock of candles is still great for emergencies, and it’s something fun you could do with the kids. This cheap candle making set is all you need to get started.
Jewelry Making
There is a whole subgenres of jewelry making:
- Wire Wrapping
- Beading
- Enamled Jewelry
- Leather Jewlery
Quilting
Quilting is the art of taking different leftover pieces of fabric and turning them into something incredible. Of course, creating an entire quilt will take some time, but the result is something you can cherish for years.
Soap Making
Ever heard of goats milk soap? Me neither! With all the chemicals companies put into commercial soaps, making your own soap with natural ingrediants is becoming popular. There are a lot of design choices to make yourself unique soaps, too: color, fragrance, shape, etc.
Whittling
Ever notice that most whittlers are older? That’s because to become good at whittling wood down to something recognizable takes practice, lots of practice. However, whittling is a hobby you can practice for a lifetime, so get started now. This is a great video to get you started.
Glasswork
The art of glass work goes back centuries and some say it is the reason for the enlightenment, allowing us to do scientific experiements for the first time. There are many types of glass work you could learn:
- Glass blowing
- Stained glass
- Flame working
- Hot Molding
Most types of glass work do require specialist tools and safety equipment so find out if there are any classes near you.
Papier Mache
Mask making to environments for DnD. You can make anything with papier mache and you don;’t even need any special materials for it. Mostly made out of paper and glue, you can even use water and glour if you have no glue!
Pottery
Pottery is a hobby that grows with you, you might start making a simple ashtray or plate, but with some practice, you’ll be able to make vases or even a bust of someone you know.
Crocheting
Crocheting is similar to knitting with the use of a crocheting hook to help pull the yarn through to make textiles that you can then turn into anything you like. It’s not hard to get started crocheting.
Engraving
Engraving is to metal what wood burning is to wood. As a child I watched my Dad standing over his engraving machine every evening, writing messages on trophies or the inside of wedding rings. With a bit of practice, you can engrave anything you like.
Other Hobbies You Can Do At Home
DnD
Dungeons and Dragons is no longer only for geeky teenage boys, it’s cool now! So if you’ve ever wanted to fight goblins or be a fearless warrior, find a DnD game near you and join in.
Start a VR Life
VR is not only for gaming. With apps like VRChat, you can spend time in a whole different world, effectively having a second life. VR headsets have come down in price now to the point that they are cheaper than traditional video game consoles.
Making TikTok or YouTube Videos
There are so many skills you can learn from making videos for TikTok or YouTube.
- Camera work
- Lighting
- Audio
- Video Editing
- Script Writing
Or you can film yourself with your phone and just have fun with it.
Draw Caricatures
You don’t need to be an artist to learn to draw caricatures, you just need to learn the techniques caricaturists use. Learn the five face shapes to learn to get you started drawing hilarious caricatures.
Mixology
The only problem with learning to mix cocktails is that after a few it’s hard to keep standing at the bar! I recommend you also learn to flair, to swing, and spin the bottles as you make the drinks.
Coffee Roasting
You don’t need to buy expensive equipment to roast your own coffee, you can try doing it in a popcorn maker. If you’re a coffee lover, roasting your own is taking your hobby to the next level.
Poker
The gambling element takes a simple card game and elevates it to a game people play for millions. Of course, you’re unlikely to win millions any time soon, but you could start a regular poker night for yourself and your friends or play online.
Paint by Numbers
Much like coloring, painting by numbers takes away some of the guesswork. As long as you follow the numbers, you know you will end up with a masterpiece that you painted yourself (well, kind of.)
Wine or Beer Making
There’s a sense of accomplishement from drinking your own wine or beer that you can’t get from doing anything else. You can even design your labels and name your latest batch.
Writing
Writing is hobby that everyone from Emporers like Marus Aurelius to young girls like Anne Frank has practiced. You can write novels, short stories, poetry, or even a journal or diary.
Painting or Drawing
Even if you think you’re not artistic, you could learn to draw or paint if you put the time into practicing the right things. Find a course online or a drawing class near you and prove to yourself you can do it.
Build a Blog
Starting a blog is an opportunity for you to share what you know with the world. It is an excellent hobby if you want a creative output, and you may even make some money while doing it.
Chess
Everyone knows how to play chess but few people learn to play it well. With so many online platforms, you can get a game any time you want.
