It’s been a few months since the start of the new decade, which means it is the time of the year when any New Year’s Resolutions become distant memories and we are all enticed by the promise of Spring as it’s no longer pitch black by 4pm. 

With that being said, most of us have settled into the routine of the new year now and might be finding it is just the same as any other. If you feel like there is a gap in your life that no amount of goal-setting and tea-drinking can fix, then why not try filling it with something different? A new hobby.

While the word ‘hobby’ might spark visions of your Grandma knitting for hours on end, or your uncle relentlessly trying to get you to join him on a fishing trip, there are a wealth of exciting activities which come under the phrase. 

It’s widely acknowledged that crafting and exercise based hobbies can help improve your mental health, and in the age of the side-hustle it can be incredibly empowering to have an activity which you do for yourself, just for fun, without any stress of perfectionism or profit margins attached. 

We’ve all tried out adult colouring books and had a go at yoga, but here are some ideas of hobbies to try that you probably haven’t heard of before.

1. Needle-Felting

This one is perfect for anyone who would love to create beautifully cross-stitched scenes but can’t quite get a needle and thread to cooperate. Needle felting involves a tool with tiny barbed needles on the end, which is used to transform wool.

The possibilities really are endless with this; you can create 3D figures (woodland creatures, like this hare, seem to be a favourite) or use an embroidery hoop or cotton fabric as a base to create 2D scenes. You can be creative with colours and blend multiple wools together, or even use metallic threads for a mixed-medium effect.

Bonus: it’s so easy to do that you can easily binge-watch Netflix at the same time.

You can create these adorable needle felted kitties over on Etsy, where they also sell kits for Toto the Tortoise, mini rabbits in flower pots, daffodils and lots of general needle felting kits.

2. Roller Derby

If you’re looking for a way to get fit while learning a new skill, then Roller Derby is definitely the thing for you. Not only is roller skating great fun, but the roller derby community is renowned for being full of wonderful, accepting people who will help you feel at home in a sports-hall.

Don’t worry if you were never good at sport in school – a lot of people on roller derby teams across the country would have been the same people standing on the corner of the rounders pitch in PE. Most leagues will teach you to skate and provide a helmet, pads and skates for you to borrow while you’re learning.

Need some inspiration for skating? Look no further than our friends, the Rolla Girls.

3. Bonsai Sculpture

Stick with me here. If you’re looking for something super non-committal that won’t take up much time, this one’s for you. A Bonsai is a tiny tree, grown over several years and usually with ornate, twisted branches.

Their shape is formed by using wire to gradually coax the tree into growing in a certain way. There are a bunch of tips online about making the best Bonsai and it’s relatively easy to do on budget, since all you really need is a seed, or a kit from a garden centre.

There might not be much to show for this hobby for a few years, but eventually it will all pay off when you have a fully-fledged Bonsai tree and can say you grew it yourself.  

Looking for a Bonsai book to get you going? The internet tells us that this book by Harry Tomlinson is the one. And, at the time of writing this, it’s just £1.04 – bonus!

4. Wood Whittling

It’s not the most conventional hobby, but this one can be really rewarding. With some wood offcuts, a couple of metal tools and a few sheets of sandpaper you can create a range of items, from wooden spoons, to figurines and everything in between.

There’s something really satisfying about chiselling away at wood until it becomes something new, and it can be a great stress reliever at the end of a busy day in the office.

If you’re looking for a pack to get you started, there are some great whittling kits on Etsy! 

5. Junk Journaling

Grab yourself some old magazines and jazz up your journal. Part scrapbook, part diary, junk journals can be whatever you want them to be. A place to explore your thoughts, experiment by using a range of materials and document your life all at the same time.

You can incorporate calligraphy and hand-lettering, which is a very meditative and peaceful type of design (there are a lot of tutorials online), or even buy some antique book pages and hymnals from Etsy to give your journal a vintage feel.

Whatever your hobbies are, remember that it is so important and valuable to have activities which you do just for pure enjoyment, without needing to be good at them, or turn them into a way of making money.

For inspiration, check out all the junk journalling packs over on Etsy.

Fancy doing one of these hobbies with some City Girls? Contact hello@citygirlnetwork.com and let’s organise a meet up!

Written by Jasmin Perry

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