What Are Some Practical Indoor Hobbies to Keep You Busy?

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SUMMARY

This discussion explores various practical indoor hobbies that can keep individuals engaged and productive. Participants suggest activities such as woodworking (specifically carving wooden bowls), quilting, making Christmas ornaments, paper modeling, and even building a reef tank. Other creative pursuits include writing fiction, puppetry, and constructing musical instruments like guitars. The conversation emphasizes hobbies that are both entertaining and useful, with considerations for cost and time investment.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic woodworking skills for projects like carving wooden bowls.
  • Knowledge of sewing techniques for quilting.
  • Understanding of electronics for building musical instruments.
  • Familiarity with aquarium maintenance for setting up a reef tank.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research woodworking tools and techniques for bowl carving.
  • Learn quilting patterns and sewing methods.
  • Explore DIY electronics projects, particularly in building musical instruments.
  • Investigate reef tank setup and maintenance, including saltwater aquarium care.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for hobbyists, DIY enthusiasts, and anyone looking to explore creative indoor activities that yield practical results. It is particularly relevant for individuals interested in woodworking, crafting, writing, and aquarium maintenance.

wolram
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I need an in door hobby to keep me busy, like making some thing, but i can not think of any thing worth making, it matters not what it is as long as it has a use or is entertaining, and the cost can be spread over several weeks/months.
Any one have sensible/realistic ideas?
 
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Carving wooden bowls? (That's what one of our recently retired faculty has been keeping himself busy doing...I don't know how much it costs to get all the tools for it though. They are pretty bowls.)

You could always learn to make quilts.

I dunno...I have trouble finding hobbies that make useful things too...usually you wind up with a ton of little something or anothers that just collect dust until you're sick of them and throw them out. Sometimes I make Christmas ornaments, either little wooden ones that you then paint, or beaded things or some such. At least then they're useful once a year (or you can give a lot of them away as gifts once a year anyway).
 
Paper models. All you need is a printer, paper, and glue.
 
Fiction writing. Or just writing in general.
 
Chain Maile armour!
 
a reef tank!

it's expensive, time consuming, and difficult! You'll love it, I know I do!
 
I was thinking more on the lines of making one thing, may be mechanical/electronic, but a thing that is usefull or entertaining, building time can be months, the only other thing is it must not include expensive components, or the cost can be spread out.
 
Wesleytf said:
a reef tank!

it's expensive, time consuming, and difficult! You'll love it, I know I do!

What is a reef tank Wesley?
 
basically a saltwater aquarium. You've got a lot to maintain/monitor, and the build is extensive, too. If you're into DIY, it can be a TON of fun.
 
  • #10
Do you have kids Wolram?

Try puppetry (a marionette can become quite complicated) not to mention the home made puppet theater.
 
  • #11
Make me a guitar.
 
  • #12
Jase said:
Do you have kids Wolram?

Try puppetry (a marionette can become quite complicated) not to mention the home made puppet theater.

No kids, i live all on my Sweeny, and i am no good at arty stuff, good idea though.
 
  • #13
You need some imagination to choose YOUR hobby. Consider computer programming, or origami. Other paper constructions, like making wallets(need to use tough paper like market bags of paper).
 
  • #14
Figure out something to make and start selling it on the internet. I don't know much about internet sales, but if you can come up with some quirky thing, you might make some money.
 
  • #15
Maybe you should make music? Do everything through your computer.
 
  • #16
You could try making an instriment, like a guitar, like poops said :biggrin: I hear they aren't too hard to make, lol.
 
  • #17
get hardcore in chess
 
  • #18
Ivan Seeking said:
Figure out something to make and start selling it on the internet. I don't know much about internet sales, but if you can come up with some quirky thing, you might make some money.

I wish the internet was around when my grandmother and I went nuts one summer making little poodles out of yarn pom-poms. Her house looked like a puppy mill for pom pom dogs. :rolleyes:
 
  • #19
Barfolumu said:
Fiction writing. Or just writing in general.


I have a great idea for a horror film, but i bet MoonB and Evo are to busy.
 
  • #20
wolram said:
I have a great idea for a horror film, but i bet MoonB and Evo are to busy.

Ooh, it sounds like a good one...I'm already afraid to ask. :biggrin:
 
  • #21
Learning to make an instrument like a guitar would be cool, lots of room for creativity in it to, plus if you are good at it you can sell them and turn a profit.
 
  • #22
Moonbear said:
I wish the internet was around when my grandmother and I went nuts one summer making little poodles out of yarn pom-poms. Her house looked like a puppy mill for pom pom dogs. :rolleyes:

How many pom-pom doggies did you end up with for birthday and Christmas gifts?
 
  • #23
scorpa said:
Learning to make an instrument like a guitar would be cool, lots of room for creativity in it to, plus if you are good at it you can sell them and turn a profit.

Countless ages ago i thought of using a beam of light instead of strings for a guitar, but i think some one all ready did that.
 
  • #24
Math Is Hard said:
How many pom-pom doggies did you end up with for birthday and Christmas gifts?

I didn't get any, because I was helping make them...my bedroom was rather full of them too, but when my mom told me I wasn't allowed to bring home any more pom pom doggies, my grandmother continued to indulge me (since she taught me to make them...after my aunt taught her...my aunt is one who has a house filled with the results of craft projects gone crazy). :biggrin: My friends all got at least one, I had shelves, dressers and beds lined with them, my grandmother's house had them all over the backs of sofas, sitting in chairs, covering the guest bed. I don't know how much yarn we went through. The original pattern we had was for bigger dogs, about 10 inches or a foot long, but that wasn't good enough for us, we had to make puppies, we made a bunch about 6 inches long, then wound up in a competition for who could make the tiniest ones. :smile:

The hobby after that was using shells to make frogs. My grandmother collected shells for decades and had shelves in the garage FILLED with jars that were all filled with shells sorted out by shape and size. So, when she found projects for using shells, she had plenty of supplies to make a LOT of them. I only made a few of those. My grandmother filled an entire curio cabinet. She had a whole bar scene of frogs made of shells (plus the bar, the drinks, the tables and chairs, the band with instruments, waitresses carrying trays, etc), brides and grooms, and random other characters. It was one of the few things she actually spelled out in her will that my aunt got the frogs. :rolleyes: All I can say is my grandfather was a VERY, VERY patient man to put up with my grandmother's quirks. :biggrin:
 
  • #25
Maybe construct a small engine dynamometer?
 
  • #26
wolram said:
No kids

Now I'm confused; isn't Kia your daughter?

Anyhow, as far as hobby/construction projects go, I'd recommend creating a new child. You did mention that a hot young honey was stalking you...
 
  • #27
Just thought of this while eating breakfast. Build a larger Dobsonian telescope!
 
  • #28
Go learn a programming language and work on some project.
 
  • #29
Why not build something like this.
 
  • #30
think about some hobby you had as a kid --- and update it (make it adult , ..er, sized)


--or combine it with something you do now or have an interest in----
 

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