Books are my life. I read and write my own so often and I love it so much, but I love a lot of other hobbies I love doing in my 5 – 9. In this blog post, I want to yap about my other hobbies that aren’t book related.
I am a hobby girl through and through. Between work, uni and running all my accounts the stress does add up. It’s really important to me to take time in the evening to do something that’s not scrolling, so I spend my evenings doing something creative.
Of course evenings are perfect for reading and writing, but doing a Masters in Creative Writing does mean sometimes I need to do other things to break it up. I’ve been trying out different crafts, and even though I’m not the best at some of them I do them for fun. It’s very hard to go online and not be good at something, but that’s not what hobbies are about.
So today I’m going to yap to you about my favourite hobbies outside of reading or writing. Lots of these are very crafty, and if they sound good to you I highly recommend you give them a go!
Bracelet Making & Beadwork
This is my main one right now! I started making bracelets in 2023 leading up to going to The Eras Tour, and even after the show I had so many beads left! The last thing I wanted to do was throw it all away, and I had way too much fun making bracelets to donate them. These days I’m trying different designs. My favourites are my cherry bracelet (I wear it every day) and the wave bracelet I made for my bestie. If you know me and you want a bracelet, hit me up!
Cosy Gaming
Stardew Valley. My one true love. If it’s a game where you can build a house, farm and or romance the villagers, I am playing it. My favourites recently have been Tiny Book Shop, Paralives and Tidy Up The Arcane Library.
Sewing
I never liked sewing growing up. I was scared of the sewing machine and still low-key am. The thing that got me sewing were the words “Halloween Costume Contest” and “£100 Bar Tab Prize”. I made myself a Black Swan costume from items found in a charity shop, and I loved it so much! I got so many compliments, and although I didn’t win (FIX), I had so much fun making it. Since then I’ve made my own K-Pop Demon Hunters Rumi cosplay and several friends and family members of mine received hand-made Christmas decorations last year. I’m just starting to get into cross stitch.
Baton Twirling
I’ve been twirling since I was about six. I did lots of performances growing up and won a few trophies at competitions. I still do it today as a fun way to keep fit and I love experimenting with new moves and styles.
LEGO
This I don’t do often (LEGO is bloody expensive!) but I really love building LEGO. It’s addictive. I have a long LEGO wish list (which I might share here one day) so I hope you know if you buy one of my books one day, I’ll probably spend the money on LEGO. My favourite set I’ve built is the Wednesday Black Dahlia.
A Note on Over-consumption
I love all my hobbies, but all of these come with the looming sense of over-consumption. This word is thrown around a lot online, and I have been guilty in the past of overbuying craft supplies and adding things I don’t need to my collections. It’s all too normal online to see overflowing cupboards and multiple drawers packed with stuff, but all of this reflects back into the environment, and so much stuff no matter how much we think we need it ends up in landfill.
Sewing can create a lot of waste, so I do what I can to limit my impact on the environment. All of my craft supplies – beads, fabric, thread, patterns – are bought second hand from my local charity shops. If I need something more specific, I’ll find a local craft shop. I use my thread scraps and even the ends of my bracelet strings as stuffing when I make plushies and Christmas decorations.
This post is all about doing what you love and being excited for it, and you can do that while not being wasteful.
Thank you for reading! You can follow me on socials here!
Francesca Dowdeswell 
Leave a comment