11 new Cozy Hobbies to Try this Year
If youāve been around for awhile then you probably know that a couple of years ago I really started trying to fill my time with things I actually enjoyed instead of just finding a new show to binge watch at night. I wanted to find hobbies that I could do while I was listening to an audiobook or relaxing on the couch! Pretty much just something that didnāt involve doom scrolling on TikTok for hours without even realizing that it had happened. I was starting to feel overwhelmed by the constant pressure to always be doing something productive. Honestly, that feeling hasnāt completely gone away but now when I pick something to do even if itās technically productive, itās one of the many hobbies Iāve added to my little arsenal of things that make me happy! I also opened a whole can of worms that I didnāt even realize was going to happen haha once I started looking into cozy, creative hobbies I realized there were SO many fun options! I might have gone a little overboard trying new things, but Iām honestly grateful to have found so many options that piqued my interest. For me, just like with being a mood reader with multiple books going at once, Iāve become a mood hobby person too! Some days I want to play my Nintendo Switch, other days I want to try working on an embroidery kit, spend some time working on a junk journal page, get out paint and paint new rocks, or try something totally new. Below youāll find 11 hobby ideas you can add to your life this year! There pretty much something for everyone, whether youāre looking to relax, get creative, or just find something fun to do with your hands! I think that having hobbies that slow me down has become such an important form of self care for myself, and I love having options that make relaxation feel intentional rather than something I squeeze in!
Diamond Painting
This is a hobby that I started doing before I REALLY got into cozy hobbies, but I still love doing it! Diamond gem craft kits were one of my first creative outlets, and they still hold a place in my never ending hobby rotation. Thereās something just reallllly satisfying about putting each tiny gem on the canvas and then slowly watching it turn into an actual picture. Itās repetitive but in the best way! I really think itās relaxing, calming, and surprisingly addictive once you get started with the page! The big sheets of diamond painting projects can feel a little intimidating at first, but there are plenty of smaller kits out there that you can start with if youāre just trying to see whether this is a hobby youād enjoy! One thing to keep in mind is that diamond gem crafting isnāt the easiest hobby to take out and put away quickly, so having a more designated spot on like a table or desk will make more enjoyable in my opinion. This way you can leave your project out and set up and then come back to it whenever you have a little free time. Itās another one of those cozy, hands on hobbies where you can turn on a show, listen to an audiobook, and just let yourself unwind while creating something fun!
ROck painting
This is a hobby that started going when we went home to Iowa about a year ago! My mother in law started painting rocks when they would go camping, and then when we camped with them, we ended up spending a lot of time painting rocks together. It was actually really relaxing and SO much fun! I didnāt expect to love it as much as I did, but once I started, I was hooked! If I felt stuck I would just look at Pinterest and find something that stuck out to me! I will link my Pinterest board here for rock painting inspiration! As soon as we got home from that trip I immediately ordered my own paints and supplies so I could keep doing it! Iāve painted quite a few rocks since then, and I love getting creative with different designs, colors, and themes! I think my favorite part is hiding them in public places for people to find. Itās such a simple hobby, but it brings me a lot of joy and there is no wrong way to do it which just takes the pressure off of the hobby! Plus itās fun for the people who might find them next!
Embroidery Kits
This is one hobby that I definitely need to keep practicing in order to feel more confident in what Iām doing but I think I could really enjoy it! From what I understand, embroidery kits (once you start to get the hang of them) are a good way to unwind and do something a little more creative. This is also something that I think I could do while listening to a book and just zone out!. I think in the future I could do this while watching TV too, but right now Iām still relying on a few YouTube videos to help me figure out the best process and techniques so I donāt mess it up haha. I really like these embroidery kits from Amazon because they come with all the materials and instructions you need to create really cool embroidered designs! It takes away the stress of figuring out what supplies to buy, and I like that they have different levels of difficulty, especially just starting out! makes it super beginner-friendly. Youtube is also VERY helpful! Here are two videos that have helped me with the learning process, I will link those below!
Reading
I think this can be a hobby in any format, audiobook, physical books, reading on a kindle! Iām pretty sure that itās no secret I have become obsessed with reading lately. I like both reading a physical book and listening to books on Audible! When I am reading a physical book I am usually in the ZONE. Then when I am listening to a book I am probably multitasking with one of the other cozy hobbies that you have read about in this blog post! I made a huge roundup of all of the books that I have read this year over on Amazon! There are so many good books and so many good authors plus I really think that there is a genre for everyone to find something that they like! If you have read something and didnāt love the book, try a different genre!
Junk Journaling
I have mentioned this hobby before in an email that I sent out, and I still LOVE it! Iāve been doing junk journaling for about 2 years at this point! The best way to describe it is messy scrapbooking with things you pick up throughout your day. It can be anythingā¦ recipes, part of a shopping bag, a fun print on a piece of mail, paper scraps, invitations, a straw wrapper, magazine clippings, literally whatever catches your eye. I love the idea that everyday junk can turn into something creative and meaningful instead of just getting thrown away. Iāve also grabbed a few things from Amazon to use on my pages, like special paper, stickers, and letter sets, just to add a little extra something when I want it. But honestly, you donāt need much to get started, which is part of what makes it so fun and low pressure. I love that itās a hands on activity that lets me relax and be creative without feeling like everything needs to be perfect. I mean the word JUNK literally in the name and somehow that takes all the pressure off what itās supposed to look like. Another thing that I like about it is that it also gives me a way to document my thoughts, memories, and experiences, but in a more artsy and personal way. Every page feels like a tiny time capsule for a special day or a trip. This is definitely one of those cozy hobbies where you can do as much or as little as you want. You can use only what you already have on hand, or you can slowly build your supply collection with new stickers, papers, and fun extras. However you decide to go about doing it, itās a relaxing and creative way to sit down and make something with your hands!
