Taking up a new hobby allows you to carve out some time for yourself while unplugging from things like work, family stress, and errands. As well as helping to relax your mind, hobbies can reconnect us to things we truly enjoy doing - they don't need to be productive or earn us money.
Many of these hobbies for women are inexpensive, too, with fun activities.
Practice yoga
Yoga is about so much more than simply rolling out your best yoga mat and honing your technique - it’s a whole lifestyle and the more you learn about yoga and its ancient principles, the more it will benefit you off the mat.
Yoga is one of the most popular exercise forms in the world, as well as being one of the most popular hobbies for women. Last year the Yoga Alliance reported that around 36 million people were regularly practicing yoga in America alone and 56% of those were classed as beginners. With so many tutorials online, yoga is a hobby that you can get started with very easily. The benefits of yoga are clear; not only will you feel stronger and fitter, but yoga can also help reduce stress, increase happiness and improve memory function.
Learn the art of ceramics
Ceramic making can be a hobby for the masses, with classes to suit all abilities on offer. This is one you generally can't do at home, as you'll need to use a kiln to transform your pieces from clay to ceramics, but creating beautiful pieces of crockery, vases and ornaments isn't as intimidating as it may sound under the guidance of a professional.
Embroidery, tapestry or knitting
Taking up embroidery, knitting or tapestry can be as simple or complicated as you like. If you want to try basic embroidery, all you need is some fabric (like cotton or calico), an embroidery hoop, embroidery needles, and thread. You can order all you need online from a craft store - just look for the section on basic stitches.
If you want to hone your craft further, you could teach yourself how to stitch with one of the best sewing machines via online tutorials, to create beautiful textiles at a quicker pace. This being said, there's something to be said for the slow and mindful pace of embroidering or knitting, methodically working towards a finished product. It's meticulous work, but deeply satisfying when you're left with the finished item.
Take up candle-making
You might not have considered it as a hobby, but let's face it - some of the best-scented candles can be pretty pricey, so making your own is a great way to create some really unique candles that won't cost you the earth either. Candle-making is a brilliant way to get creative, plus it's one of our favourite hobbies to do at home when we want to relax and unwind. The very first things to consider when making a candle are the wax you will use, the container, the wick, and the fragrance or essential oils you want to create the scent of your candle.
When it comes to actually creating your candle, the process is actually relatively easy. Put simply, it involves melting your wax and fragrance oils in a pan, inserting the wick, and leaving the candle to cool for at least 24 hours at room temperature.
Build up your recipe collection
Trying out the best recipe boxes can be a great way to experiment in the kitchen, with top chefs and foodie brands sharing their insider secrets when it comes to rustling up tasty dishes. Before you know it, your culinary skills have much improved thanks to the nifty tips and tricks picked up along the way, all while following fool-proof recipe cards. Cooking isn't only a wonderful treat for your friends and family, it has the ability to quiet our minds and encourage us to concentrate on the task at hand. For many it's therapeutic.
Baking is far more precise by nature, perhaps one for the scientists and mathematicians among us, while cooking allows you to bend the rules. When planning new recipes, it could be interesting to try cooking a cuisine that is new to you, such as vegan food.
Get into baking
Baking is a popular hobby for good reason - it can be incredibly soothing to absorb yourself in the process, and - of course - it can yield some very delicious results!
Getting started does require a few kitchen essentials though; your baking journey will be a lot easier if you have one of the best stand mixers to hand, as well as the necessary tools, such as a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a rolling pin. Of course, you'll also need some great baking books to hand. You'll also need to purchase the ingredients each time, of course.
But it's well worth the time and effort you put into getting set up. Baking takes real skill, with different methods needed for different types of bakes - and perfecting that can feel like a real achievement.
Try your hand at mixology
Who needs to head to an expensive bar for cocktails when you've got your very own mixology expert at home? As opposed to how it may seem when you glance over at your bartender pouring and mixing behind the bar, cocktail making isn't as simple as chucking a few ingredients in a shaker and hoping for the best. Of course, that is a tactic many of us have tried after a few tipples - and it hasn't always turned out badly...But if you want to recreate your all-time favourites at home, then there is an art to it - and it can be one of the most fun hobbies for women.