Play Go
If chess isn’t challenging enough for you give go a go. Go is an ancient Chinese game, originally invented to develop war strategies for a young emperor. It’s mostly played in East Asia but it’s becoming more popular in the West now too.
Wine Tasting
Drinking wine and calling it a hobby! Does anything get better than that?
Poetry
Write the next epic poem, or learn to write haiku or blank verse, or limericks.
There was a young man from Bowen
Who spent all his time on his own
He dropped his Scrabble
And in all the rabble
By golly, he’d written a poem!
Coloring
Coloring isn’t just for children, there are many coloring books aimed at adults. If you enjoy getting completely involved in a task till you complete it, an adult coloring book is a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Join a Book Club
Reading is a fine hobby to have but it’s so much more rewarding when you have people to talk to about the book you’re reading. You might find a group online with people you’ve never met or a real-life group. Start by asking your friends.
Learn a Musical Instrument
You may have tried learning an instrument when you were young and found it challenging and given up. But there are so many instruments that need very little music theory and don’t require learning to read musical notation.
- Bongos
- Hang Drum
- Chinese Flute
- Ukulele
Baking
Fill your house with the smell of baking bread or better yet, cookies! Plus you get to eat them after you bake them!
Cooking
Why not set yourself learning a new cuisine as a goal this year? Perfecting five Korean dishes or learning how to make Indian curries. Your family will love this new hobby too.
Learn a Language
Learning a language doesn’t have to mean memorizing vocabulary and grammar tables like it did in school. Try French in Action or Lingua Latina for natural language acquisition with no memorizing or grammar.
Pizza Making
Who doesn’t love pizza? So why not make it your new hobby? From making the bread, deciding toppings, and cooking it to building yourself a pizza oven for a truly authentic experience.
Yoga
You don’t need to seek out an expensive yoga studio to learn yoga. There are plenty of follow-along yoga classes on YouTube. Try this:
Pilates
If you care about your physical health or want to improve your posture, try to find a local pilates class. Start by trying a follow-along class on YouTube a to see if it’s for you.
Juggling
Anyone can learn to juggle! In fact, most people can learn to juggle in only 30 minutes. I wrote a step-by-step guide to get you juggling as quickly as possible. Give it a go!
Puppetry
There’s more to puppetry than Punch and Judy. You might be more interested in building puppets or building their sets than actually using them. Or you might want to focus on ventriloquism.
Photography
There is a lot to learn when it comes to photography, like lighting, editing, filters, and lenses
but photography can be so rewarding because a picture creates a memory like nothing else does.
Magic
Magic is a deep art with so many different aspects to practice. From street magic with everyday objects to coin and card manipulation all the way to huge stage effects like sawing a woman in half or Houdini’s water chamber.
Baloon Art
Making balloon animals is fun if you’re ever at a kid’s party but some people have taken this hobby to the next level. You’ll never believe the kinds of things people make just by twisting balloons.
Learn about your Ancestry
Create a family tree and learn about your ancestors. There are many websites that you can use to help research the people who came before you but start by asking the oldest members of your family.
Start Bullet Journaling
Bullet journaling doesn’t have to mean turning a simple notebook into a work of art. Though many choose to bullet journal this way, it wasn’t how Carroll Ryder, the creator of the bullet journal, intended it. Bullet journaling can be minimalistic and it only take five minutes to start your own bullet journal.
ScrapBooking
Scrapbooking is the hobby of sticking things that inspire you or you just find interesting into a scrapbook so you can keep them. It’s a great way to be creative as putting different ideas next to each other can help inspiration strike.
Canning or Pickling
You don’t have to be a prepper or worry about the zombie apocalypse to can or pickle your food. If you grow your own food, this is a really good way of making sure nothing goes to waste.
Go Out and Start These Hobbies
Geo Caching
Geocaching is a cool new hobby you can take up today. Caches are hidden all over the world and it’s up to you to go find them with the help of the Geocaching app. Most caches contain a log book to sign to prove you found it but some have surprises too.
Golf
Golf is a great hobby for adults that want to stay active but don’t want to break a sweat. 18 holes is a long walk so a game of golf is great exercise. It’s also a fun way to socialize with friends.
Tennis
There’s a reason Tennis is one of the most played sports for adults. Short bursts of exertion make tennis neither boring nor too tiring. Play doubles with your favorite friends and gets a little competitive.
