What’s your favorite hobby? I’ve recently put forth this question to several people during a speed round of getting to know one another in one of my clubs. I was met with a prolonged, awkward silence as they tried to think of a legitimate answer, many of whom ended up just saying “I go on my phone,” “I watch Netflix,” or even “I don’t have one.” It wasn’t supposed to be a difficult question, but we are often too caught up with life to find a hobby we enjoy, or even remember that we used to have one. If you think about it, though, it’s not that surprising considering our technology-centered generation. First thing in the morning after we open our eyes, our hands are reaching for our phones almost instinctively. And unfortunately, we continue to grow farther away from the creative hands-on activities we used to enjoy as kids. We’re all living in a fast-paced world, occupied with classes, homework assignments, and extracurriculars. And when we do get some leisure time, we’d rather spend that time sleeping or resorting to our phones over anything else. But aren’t there times when you crave something more organic? More wholesome for the heart and gentle on the eyes? Isn’t the same old routine boring you? Then it might be time to pick up a new hobby!
As I see it, we need to go back to our humble roots to unearth the nostalgic, analogue ways of feeling attuned with our bodies and focused on our beings, to restore our unrefined creativity and imagination. A good start to that can be getting into some DIY or hand making activities. In essence, the process of starting from scratch and creating something with our own hands is very raw. It eliminates any opportunity to take the easy way out, to cheat or deceive, to display actions of human pride and arrogance. And just for a moment, it can block out our wandering thoughts and distractions of the outside world. Everything in this “handmade” realm comes together with time, effort, and mistakes that you may grow from; you can go at your own pace and you will gradually see the progress coming along. Therefore, it’s a very rewarding, healing, and detoxifying process for many. I have carefully handpicked the top handicrafts and de-stressing hobbies (relatively easy, too) that I have genuinely enjoyed and am eagerly waiting to start or get back into during the fall/winter season. (All materials and beginner kits can be found on Amazon or a nearby arts & crafts store!)
needle felting
Last summer, I got into needle felting, which has been one of the best handicrafts I’ve tried by far. You use a special barbed needle to repeatedly poke at thin wool fibers so that they are matted and condensed to form a solid felt, which you shape and transform into 3D objects. You can make pretty much anything you want, although I like to felt little animals and make them into keychains, or take requests from r my friends and family members. To be honest, I was reluctant to start needle felting because the sharp needle can poke your skin if you’re not careful. But then I watched so many videos of people making such cute and realistic needle felted creatures that I couldn’t resist trying it out. And I haven’t regretted it once! What’s more, the time I invest in making the little creations is all worth it when I get to gift them to the people I love! I guarantee you, if you just pay attention to where you’re poking, the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. You’ll understand what I mean when you watch a needle felting video.
Latch Hooking & Punch Needling
Latch hooking is an activity that I always return to during my breaks from school. It’s a simple craft where you use a latch hook tool to tie short pieces of yarn to a canvas grid to make little rugs, pillows, and wall hangings. You can find kits with various designs that come with a gridded latch hook rug canvas, all the colors of yarn you need to make the specific design, and the instructions that tell you which color yarn to tie to which square of the grid. It’s pretty straightforward. I’ve latch-hooked a golden retriever puppy wall hanging and am halfway finished with a tabby cat one as well. Another similar yarn craft is punch needling which involves using a punch needle tool (a needle-tipped pen) to weave yarn through a fabric base to make embroidered designs, home decor and the like. It has a very short learning curve so I am definitely planning to start this one by purchasing a beginner’s kit with a nice design, maybe a lil’ plant. If you’d like a modern take on a traditional craft, latch hooking and punch needling are a perfect way to pass the time!
crocheting
Many people seem to confuse crocheting and knitting (I was one of them!). If knitting uses a pair of needles to form loops and transfer them from one needle to another, crocheting only uses a single hook to make loops directly onto the fabric. I have yet to pick up this activity myself, but many have told me that crocheting is easier than knitting! Several of my friends have started crocheting as a hobby, and so far, I have been gifted an adorable little bee and a baby octopus which I cherish with my whole heart. All you need is some yarn, a crochet hook, and a good ol’ tutorial video (this is an easy one for a book sleeve/pouch). There are so many things you can crochet, even as a beginner: a scarf, hat, potholder, dishcloth, coaster, scrunchie, plush toys for decor (animals, pumpkins, hearts, etc.) and more! You can crochet something simple while watching a Netflix show, and you’ll be done in about 1-2 hours on average. Receiving crocheted or any handmade gifts, in general, is so much more valuable and meaningful because you know that the gift is an outcome of the time and effort the person has put into making the artistic creation especially for you.
