20 unusual hobbies to start in the New Year
Ideas to enrich your life in 2025
The New Year is often seen as a time of ‘giving up’: giving up smoking, giving up junk food, giving up needless spending, etc. But by placing that negative prefix on a goal or achievement, your New Year’s resolutions become focused on loss instead of gain. Could this be the reason why 80% of resolutions fail?
Instead of giving something up this year, why not aim for gaining something new? By adding something to your life, instead of taking away, you’re already benefiting from a positive experience!
Start 2025 mindfully by reframing your perceptions of the ‘New Year’s resolution’ – you could learn a skill or find something new to be passionate about! To help you have the best start to the New Year, I’ve put together a list of 20 ideas for unusual hobbies that you could try. These are activities that you might not have thought of before, and that don’t tend to appear on the typical resolutions list! Browse the list below, and tell me if you’re planning to try any of these by commenting at the bottom of the Substack.
1. Decoupage
Decoupage involves covering an item with pretty paper or cutout pictures using glue (usually PVA glue, but you can sometimes find special decoupage glue at the craft store, if you so desire). Objects that you can decoupage include trinket boxes, vases, scrapbook covers, and more! It’s a great way to personalise gifts or use up old magazines.
2. Pottery
You might think that this hobby requires a lot of equipment and materials – but in fact, there’s no potter’s wheel needed, nor a kiln! You can easily find air drying pottery clay online, and use old cutlery to shape and model it into trays, bowls, plant pots and other interesting and unique creations.
3. Aquascaping
This is an activity that allows you to create a submerged or semi-submerged garden! Gather some water-loving plants, a leak-proof container, filtered or distilled water, clean gravel and substrate, and whatever other items you desire. How about creating a shipwreck scene with a model ship?
4. Calligraphy
Calligraphy can take some practice, and requires a steady hand and patience – but once you get the hang of it, you can use it to decorate cards, gift tags, wall art and more! You’ll need a calligraphy pen, good ink and high quality paper, all of which are available online or at a craft store.
5. Build an incense house
If you love using incense to create an aroma or energy inside your home, you’ll need something to hold your incense sticks! You can buy holders, or you can create your own using air drying clay, stone or other materials.
6. Collecting snowdrops
Snowdrops really are a beloved flower across the world – there are even exclusive snowdrop societies online! A lover of snowdrops is called a galanthophile, and it’s very easy to fall in love with this flower. Not just a hobby, some people make a good living from growing and selling snowdrops, some of which can go for over £600!
7. Making candles
You know when you burn a candle, and it leaves a thick layer of wax at the bottom where the wick has burnt out? You can remove this by gently heating the candle from the outside (if it’s safe to), or by placing the candle in the freezer for a few hours. If you collect up the wax from enough used candles, you can purchase a new wick and a fireproof container, melt the wax and pour it into the container to create a brand new candle!
8. Weaving
Weaving has been around for centuries, and is a valued skill in the craft industry. You can begin weaving with paper, then move to palm leaves, rope and other weaving materials. Basket weaving is a very popular craft – why not weave some baskets for your houseplants?
9. Macrame
A specific style of weaving, macrame was extremely popular in the 1970s, when eager crafters made rugs, wall hangings, table runners and more using cords made with various materials. Today, the art has made a comeback, with more contemporary designs for a range of purposes – including plant hangers!
10. Flower pressing
Flower pressing is one of the easiest hobbies on this list, and is a great way to preserve beautiful flowers. Take your favourite flowers, then arrange them between two pieces of dry kitchen roll, and place several heavy books on top. Wait between 1-2 weeks, then lift the books – your flowers should feel dry and papery. Carefully arrange them into an artwork, place them in a scrapbook, or whatever you want to do with them!