The start of a new year always brings an excitement to refresh and enhance your daily life. We’ve put together a list of new hobbies and interests – and how to get started – for you to consider in 2017.
The start of a new year always brings an excitement to refresh and enhance your daily life. We’ve put together a list of new hobbies and interests – and how to get started – for you to consider in 2017.
1. Ethnic Cuisine
Consider starting a “Food Passport” for when your partner asks “What do you want to eat?” Refer to this guide and use it as a way to try out different restaurants in your area. And if you’re on a shoestring budget, consider taking low-cost cooking classes or attend the library’s free Cuisine Corner demonstrations. Plus, don’t forget about all the delicious recipes you can find on our Pinterest page.
2. 3D Printing
3D Printing can be an expensive hobby to take up, but luckily many makerspaces, such as the Melrose Center, make it possible for you to have access to this high-tech equipment for free or at a low-cost. If you’re unsure of how to get started, you can watch online tutorials for free online through Lynda.com or on YouTube.
3. Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to spend your time when driving to work, waiting around a crowded coffee shop or cooking dinner. You can find podcasts on a variety of topics (both niche and broad) including politics, fantasy football, musical theater and true crime.
4. Board Games/Trivia
As our busy lives get busier, many are returning to childhood classics for their relaxation time. Classic board games such as LIFE, Clue and Monopoly are fun ways to spend time with your friends and family. Many local organizations offer board game nights. In fact, our partners at the Orange County Regional History Center offer a free Retro Game Night for locals.
5. Gardening
Gardening is a routine suggestion on hobby lists but caring for air plants is a newer trend. Ideal for those with a fear of houseplants, you’ll find caring for and growing air plants to be much easier, especially since our climate means some air plants are native to Florida. Pinterest offers many attractive ideas for how to care for and display your beautiful, low-maintenance air plants.
6. Cosplaying
The nerd culture has joyfully returned to fashion as new releases of superhero films dominate the summer box office. Think about meeting up with other fans and take it a step further with cosplay. You can search Pinterest and reddit for ideas on how to get started and putting a great costume together doesn’t have to require a lot of money. Many cosplayers create their costumes with items found around the house, or you can take free sewing classes at the library.
7. DIY Crafts
DIY crafting has always been a popular hobby but as trends and moods shifts some of the more dominant types of crafts have changed. Current trends include the environmentally friendly upcycling and paper activities such as bullet journaling. These crafts allow you to express your creative side while removing clutter from your busy life. Attend crafting events at your local library, check out Instagram for how-to videos and browse Pinterest for tutorials.
8. YouTube Channel
YouTube can be a fun way to spend your free time or learn new skills but you don’t have a passive spectator. Grab your smartphone and explore vlogging (video blogging). Many YouTube Vloggers do monthly challenges, which allows you to get your toes wet in the YouTube community. If you want to take it a step further and really establish a professional channel, explore the resources in the Melrose Center to learn video production best practices.
9. Adult Coloring
Many of the best hobbies are ones that can help relieve stress. The library offers regular adult coloring sessions where you can bring in your own projects or use supplies provided by library staff. Learn techniques such as stippling, hatching and cross-hatching. In addition to these free, in-person coloring sessions you can download free coloring books from Zinio. Cast your worries away and express your creativity!
So tell us below in the comment section what hobbies you'll be exploring this year. And if you want to revisit this post at a later time, pin the image below to your Pinterest profile.