Decoupage
Decoupage is such a creative and aesthetic craft that I wish more people knew about! It is the art of decorating an object by gluing cutouts of paper designs onto it. My aunt introduced me to this when she came to visit from Korea with a bundle of blank canvas pencil cases, tote bags, makeup bags, and hundreds of decoupage tissue paper with different images. You simply cut out a design you like from the tissue paper with a small pair of scissors, peel off a layer of the napkin, place the thin cutout onto the surface of the object you’re working with, and use a brush to gently coat the image and the object with Mod Podge glue or varnish. You can literally decoupage anything: vases, plates, cups, frames, lamps, etc. No special skills or techniques are required, just some patience, delicacy, and intricacy. Plus, a charm of decoupage art is the rustic, natural, sophisticated vibe it gives. I remember spending late nights decorating so many pencil cases and tote bags with this art technique when I was in middle school, many of which I still use to this day! (Here’s a beginner’s tutorial!)
coloring books
Lately, I’ve picked up on coloring again. It’s a really basic activity, and I wouldn’t categorize it as a craft, necessarily. But it’s definitely a feel-good, destressing activity. While scrolling through TikTok, I came upon a small business called Bobbie Goods which sells hand-drawn coloring books with really cute and simple illustrations. I bought myself the book and a pack of alcohol-based brush markers once I got the chance, and got straight to coloring. As I sat by my desk and colored, that moment in silence and solitude was very calming and nostalgic to me. It took me back to my childhood days when I’d focus on coloring in the shaky lines of my drawings, doodles, and handmade cards for my friends and family. It’s really relaxing and satisfying to see the picture come to life as the blank spaces gradually fill up with vibrant color. Whichever medium you favor — markers, watercolor paint, colored pencils — you have the freedom to add in little details, choose the colors you want, and incorporate other ways to add your own touch and create a desired ambience.
Baking
Ah, the joy of baking. I fell in love with baking over quarantine. I am no professional, but I am always scrolling through Instagram or YouTube looking for new yummy and challenging recipes to try out. If you’re one to follow instructions to the T, prepping the ingredients and exact measurements may be the most time consuming part. But after all of that, you can combine all the ingredients together, divide and shape the batter, and see your collection of ingredients gradually rise, solidify, and brown in the oven. As the pleasant (hopefully not burnt) aroma fills the kitchen, you will be greeted with a fresh, finished baked good along with a sense of relaxation and accomplishment. When baking, you acquire skills of consistency and patience, for it requires a lot of repetition and waiting. But what I enjoy the most about baking is the aftermath of giving, sharing, and eating in communion with others. That is essentially the reason why I bake. In fact, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so I will usually eat only one or two of the goods I bake. I will gift the rest to my family, friends, and the ahjummas at my mom’s morning aerobics! You get a warm, fulfilling feeling in your heart when others appreciate and cherish the food you’ve worked hard to make. When you can sense their feelings of happiness and see their expression of delight when they bite into your baked goods, it’s a magical feeling. Here’s a recipe for some delicious and easy-to-make sable cookies that I tried myself.
beadwork
Do you remember the friendship bracelets we made as kids? The handmade necklaces we beaded for our parents? Most of us have already had some sort of experience with beading. Over quarantine, my mom occupied herself with making customized beaded mask straps for her friends and acquaintances. I also started making some out of boredom, but found the process rather relaxing, so I went on to start creating other little trinkets, beading together some bracelets and necklaces from a wide range of colored beads, charms, and pendants from my mom’s jewelry supply box. My best friends have also gotten into making cute beaded flower rings and dainty earrings, with inspiration from Pinterest. And they’ve gotten pretty good at it, too! With beadwork, you can incorporate your own creativity when choosing the color schemes, patterns, and styles that fit your or someone else’s aesthetic. It makes a wonderful personal gift, for it can carry a special meaning that only you and the person receiving it knows, and it is also nice to wear as a daily accessory. It’s a super easy and fun activity. But if you end up accidentally letting go of your string, and all the beads fall off… don’t give up!
slime
If you haven’t made slime before, have you been living under a rock…? Just kidding, but you really ought to try it out. If you think of slime as merely a “kid’s toy,” I’d have to beg to differ. No one is too old for slime! It checks off all the boxes for visual, auditory, and even olfactory satisfaction. Moreover, it has actually been proven to offer mental health benefits, regardless of age. I was able to release a lot of stress and anxiety by making and playing with slime. Not only is it extremely satisfying and soothing to touch, but the process of adding in the ingredients and mixing them to have it all come together into one squishy blob is pretty amusing. There are so many different types of slime, varying in texture and consistency, that creators have experimented with over the years. You can always make the basic slime — school glue, water, and activator — but people have also gotten really fun and creative with their slime recipes. You can add in colored pigments, shaving foam, daiso clay, charms, beads, glitter, fragrance oils, etc. (My Instagram favorites are @godgo_slime and @wavvy.sliimes)
These are just a few of the numerous de-stressing activities you can indulge yourself in during your free time. If you enjoy handmade crafts or have time on your hands to explore a leisure activity, I hope you got something out of this! Realistically speaking, not many will feel the motivation to start a new hobby during the chaotic school year. If that’s the case, even the simplest things — a day stroll around the city streets, a fun book to read in bed, a bubble tea/coffee run, a visit to the farmer’s market in front of Columbia, or a hearty meal that you cook for yourself — are all good alternatives within your reach to heal your tired heart from time to time.