Read. Find a new author you like and read their works. I love to read. From cheap romance novels to fiction. You could start a painting project or as some have mentioned knitting or crocheting too. Rearrange the furniture in one or two rooms of your house. There are lots of hobbies out there you just have to decide what is right for you.
Mary

Laura, I sure understand your comment. I could also use a hobby. Other than reading the only thing I do is hit the thrift shops in the area. I am trying to limit that because I really don't need anything and other than clothes for the grands and books I don't buy much. I would suggest card making (scrapbook materials) because you can buy lots of supplies on clearance aisles and thrift stores and it will save you the money you would spend on cards. You can start with small gift enclosure type cards and progress to holiday cards etc. You really only need pretty paper, a gel pen or two, a rubber stamp or two and anything else you can fit into your budget. It really is fun. Best of luck. Satine

wood carving, pottery, choral group, volunteer, painting, book club, skating, kayaking, join the Y and exercise. These are all areas where most people can learn and do well.

I knit for the local hospital, mostly baby hats for newborns and hats and scarfs for local homeless shelter. Knitting keeps me from eating at night and its productive. Often groups that need these things will have donated yarn that you can use also.

Orchids (since it is part of your name). I had an acquaintance whose husband grows orchids, even had a greenhouse built. I had some for a while and the blooms are pretty and long lasting.
Baby orchid plants not yet at blooming age can be bought fairly reasonably.
My own hobbies are gardening and taking care of my critters. I'm not sure one can call dogs hobbies, they are more like members of the family.

Also, try surfing pinterest. There's so many things on that site it's mind boggling. Home Décor, camping/rv'ing, gardening. Think of a topic and type it in, or just start on the main page that comes up.

Let us know what you decide.......

You could sell things on ebay. This has kind of become a hobby for me since I am a "collector" shall we say. But I see people hitting all the thrift shops and garage sales to sell their finds on Ebay. You can find things very cheap and figure out what sells and make a little money to boot.

I like to garden. In this house, I've totally revamped the garden beds the builder put in. I've put in more drainage, designed new beds, added rocks, and planted lots of flowers and flowering shrubs. It has added lots of curb appeal and privacy to the house. Will work in more edibles in the future.

Another hobby is different types of crafting. Currently, I'm trying to turn my house into a home. Outdoors, I've painted and hung several bird houses and made fun stuff like this sign in the link. Stuff like this can be inexpensive if you use recycle items. I'm also decorating the interior of my house. I prefer original artwork. I find ideas I like and modify or create new ideas to make some of my own stuff. My ten year old dd loves to paint. I use bathrooms and hallways as her gallery. Less expensive than buying art. I spend my money when I find art pieces I can't live without.

I would just look around and see what is available in your community. Lots of inexpensive classes at the YMCA and community centers and other places.

Here is a link that might be useful: directional garden sign

How about Zentangle? It's basically doodling but you end up with amazing art. They sell all kinds of "equipment" and special paper but you don't really need any of that. Just a few pens, pencils and paper. There are plenty of patterns and tutorials online. Look at Pinterest and type in Zentangle in the search box. They have lots of amazing examples. They look intimidating but they are drawn just one line at a time.

This is very relaxing and every piece is different. Just start with the basic designs and work your way up to more intricate patterns or create your own. Don't worry if your lines don't look perfect like the examples. When you finish a piece it will all look amazing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Zentangle.com

Think about/participate in the things you enjoy
Explore things that grab your curiosity
Try new things
See if something "sticks"

Lots of good ideas in this thread.

Do you have a box of old family photographs somewhere? You could start by organizing them and putting them in albums . . . while you save money for a scanner to digitize them and make them permanent.

You post at the KT, so I'm guessing you like to write. Start a blog! Or pitch a weekly column to your local newspaper. Or consider another writing project.

You might attend some arts and crafts fairs to see if anything interests you.

Do you want something to do 'at home', or might you like to join some group activity? Book club at your library? Current events discussion? Little Theater group?

Volunteering -- even simple jobs -- can provide structure. How about *a real job*?

How about starting a book? Everybody has *at least* one book inside her head.

Laura, I am a hobbyist at heart so I don't know idle hands but recently picked up another one that I've wanted to try and an easy one that anyone can do...also an easy one to get startedin and one that doesn't require a huge investment...It's also something that you and Molly could share...