Martial Arts
There’s a martial art for you out there. Jiu-jitsu if you like rolling around on the ground, boxing if you’re good with your hands, taekwondo if you’re better with your feet. Wing Chun is great if you don’t want to expend much energy or learn Shaolin kung fu and learn to use weapons.
Dance
Don’t think dance classes are all about learning ballroom steps! You could learn any number of styles:
- Tango
- Swing
- Line Dancing
- Salsa
- Tap Dance
- Break Dancing
Tai Chi
I’ve practiced tai chi for almost 30 years and while there’s nothing mystical or magical about it, I still practice because I enjoy the way I feel when I do it. It’s a great hobby if you want gentle exercise or to balance your intense workouts.
Slacklining
I’m sure I’d break my neck if I tried slacklining! If you’re a little more adventurous than me, you can give it a go. Slacklining involves bouncing and balancing on a slack cord stretched between to trees or lamp posts. Good luck!
Hiking
Hiking is really just walking around in nature, which might be difficult if you live in a city. Combining hiking with camping (or glamping) is a good idea. Remember to take safety equipment with you and always take enough water!
Glamping
Glamping is “glamorous camping.” Glamping resorts offer camping experiences without giving up a single luxary. Fully powered tents with wifi, refridgerators and air conditioning and even espresso machines await you at the best glamping spots.
Scuba Diving
Unless you live by the sea, scuba diving is unlikely to become a very regular hobby but learning to scuba dive can be. You can learn to scuba in a local pool if they have classes, once you’re qualified you can scuba dive where ever you like.
Skiing
Learning to ski is really just a precursor to a skiing holiday. So if you’d like to ski down the Italian alps or on the mountains in Aspen go find a dry ski slope and take lessons!
Archery
Connect with you inner Samurai and learn to shot an arrow from a bow! You may not be the next Robin hood but archery is a hobby that calms the soul. In Bhutan, archery is the national passtime.
“The Divine Arrow can be seen only when it hits, not when it is shot”
Bhutanese Proverb
Horse Riding
Horse riding is not for the faint of heart but sitting on a horse’s back, directing it, will connect you will generations of humans who used horses as the only mode of transport for millenia.
Go Karting
If you have a track near you, go-karting is an exciting way to spend an hour or two. It’s not just for kids! You may even be able to compete in an amateur league and race regularly.
Paintballing
Speed, agility, quick thinking, and the will to win are just some of the skills you can develop if you choose to take up paintballing. Ask your friends and see who will go with you. Sitting retelling war stories over a drink afterward is my favorite part.
Parkour
If you’ve ever wanted to run up walls or jump from building to building like Jackie Chan in “Rumble in the Bronx”, parkour or freerunning is for you. It’s not for the feint of heart, cuts and scrapes are regular. Find an indoor parkour park if you’d prefer to learn without getting hurt.
Learn to Fly a Plane
It may sound ridiculous but learning to fly a plane is something you could really do and it doesn’t cost as much as you might think. You could get your license in as little as 60 hours which will cost about $10,000.
Sailing or Paddleboarding
If spending an afternoon on the water watching the sun go down relaxing sounds like your idea of Heaven, why not take up sailing? Or, if it sounds a little dull, take up paddleboarding instead.
Graffiti
Graffiti is it’s own genre of painting. But you don’t need to break out the spray paint and tag up you neighborhood to be a graffiti artist. Most graffiti artists spend most of there time designing on paper and when they have perfected a design (and gotten permission) they create their artwork. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials teaching graffiti you can learn from.
Grow Your Own Food
Spending time in the garden can be even more rewarding if you plant vegetables and fruits. Try planting perennial fruits and vegetables to get the most from your work, they only need to be planted once and will produce year after year. Here’s a short list:
- Chives
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Shallots
- Broccoli (not all types)
- Sweet Potato
- Apples
- Pears
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
Cosplay
Cosplay is dressing up in costumes just like you did as a kid. It’s all fun and you can choose whoever you want to be. Cosplay expos are common so you can meet up with others and get some great photo opportunities.
Astronomy
People have spent time looking up at the stars since the beginning of history, but few people know what they are looking at. Start by learning the constellations, then maybe a trip to an observatory before spending on your own telescope
Bird Watching
If you enjoy spending time in nature why not also bird watch? You just need a bird watching log so you can check birds off when you see them. It gets really fun when you’re down to the last few birds on your list.
