I think it’s pretty ‘lame’ to not be self-sufficient, and I notice that many people without hobbies aren’t.
I have some friends who, as soon as we get a break from school, they’re complaining that they’re bored. To me it’s kind of pathetic that some people would not be able to entertain themselves for a few days. It seems like they rely on the company of others for their happiness, and I think that’s a kind of crummy way to live because other people aren’t always reliable.
Maybe a little bit of an overdramatic conclusion since we’re just talking about hobbies, but it’s how I feel.
Personally I have a shit ton of hobbies and it’s awesome. I’ve been home for a month and enjoyed every minute of it because I’ve been creating.
I also make jewelry! If you like that, maybe you could get into fusing glass. You can buy a small kiln that goes in your microwave for about $100. The company is Fuseworks. It comes with everything you’ll need, including a bit of starter glass. You design a piece by combining different bits of glass, then stick it in the kiln, stick the kiln in your microwave, and melt it all together. Takes some practice to learn how to finesse it, they can break during heating if you do it wrong.
Or, try necklaces instead of earrings! I feel like they are more versatile, there are so many things you can make that can be worn around a neck.
“Different” hobbies is my middle name. I also do this thing called needlefelting. You buy wool in different colors (it’s cheap for me because my mom is a seller of such wool and she lets me raid her stash), you get these special needles that have barbs on them, and basically you stab the wool repeatedly until it starts to get felted (hard). You can create literally anything. I have wrist warmers that I made for myself, you can make cell phone cases, socks, gloves, or things just for decoration, like I felted a little bird figurine yesterday.
Wood carving is another one. Relatively cheap, just get yourself a knife or two and some wood, I’d recommend bass wood for starters, and start hacking away. I’m not sure I have the muscle for it, honestly. I’ve started using a dremel tool instead of a hand-held knife.
You like to draw? Ever thought about digital art? Get yourself a tablet, definitely a Wacom brand, I think their cheapest/most beginner friendly one is about $100. It allows you to control your mouse cursor using a pen so that you can draw naturally on your computer. If you have a program like Photoshop, get to it. If not, you can download GIMP or Pixlr for free.
How about bird watching! Birds are everywhere! Put out some bird seed, sit in front of your window with a bird book, and have fun trying to identify everyone who comes to visit you.
There’s more where that came from, haha. I frickin love hobbies.