I know from all that you have said over the years, you are a girly girl,,,so am I...a jeans and t shirt girly girl but I wanted to take up jewelry making...I went to the local Tuesday Morning and happend to see a box or two of jewelry supplies for $.99 ..it had enough stuff in there to make at least a dozen earrings and other things too...so I said to myself ...no time like the present to start. My next stop was Walmart any way so I went to the bead section and I bought a couple of those already matched up lengths of beads etc etc and a couple pairs of pliers...a pair of wire cutters and some wire cutters...oh yes I bought a roll of wire...I came home and immediately got on the computer and started reading ...how to make jewelry..Its going to be fun and easy and not overwhelming..and you can wear and show off your goods..

Check out Sip 'n Strokes.

There's a few of them around B'ham. Might be one in Trussville.

Last September I decided to take an oil painting class. It is something that always intimidated, but also intrigued me as I did not know if I had the skill for it. I am now on my 3rd painting and love every minute of it. It is a great stress reliever. Being a part of the class is so much fun and mainly consists of students my age (55+).

The initial investment might cost you over $30, but paint and brushes last quite a long time. I take my classes through a local artist, but many other places offer them as well. Most artists teach oil, water and acrylics. I like oil because if you make a mistake, it's easy to paint over.

Check with your local senior center, or youth center and see what kind of classes the offer. Then volunteer to help with one that appeals to you. Bang, to things with one try. :). Volunteer, and hopefully do something new!

Also look in to becoming a master gardener. Some of my best friends are mastergardeners, and we do some volunteer work, go on trips, and generally have a good time.

Good luck with choosing what to do off this list.

Moni

I make glass garden totems and glass plate flowers for the garden and flower beds. I learned right here at gw on the garden junk forum. The cost is extremely low but you can sell the product for mostly all profit. I get my various glass pieces at thrift stores and good will, salvation army, etc. Basically the only thing I buy is the clear silicone adhesive to put it together.
Go Google glass plate flowers and glass totems. Visit the garden junk forum.
I make a lot of them to give away to friends and family.I donate them to sell at our garden club sales and the money goes to the charity we select each year. I will get a picture of one of mine that is in my atrium. I have made some that are bird baths and feeders, some just look pretty. Plus I do it as I have time.

Vermicomposting!!! That's what I do in our apartment!
My little guys eat a lot of food waste.

A blue one in the atrium.
I have also started doing spoon flowers and art they are beautiful and very easy to do. Google for that too.

Glenda_al we have classes like that at wineries her in So Cal 'Vino and Art' for your $ you get a glass of wine and all you need, plus instructions to make a painting. I am trying to find one to take a GF to for 50th b-day. Maybe I will turn into an artist ;)

Lindyluwho, I bought 2 Zentangle books from Amazon and art paper at Michaels and a pen to do it. I was not good at it, I may try it again since you mentioned it here~~it was fun, play soft music have some tea and become Zen with the pen ;)

I have done tons of different projects, my latest was learning to knit, I did love my teacher and my project was simple but I as usual got side tracked.

I am not sure why but once I start a project, get half way through I am done~~my hobby now is decluttering my house. We had it painted inside from top to bottom. Flooring starts the 30th of this month. Most of the knicky knacks are in the garage and not all will make it back in the house. This is my project/hobby for now~~I want a clean, fresh energy flow going on~~this is truely a project I can not flake off on or we will end up on an episode of Hoarders.

This post was edited by YogaLady1948 on Sat, Jun 21, 14 at 13:44

One more. I made this one for my sister in Louisiana, she has a beautiful courtyard garden and koi pond. This is a bird bath, the top dish is hand made murano glassmade

Raven, break it down for me please, how many pieces there are in that project? I love it so pretty~~and where did you get them~~

This post was edited by YogaLady1948 on Sat, Jun 21, 14 at 13:52

Beautiful Raven!

The blue one has 9 pieces the clear base is a microwave oven turntable plate that is very heavy, it has to have a good base. Then plate, bowl, plate, bowl, vase, bowl, plate. Topper is a crackle glass candle globe upside down.
You have to play around with various sizes and positions dry fitted first then glue either sections together at a time or each piece at a time. You learn quickly what works best for each piece. It only takes about 30 minutes to complete one once you have it outlined. I use exclusively GE ll clear silicone caulk for exterior use, you can get it at Wal-Mart or hardware stores.
I got all of that glass at goodwill.

