Hobbies to do at home in the evenings

[mintdream]

What hobbies and interests do you have that can be done at home? As the evenings are getting darker I’d like to do something a bit more productive, as I find myself spending too much time surfing the net etc.

I like to read and gardening, but would like something else to do other than watch TV.

I like things that give fairly quick results, as I don’t have the best patience in the world unfortunately! knitting and cross stitch etc don’t interest me after trying them. Photography interests me but not really much I can do in the evenings with that I don’t think. I like up upcycle furniture but these are big projects and I’m looking for ideas for smaller things to do.

Thanks

I crochet, although it's similar to knitting it's easier and you can get results fairly quickly. It's a inexpensive to try, gets expensive when you get hooked though. I learnt through attic 24
I do an OU degree which isn't really a hobby but they have free courses you can try out.

I love upcycling furniture too.
Decoupage ?

Jigsaws! So satisfying

I don't personally do it but you could try card making, quilling or origami

Baking
Something like preserving - jam, pickles
Sewing - quicker results than knitting
Crafting such as card making, friends of mine do amazing stuff
Learn a language or do a free course on a topic that interests you
At home yoga via YouTube

If you like photography could you get creative with photoshop and learn to different things?

I've never been good at sewing or knitting but like a hobby with a 'product' at the end and have found whittling to be quite fun

A drawing tablet is good if you want to practice some artwork but not spend lots of money on paints/tools, much less mess and tidying to do after as well

Jigsaws definitely more of an autumn / winter past time in our house.

Cooking and baking is satisfying.

Colouring? Lots of colouring books in the charity shops now!

Make your Christmas cake.
Baking.
Cooking generally. Make stuff you can freeze.
Candle making.
Vodka making.
Jigsaws.
Crosswords/puzzles/suduko.
Start a windowsill herb garden.
Have a look at mosaic kits on Hobbycraft. My (adult) DD made some nice coasters over Easter.

Online course. The Open University have some good evening courses.

Yoga, Pilates or another exercise?

Jigsaw puzzle? Adult colouring books?

I taught myself to crochet really quickly, I used Bella Coco videos on YouTube.
I’ve made a baby blanket and a bobble hat so far - both modern, not traditional granny square crochet. (This is not derogatory by the way, they are actually called granny squares).

Needle felting is quite fun and quick to make small things - I’ve done a few Xmas decorations.

Chess! OK, so there isn't a product at the end. But it is a fantastic game: you learn to plan ahead, focus concentration and some even think (not sure if it is true, mind!) that it can keep dementia at bay. There are so many good apps, you don't need a board.
If chess isn't up your street, I agree yoga is brilliant as a great exercise to do in the evening: calming, strengthening and not too strenuous. And unlike my old exercise bike, it doesn't wake the kids.

Crochet

I bought myself a digital piano and spend time playing and practicing.

I sew and embroidery, you can machine sew things relatively quickly depending on what it is.
Crochet is soooo much quicker than knitting and if you make a blanket you can just keep going round and round and eventually you have really warm legs while you increase the size lol
Drawing or painting.
Upcycle small items like small wooden boxes.
Write poetry or fiction.

I've just learnt to play the ukelele. Other things I do: cryptic crosswords, jewellery making, cross-stitch, diamond painting. I also do my own nails (acrylic gel at the moment).
Can you tell I'm a fidget?

“Diamond” painting
Lego
Paper quilling
Calligraphy

If you like photography maybe look at stop motion animation. You can start with an app and an iPad to see if you like it. I've spent a few hours doing it with the kids and it's good fun.

If you like photography, buy the photography play book and do all the exercises in it. You can do most of them at home in the evenings. Most are short!
If you need any extra help or inspiration, just research the artists mentioned in the playbook.

Patchwork? Can trawl charity shops for nice materials. Start small eg a cushion cover and work up to a full besdpread. If you do it by hand you watch tv/listen to podcasts/audible at the same time - bliss!

Penpalling. You’ll open up a whole new world

Embroidery is an easy one to do in the evening. You can buy them with a pattern printed on that come with all the coloured threads you need.

I do some of the suggested stuff ( knitting, crochet, piano, make myself go out one evening in the dark winter nights to go to choir, reading, jigsaws)
I also like sewing, what about making Christmas bags for wrapping presents in this year, I’ve bought lots of random pieces of seasonal fabric over the last year from charity shops, eBay etc and now my stock of paper has been used up, I’m going to give presents in fabric bags instead.
What about having a wander around hobby craft to see if you get any inspiration?

Family tree? I started mine when dd was a baby and I didn't get out so much. There is so much info on line these days. I can get sucked in for hours logging into Ancestry.