To get started, you'll need to invest in a cocktail shaker kit. These come in all shapes and sizes and at a variety of price points depending on where you buy them from, how many pieces are included and what material you choose - they generally come in stainless steel but there are a few fancy gold or copper ones around. Make sure your set includes at least: a shaker, a jigger (or measure), a strainer, a spoon and a pestle (or tamper). A corkscrew and pourers can also be helpful depending on what type of cocktails you plan on making, what tools you already have at home and if you want to make an impression on your guests with a spirit-pouring display. Some also come with ice tongs that are a cool but somewhat unnecessary addition. If you plan on making frozen cocktails, it also helps to have one of the best blenders on hand.
After you're stocked up on tools, ingredients are the next must. It's helpful to have the basics in - mainstream spirits like vodka, gin, rum, whiskey and tequila. Citruses are also helpful to have on hand as well as essentials like sugar and salt. Next think about liqueurs and flavourings like Angostura bitters, syrups, triple sec, amaretto and any other bits that you usually like in your drinks. And of course, mixers like juices, soda water and ginger ale come in handy. We'd suggest getting hold of a cocktail-making book or scouring the net and making a list of your favourite cocktail recipes. The last thing to think about - glassware.
Get into gardening
Gardening, perhaps one of our favourite hobbies for women, comes with a huge list of benefits, both physical and mental. Planting bulbs, pulling weeds, and tending to an allotment offer the perfect antidote to a day spent glued to a screen indoors, and can even alleviate depression and ease anxiety. With plenty of places to buy plants online, getting everything you need to try out this hobby couldn't be easier. Head to your local DIY or garden shop to pick up the essentials or shop online, either with your local garden centre.
Learn the art of flower arranging
One of the best hobbies for women if you love flowers! This is a relaxing and creative way to spend an hour or two, with a beautiful finished product that will enhance your living spaces. What makes this hobby so popular is how accessible it is - anyone can have a go and the finished result is unlikely to be anything but beautiful. Plus, whether you opt to pick wildflowers from the garden, or pick up some affordable blooms in your local grocery store, everything you need is readily available.
A quick scout around on Pinterest or Instagram should give you all the inspiration you need to try flower arranging, but if you want something more prescriptive, there are plenty of in-depth tutorials online to help you learn the basics before you find your own flair.
Up your photography game
Photography is one of the best hobbies for women because if you want to start with the basics, you don't need to buy anything extra. Sure, you could splash out hundreds - even thousands - on an expensive camera, but thanks to the latest smartphones, every woman and her iPhone has the potential to be a great photographer. Whether you're amassing an enviable Instagram-ready photo album or looking to get published in a magazine, photography offers the opportunity to capture memories, improve your eye for detail and relieve anxiety, as you spend much of your time focusing on your surroundings and living in the moment. While anyone can take a picture, it takes a certain finesse and the right techniques to really capture the right angles. Take a photography course online before you get started and make sure you read up on which camera is best for you.
Commit to journaling
Journaling may not strictly be a hobby, but it can be a really enjoyable and beneficial activity to do on a daily basis if you're after a bit of mental clarity. It can take any kind of form you want - whether you prefer to write in response to prompts (e.g. what am I grateful for today?), or prefer writing a stream of consciousness about your feelings, worries, or hopes. There are different ways to lay out your journal entries too - some people like to use the bullet journal format, where you table off your thoughts and plans (one section could be for goals, one section could be for reflections, for example), while others just write and write, either in bullet point format or just in paragraphs. It's one of the best hobbies for women if you want to express yourself creatively.
Make your own skincare
As well as learning how to do an at-home facial and at-home pedicure, why not make your own skincare range that's completely tailored to your skin, for the ultimate DIY pamper session? While it may sound intimidating to mix up skin products at home, if you opt for natural ingredients, you can still create powerful and potent serums and creams, without dabbling with chemical ingredients like retinol and acids (leave that to the experts!) This is also one of the hobbies to do at home that could save you money.