The murano glass on my sisters was expensive I bought it at a glass store but it was a gift for her.

raven - like yoga, lady I would love more technical information or perhaps a web site. This looks like it would be a great companion hobby to my container gardening.

How tall are the two pieces that you have shown us?

This is a great tutorial on how to make spoon flowers, or one method. There's many some use welders.
This blog has several great project ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blog

This post was edited by ravencajun on Sat, Jun 21, 14 at 15:17

raven - I couldn't connect to the blog that you posted but I did find this site for glass garden totems and it gives instructions and hints. I am going to try this. Thanks so much for the suggestion

Here is a link that might be useful: glass garden totems

Reading, crossword puzzles, sudoku..
If you like animals a pet can be fun,
(our pekingese is for us....)
Not into doing arts and crafts but going
to garage sales I've found beautiful items
at low prices, and you can visit with the people
too...

Oh gosh I would guess that the Blue one is around 2- 3 ft, I have it sitting on a little table.
The other one is much taller, in the picture those are wicker swivel rockers beside the totem to give you some perspective. It is bird bath height. I guess 3-4ft range. If I was home I could measure the Blue one.

The assembly is pretty straight forward. Get in your mind the arrangement by dry fitting first, be careful not to drop pieces! It's best to keep all plates turned upside-down so they don't catch water. I didn't know that when I made the Blue one which was my first. I keep a little bowl of water and a roll of paper towels on my work table. I don't use a caulk gun because I don't have the strength in my hands for that, I buy the smaller tubes of the caulk that I can squeeze.
Run a good thick line of caulk on the edge of the piece you are attaching push it down and twist a little bit to get the best seal. Then wet your finger and run it around the edge of the seal smoothing out the caulk and removing the excess. This should create a water tight seal. Continue this method till done, let each piece set up and dry for a while before adding the next piece. The caulk sets up quickly, but don't move it at all for 24 hours. I use the decorative glass marble things that come in lots of colors and shapes as decorative elements. Use your imagination!

This post was edited by ravencajun on Sat, Jun 21, 14 at 15:24

Hi orchid afficionado,

How about coming here ...

... and telling us bedtime stories?

What are some of your interests, or aptitudes?

What have you thought that you'd like to do/get involved in some day?

Are you interested in public spirited activities or services? Maybe you'd like to get involved with volunteer activities ... there are lots of opportunities in most areas and often there's a clearing house or association which lists them, so that you could check to find one which paralleled your interests.

You'd meet some interesting people in most of them, and find some new friends, more than likely.

ole joyful

As Joyful said, you might like volunteering. I volunteer at our library's used bookstore and love it. Close to home, just a few hours at a time, and I like to look at the books and interact with the customers. I also like it because it keeps me moving, tidying up the books, etc.

If you try something and don't care for it, you can quit and try something else. Hospital is a good place too.

Blfenton this is a good site for a tutorial on how to make the totems.

By the way I do my plate flowers the same way as the totems, with the caulk, I don't drill the glass like some do, just the caulk and it holds great. I use a small glad sided bottle glued to the back of the outer plate with the opening down and slide it onto a metal rod or pipe that I have hammered into the ground. The flower can easily be taken off the rod if needed. Some people flatten out a spoon and glue the flat part to the back of the flower and stick the handle of the spoon into the open end of the pipe. There's all sorts of methods you can find with a Google search.

Here is a link that might be useful: Totems

This post was edited by ravencajun on Sat, Jun 21, 14 at 16:00

There's a couple of hobbies on this list that I wouldn't mind trying out, but ......ahem....just have so many on the go right now that I don't have time.

I do no-sew braided rag rugs which are very cheap!!!! Many examples on the net, here's one ~ (http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/11/make-your-own-braided-no-sew-rag-rug.html), crocheting, stained glass, refinishing smaller pieces of furniture, mosaicing with favourite pieces of tesserae, and the list goes on.

Here is a link that might be useful: List & Videos of Different Hobbies

OH WOW!!! I never realized what a talented, and giving group I am a part of!!!!!! I think I may try to do all of your suggestions Try one a week until I find something I like.I really like the little theatre group, I did that when I was younger and I can learn lines. And I want to learn how to take care of orchids.

