1. Take up an instrument.
GiphyI know you need an instrument for this one, but you honestly might be able to ask around your friends and family to see if they have an old guitar or something that they seldom use anymore that they wouldn't mind letting you borrow.
I learned guitar and a little piano this way actually, and while I'm not fantastic, I am good enough that I play guitar for my campus ministry for worship and people can at least recognize the songs. I just looked up chord charts online and it went on from there!
2. Hand Lettering/Calligraphy
GiphyThis is my newest hobby. I bought a handful of markers and some paper and started out just copying things I saw online. I am still not great at super fancy lettering like the stuff above, but I can write out cute little birthday cards and such. The cool thing about this is that there are so many pictures and videos online of people doing calligraphy that you should never run out of inspiration!
3. Cooking
GiphyThis is another fun passtime of mine, and you can go about it in one of two ways. I tend to just like using up random things around the house and making something out of it (eating on a budget, amirite?), but my boyfriend really enjoys things that take a lot of time and a lot of precision. He's gotten into making bread actually, and it's really good, but it takes a LONG time and I just don't have the patience to help him with it anymore.
Either way you do it, cooking is a pretty fun passtime... and you (usually) get a pretty good meal out of it after!
4. Exercise
GiphyOkay, I'll admit it, this one isn't exactly in my heavy rotation. But you know just as well as me that it's an awesome hobby to have! I really do keep meaning to pick up running or something, but I don't know, naps just sound so much better...
Don't be like me, get some exercise.
5. Clothes Revamping
GiphyThis is a nifty one.
There are so many Pinterest posts that can spur on some cool ideas on what to do to liven up some old clothes. I am personally a fan of making headbands out of old shirts!
6. Gardening
GiphyFor the patient ones out there, this is probably a really awesome idea.
I really want to start gardening, but I just find it so hard to wait for so long... and then I forget to water the plant or something eats it and it was all for nothing.
Hopefully someday I'll be able to hone my green thumb, but until then, maybe you're better at it than I am!
(Bonus points because it sometimes means free food later on)
7. Reading... Or Not.
GiphyHere's a two-in-one.
Reading's a bit of a given, but here's an idea: after you go through a book, you can paint over its pages.
My high school English teacher made us do blackout poetry one time and it was really cool. You essentially take a page of a book and scribble/paint over every word that you don't want. Then, you're left with a poem of words that you didn't scribble out. It was super fun and a great way to get some more use out of a book that you might just not read again!
8. Making specialty coffee/cocoa/lemonade...
GiphyI've become a homemade cocoa fanatic, and no, I don't care that its Summer.
When I realized that you could just dump milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and whatever other ingredients you can dream up into a pot on a stovetop and call it hot cocoa, it was game over. I've perfected the Nutella cocoa, cinnamon cocoa, peppermint cocoa... The list goes on.
It's super cool to have an easy, go-to thing that you're really good at making, but experimenting with variations makes it that much more fun!
9. Card Making
GiphyThis is something I keep meaning to get really good at!
I like doing a little calligraphy here and there, but I haven't really done anything else to cards other than write/draw on them. My boyfriend's grandmother is super into making cards and she cuts pictures out of magazines and organizes the pictures so she can use them for the appropriate occasion. They always look really cute and it's a super thoughtful gesture that friends and family members are sure to love!
10. Thrifting
GiphyI've got several friends who are into this. One of my coworkers swears by finding business casual clothes in thrift stores because it's so cheap, and she really always does look awesome.
Bonus story: one time she found a purse worth like $1,000 and bought it for $20. The purse also had like $400 cash inside. What a find!!!
11. Journaling or Scrapbooking
GiphyIn middle school, I kept a "Dear Future Me" journal.
Every few days I would write in it, and I've actually read a few of the entries back. Some of them are sad, some hopelessly cringey, but some really are very positive. I had the intention to go back and write "Dear Past Me" entries, but I'm just waiting on the right time to do that.
Nevertheless, I love getting a chance to go back and read what I was thinking. Your future self will really thank you!
12. Photography
GiphyThere's always someone looking for someone to take their pictures. If you have a quality enough camera, why not take one of your friends out for a glamour shoot??
Bonus points if you build up a portfolio and people start paying you for their pictures!
I hope you found something that struck your interest! There are so many cool hobby ideas out there--believe me, I've looked them over dozens of times in my searches for something new to pick up. Whether you're inclined to master one thing of dabble in many, I hope that you can find something non-screen related to entertain yourself with this summer!
