Alternative hobbies to try out this lockdown

When banana bread, jogging and Netflix grow old, what else is there possibly to do with so much time at home?

Enjoy this little list of alternative time-fillers you might not have thought of!

TURN YOUR HOUSE INTO A CLUB

Bear with me here. This is a tried and tested ‘hobby’ but if everyone is on board, it’s a great time.

Here is what you should do:

Pick one bedroom as ‘home’. This is where you will have pre-drinks. Get it all set up with any chairs/tables/lights/speakers that you have. Me and my house used a spare bedroom, but your kitchen also works perfectly.

Then, pick one room as the ‘club’. The living room is the best for this. Push everything to the perimeter and get the dance space ready.

And that’s it! Get your tunes on, get ready as usual and treat it like you would any night out – don’t forget to book the taxi and bring your ID.

DIY REED SCENT DIFFUSERS

A bit of a change of pace but when you are at home so much, it is nice to keep the place smelling fresh.

Reed diffusers that are ready made have their limitations – the smells are pre-made, and the better ones can be super expensive. If you want to get creative, try making your own.

You will need:

-Some kind of narrow-necked bottle (alternatively you can buy a cheap reed diffuser (£2-5) and empty its contents)

- Reeds (usually £1 per single pack)

-Essential oils (the most expensive element of this hobby, but trust me, they last for SO long)

Then either:

- A carrier oil (fractioned coconut oil)

- Or alcohol (Denatured Ethyl Alcohol I can recommend, high percentage) mixed with water and the essential oils of your desire.

What now?

Combine your carrier oil/alcohol + water (roughly 2/3 of the container) with 15-30 drops of your essential oil(s). Finding the perfect scent can take a few tries, but it’s so satisfying when you finally do!

CLEAN OUT YOUR LAPTOP FILES

You’ll hate the process but love the final product. We’ve all got plenty of cubby holes where we store our photos and files. Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, Google Docs, laptop folders within folders within folders. Clear em’ aaat! Your laptop will run quicker, and your mind will be clearer. I would never condone this but it’s also an excellent procrastination tactic when you just can’t hack writing that essay yet.

Hopefully you’ll enjoy trying out some of these creative ideas while we are stuck inside!

Edited by Victoria Sales