So look out Hobbytown here comes Laura!!!!

If you are looking for books, go to garage sales and used book stores. Many stores have free pamphlets and brochures on items they sell. Look at the end of the shelves and most feature single ideas and/ will tell you what items to do the project. Also many magazines have free things to send for and will offer excellent articles. Better Homes and Garden, craft magazines, hobby magazines, look in the magazine section also.
You can take used greeting cards, and make more cards. There is a ton of information free even on the internet. You can use colored pencils, crayons, felt tip pens, etc. It is amazing what is available free if you just look for it.
I would start with one project and expand from there instead of many. That is where the money comes in. Like card making, Even photos can turn into to greeting cards.
Good luck
Marie

Have you tried looking at Pinterest? Lots of stuff there, just looking can be a hobby! Type in hobby or Hobbies, you will find a ton of stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hobby ideas

Raven I troll anitque and thrift stores all the time and see nice odd pieces of glass~~~I am going to make one of those totems;) Thank You

A gazillion good ideas on this board, and no need to join another forum, it's right here on the Garden Web!

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Web - Junk Forum

Hobbies " I" would like to learn are:

* Yoga.
*Weaving little pine needle baskets.
*Learning to speak Spanish fluently...not just a get along on the street vocabulary.
*Developing 6-pack abs :0)
*I would like to learn options trading.
*Learning to play the piano.

I have too many hobbies! I enjoy making wreaths and also decorative accents for my house. One hobby that I've always wanted to try and recently did is making jewelry. You can get some starter supplies inexpensively, especially if you shop the sales at the craft stores and get basics from Walmart. I would also suggest Pinterest; there are a ton of ideas there.

I'm very involved in a local animal rescue group and I also volunteer at the local animal shelter. This has been the most rewarding "job" I have every had. Both are volunteer positions and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

I love to play with making gourd birdhouses. There is a gourd farm not far from me that sells all shapes and sizes.
I either paint them or carve with my dremel.
It is a very low cost start up to just play around and you never ever have the same one twice.

Volunteer! At a school, a hospital, nursing home, deliver meals.

One new hobby comin' up! Jeeze, like I needed another one! Zentangle.com

Those spoon flowers are really cute, Raven.

I have several hobbies, but I am not good at making anything. I like to cook....but don't know that would be considered a hobby.

I raise waterlilies. At one time I had one of the largest private collections of waterlilies in the USA. I had 200 varieties. I have a paltry 40 or so now.

I like all kinds of plants, but especially unusual tropicals or shrubs.

I like horses, but I hadn't ridden in years, so last December I bought myself a new horse (Mariah) and plan to take her to a big ranch and spend three days riding with my best friend from high school over the 4th of July weekend. Even though this isn't a hobby that most people would be interested in, I think she is beautiful....so I want to share her picture.

Picture didn't post. Here she is...

Third! I agree jewelry making is fun and inexpensive. It's become my son's way to fund raise to be in marching band. I joined in and dabbled. I am more hooked than he. We both macrame, but I wanted to learn wire and he's combining them. Wire is fun. I learned how to make a bead with a decorative wire and then the part that makes it hang on a pendant. I need to get better, but I have at least learned. Didn't cost much either!

I bought a stamped cross stitch kit from a clearance rack years ago. Had the fabric, need, thread, everything needed to make it. It was the word N O E L. I absolutely loved making that thing.

It was silky fabric, not the hard plastic grid with yarn. It was very thin, silky thread and ribbon. It had probably 10-15 different stitches and knots and many different colors.

I would like to find another one like it, but most of the ones I see are kind of juvenile or very country-ish.

Love Raven's glass totems, I think I'll start looking for glass pieces to try making one. I would love to learn how to play the piano and guitar also.

If you are really feeling purposeless, and you don't want to spend much money, what about volunteering?

What sort of stuff do you care about? And who is doing work with that in your community?

It doesn't even have to be "charitable"--it can be totally selfish, like joining a club that does stuff to entertain itself.

Katlan, if you enjoyed cross stitch you ought to check out charts and leaflets. I prefer to choose my own pattern, fabric and thread. Some of the hand dyed fabric that is available is unbelievable. And buying your own thread means you won't run out.

Do a search on Ebay for cross stitch charts. So much more variety, from easy to difficult!