With summer on the horizon, it’s easy to get preoccupied thinking about internships, jobs, and other obligations that come with it. Still, summer break should also be a time to have fun and try new things, so here are some awesome hobbies (besides binge-watching Netflix) you can take up in your free time this summer and enjoy all year long!
1. Knitting: Who knew something that looks so complex could be so easy? You can use tutorials on youtube to get started and by the end of the summer, you could have an entire blanket or scarf to use in the Fall and Winter! Here’s a good tutorial on how to get started:
2. Photography: Using Pinterest or YouTube to find easy tutorials on giving your photos that extra professional touch, you can up your photography skills in just a few hours! You don’t need to have an expensive camera to showcase your new photographic vision, and you can display everything you capture in your apartment or dorm next year to stay in that summer state-of-mind all year long.
3. Painting: Start of by browsing Pinterest for ideas or draw inspiration from wherever you are staying this summer and then paint away! You can paint inspirational quotes to motivate you next semester, landscapes that help keep you calm, or whatever comes into your mind at the moment! You don’t have to be limited to canvas painting…try painting a rock or seashell from the beach for a creative paperweight or decoration!
4. Scrapbooking: Okay, I know scrapbooking seems really time-consuming and boring to some of us (myself included, if I’m being honest), but with services like Snapfish, you can easily transfer all of those cute pictures you never got to post on Instagram from your phone to a mini photo book that they’ll bind and mail you within a week! It’s an awesome way to document and showcase your past year at UVA, a study abroad trip, or even all of your pictures from your new photography hobby!
5. Gardening: Growing a bean plant seemed boring in Kindergarten, but now the idea of raising a little garden seems fun and rewarding. All you have to do is go to your local gardening center and pick up some seeds for plants that you’re interested in growing. Then just plant them in a little cup and watch them grow. Maybe by next spring you’ll be eating fresh herbs from your garden.
6. Cooking: Collect some of those “fun and easy” Buzzfeed food prep videos from your Facebook feed and try to cook them for your family or friends. The recipes that work out could be easy weeknight recipes you can repeat during the school year!