During the dark, cold days of winter, it’s easy to fall into a rut. Spending lots of time inside can get boring and even depressing. Luckily you can make the most of winter evenings by picking up a cozy hobby. These eight activities, from drawing landscapes to tending bonsai, will help you feel more connected to nature even if you’re stuck inside.
1. Stargazing
When it’s cold outside, all we want to do is stay inside underneath a warm blanket. However, if you can coax yourself off the couch and brave the winter air, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful, clear skies perfect for stargazing. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the sky is less hazy in the winter than in the summer, allowing skywatchers to get a better view of stars and constellations.
Although you can certainly enjoy stars with the naked eye, a telescope or pair of binoculars designed for astronomy will enhance your viewing experience. To stay cozy, dress in plenty of layers and bring a blanket and a hot drink to warm you up. Don’t forget to download a free stargazing app like Sky Tonight to help you locate constellations!
2. Drawing or Painting
Another way to interact with and enjoy nature in the wintertime is to draw or paint landscapes. Putting the beautiful winter scenes you see out your window down on paper will help you appreciate the outdoors. As long as you don’t splurge on premium paint, art supplies tend to be affordable. You can also find free painting tutorials online from expert teachers like Bob Ross to help you improve your skills. And best of all, you don’t have to brave the cold to enjoy this cozy hobby!
3. Birdwatching
One of my favorite cozy hobbies to enjoy in the winter is birdwatching. Because there isn’t much food around during the colder months, all kinds of feathered friends flock to my bird feeders by the dozen. I regularly see sparrows, cardinals, bluejays, and even several types of woodpeckers. There’s even a family of red squirrels that tries to eat the birdseed! My feeders are visible from my living room window, so I don’t even have to get off the couch to gaze at the birds and engage in this cozy hobby.
4. Making Faux Stained Glass
Do you know that you can create faux stained glass with paint? Popular craft brand Plaid has a line of stained glass paint called Gallery Glass. It can be used to decorate plastic canvases (which Plaid sells) or windows and mirrors around your home. The paint isn’t permanent and doesn’t cause any damage.
When you decide you’re done with your design, you can simply remove the paint, which easily comes off in one solid layer. I love making new stained glass creations on my windows every winter to bathe my house in colored light. Having faux stained glass around helps alleviate my winter blues, which is one of the reasons I love this cozy hobby. I also appreciate the fact that Plaid provides patterns I can follow if I don’t want to freestyle.
5. Playing Board Games
If your only experience with board games is playing Monopoly or Clue, you have to give this cozy hobby another try! So many amazing games have come out recently, my favorite being Everdell. The goal of Everdell is to build a thriving woodland city in the forest. The adorable illustrations on the cards and the animal-shaped pieces give this game undeniable charm. The board even has a protruding tree that’s three centimeters tall, which takes the kitschy vibe over the top.
If Everdell doesn’t appeal to you, you’re sure to find a game you love on BoardGameGeek. It’s a forum that maintains a crowd-sourced list of the top 100 best board games. Or head to your local board game store and see if they host any game nights so you can try before you buy.
6. Postcrossing
Postcrossing is an online community where members from all around the world come together and exchange postcards. It’s kind of like having a bunch of different pen pals around the globe. I’ve gotten postcards from a wide variety of countries, including Germany and Australia. During the dark days of winter, it’s nice to receive a kind message via snail mail, which helps stave off loneliness. I hope the cards I’ve sent have also brightened other people’s days.
7. Tending Bonsai
Taking care of houseplants has become a popular, cozy hobby for Millennials and Gen Z. However, I enjoy the more traditional art form of tending bonsai. Pruning and shaping my tree helps me relax and feel connected to nature. It’s also an affordable hobby if you’re able to find the plants and tools on sale.
I picked up a bonsai tending kit with shears and wire for $8 at a local overstock store. I even managed to find a small bonsai tree on sale at Menards for just $5. There are bonsai classes I could take, but I’ve opted to learn about the hobby by reading books and watching TikTok videos, so my instruction has been totally free. While it’s true that some bonsai trees cost $100 or more, you don’t have to blow your budget to try out this hobby.
8. Air-Dry Clay Pottery
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the money or space to set up an at-home pottery studio. Pottery classes have also gotten rather expensive, probably thanks to inflation. But luckily you don’t need fancy equipment to sculpt air-dry clay. All you need to get started is a cheap plastic sculpting knife and a tub of Crayola air-dry clay. There are lots of tutorials on TikTok that can help you make ring dishes, fridge magnets, coasters, incense holders, and more. Although your creations probably won’t last as long as kiln-fired pottery, this is still a fun, cozy hobby to try this winter.
Relax with These Cozy Hobbies
There’s no doubt that it can be hard to adjust to darker days and colder temperatures. But winter gives us a wonderful opportunity to slow down and relax. Spending evenings inside can be restful and restorative, especially if you try out one of these cozy hobbies. Learning a new skill this winter like tending bonsai will help you beat the winter blues and stave off boredom.