Cozy Nintendo Switch Games
I love playing on my switch and will get into bits of time where I really really like a game and will play it for a long time and then honestly will forget that I even have a switch for about a month and then so on and so forth but I do love cozy switch games! I think my favorite is FaeFarm but I also enjoy Tales of the Shire and Dreamlight Valley Cozy Edition! In these games there are objectives but you can also just spend the day doing whatever you want in the game as well. These games are very much go at your own pace and I like that a lot. There are so many cute and fun games to choose from out there so I wanted to share some of the good ones with you guys!
puzzles for everyone
I think that my puzzle addiction actually started back during Covid, I swear I was doing four or five puzzles a week at one point when we were all stuck in the house! Back then I usually stuck to smaller puzzles, around 250ā500 pieces, so I could finish them quickly and then move right on to the next one. Now when I do puzzles, theyāre usually much bigger and definitely take me a lot longer to complete, but I still love them just as much! Thereās something so satisfying about slowly watching the picture come together piece by piece and I love that puzzles are a hobby that can be both relaxing and mentally stimulating at the same time. They keep my hands busy and my brain engaged without feeling stressful. Usually Dustin will help me so them too which makes it a fun little activity we can do together, but I also enjoy working on them solo. Itās nice to have a puzzle laid out on the table where I can either sit down for a couple of hours and really focus, or just pop over and place a few pieces here and there when I have a few minutes to kill. Another thing I love is that puzzles can be done more than once, so buying one really is the gift that keeps on giving. I will link a few of my favorites that we have below!
Coloring on the ipad
I have actually been doing this one possibly the longest. I started doing this when I got my iPad, I had the pencil as well and found a free app called Adult Coloring Book - Pigment. There is a version for this that you can pay for but I just color the free coloring sheets with the colors that are free. This is another thing I like to do when I am listening to a book! Nothing revolutionary but I do like to count it as one of my cozy hobbies. It is a simple and creative way to relax, without the need for coloring books, markers, colored pencils and all of the things that come with that. Iām sure there are other apps as well that you can use on the iPad!
Crochet kits for beginners
I added this one to the list but for me this is still COMPLETELY a work in progress type of hobby. I have a crochet kit that I got as a gift and I want to complete it but I have yet to sit down and try to make it happen. If you have any tips on crocheting PLEASEEE drop them below! I can take all of the help I can get. I also donāt know why it is so intimidating?! I did link some of the cute kits that I found though. Much like the embroidery kits, there are YouTube videos and the kits come with everything you need. Now I just need to commit to starting mine!
Candle painting
Another way to unwind and tap into your cozy creative side is through candle painting. This is another one of those hobbies that feels both relaxing and fun, and there are always new designs to try throughout the year. You can paint a simple style for everyday decor or a seasonal pattern or festive designs like little ghosts for Halloween or candy canes for the holidays! Just like rock painting, the options feel endless between switching things up and using like different candle sizes, colors, and design ideas you can make so many fun ones! I love that candle painting is one of those activities where you can sit down, put on a show or some music, and just create without overthinking it!
Beading with seed beads
I think this might have actually started my love for having crafty hobbies! I love having seed beads on hand and it all started with making friendship bracelets to take to the Taylor Swift Eraās Tour back in March of 2023. Even though it started as a one time craft it has turned into more than that and itās a hobby that I will usually come back to when I want to be creative. I love making bracelets for myself for different occasions, like the Fourth of July or a day at one of the Disney Parks if I want a bracelet to match the vibe of the outfit I am wearing. I really think itās fun to match colors to themes or outfits, and it makes even simple days feel a little more special. I have about three or four that are in rotation that I wear every day, and I love that I can wear them in the shower without any problems! I still mostly stick to basic bracelet designs, but there are so many patterns and styles you can make with seed beads. Itās one of those hobbies where you can keep it super simple or get really intricate if you want to. At the beginning, I pretty much just needed beads and string and I was set. Since starting, Iāve added things like charms, letters, and other fun little additions to the bracelets. They arenāt necessary, but theyāre a fun way to personalize each bracelet! I really like making these while watching TV because it gives my hands something to do that isnāt scrolling on my phone. Itās relaxing, creative, and feels productive at the same time which is honestly my favorite kind of hobby and the point!
ANYWAYS, as you can tell, there are so many hobbies that you can add to your list that you might want to try! Iām sure that I missed some but these are coming from someone who up until about a year and a half ago had never tried many of these! You could literally do all or just one of these hobbies! Since I have started adding these into my nightly routines I have just felt so much better overall. I like doing things for myself and making sure that I am spending my time doing things that allow me to relax and shut my mind off. I have loved exploring all of the different cozy hobbies that there are like reading, candle making/painting, embroidery kits and coloring. It has really let me enjoy slowing down a lot more. If you have tried any of these hobbies let me know and if you have more that you think should be on this list I will definitely add them! If you have any other questions you can drop a comment below or send me an email at hello@emmatarynjones.com and I will get back to you ASAP!
XX
Emma