I’m not gonna lie: This semester has been rough. From subpar weather to hectic deadlines, I’ve been running on empty for a hot minute. But now that the semester is almost over and exams are wrapping up, I’m about to have a lot more free time on my hands. Gone are the days of pulling an all-nighter to finish an assignment — at least for a little while. With that being said, it’s so easy to slip into a routine of doomscrolling, staying up too late, and before you know it, summer will be over and nothing will have been accomplished. In order to avoid the dreaded cycle, I’m officially considering taking up a hobby this summer.
If you’re inclined to join me, the summer break is an excellent opportunity to take the time to try new things. However, hobbies can get expensive, fast. Whether it’s paying for lessons to actually get good at something, or shelling out a ton of cash for supplies, the cost of leisure can really add up. But not all hobbies are costly! If you’re interested in starting a hobby to kick off the season, but don’t have a ton of room in your budget to make it happen, here are a handful of inexpensive summer hobbies you can start right away.
Journaling
IMO, journaling is the hobby to start with. It’s extremely versatile, and you can customize your journaling style however you’d like. Into the classic “dear diary” daily writing? Go for it! Interested in the junk journal vibes? Looks good to me! Want to create a book/movie/restaurant review journal? Pop off. All you need to buy is a journal and a writing utensil, at the bare minimum, and from there, you can be as simple or as extravagant as you’d like.
Penpal correspondence
Snail mail is such a fun hobby to get in on. It’s a neat way to make a new friend, and to periodically get your thoughts onto paper. There are a bunch of ways to hop on the snail mail train, and so long as you have an envelope, some stamps, some paper, pens, and someone to send your letters to, you’re all ready to go.
Painting
This is another hobby that can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. All you need to start is to pick your medium, pick your canvas, and get painting. I love to decorate rocks with cheap acrylic paint and hide them in public for others to find. I also love to use my watercolors and sketchbook to capture landscapes I find. Whether you paint from the heart, or paint from a reference, so long as you enjoy it, painting can be a rewarding hobby.
Bird watching
I don’t care if it makes me look like I belong to a different generation, because bird watching is one of my favorite hobbies in the summertime. Over the years, I have collected field guides, binoculars, and several different bird feeders, but something as simple as a bird watching app and a green space is all you really need to get this hobby going. Just be warned: It’s a slippery slope from trying to identify a bird you saw to tracking migration maps in hopes to find new species.
Baking
I fear that baking gets overlooked as a hobby in the summertime, and I will not stand for it! Summer is a great season to work on mastering those kitchen skills, and even more so with all of the fruit in season: berries, citrus, melons, peaches, plums, rhubarb, and so many more. Baking with seasonal fruit is also a great excuse to attend farmers markets and support local businesses.
Pressed flower art
Pressed flower art is such a fun and inexpensive way to capture the flora that summer has to offer. You can create framed colleges, use pressed flowers in artwork, or attempt flower pounding on cloths, shirts, and tote bags. You can use wild flowers, flowers from your graden, or anything in between to create a beautiful, one of a kind piece of art.
Beachcombing
If you live near a beach (or a big enough lake), this is the hobby for you. While walking along the shoreline, you can find endless treasures such as shells, fossils, beach glass, and much more. You can simply collect what you find, or get creative and use your finding for arts and crafts. Beachcombing is a fairly inexpensive hobby — practically free if you don’t need to pay for beach access.
Photography
When in doubt, whip that camera out. Photography can get expensive, but not if you work with supplies you already have — say, your phone camera. Take this as an opportunity to take pictures with friends, or hone in on a specific subject. You can turn photography into a challenge too, such as capturing a photo of every sunset for a week, or taking a photo of every flower you find. So whimsical!
Scrapbooking
What are you to do with all of those photos you just took? Throw them into a scrapbook, of course. Like journaling, scrapbooking can be as easy or as extravagant as you’d like it to be. It’s an easy way of creating physical media that you can hold on to and look back on.
Making friendship bracelets
I am proud to say that as a girl approaching her mid 20s, I still happily make friendship bracelets every year when summer comes back around. From embroidery floss, to beads, to even rubber bands, I am always down to use what I have lying around to create and share friendship bracelets. It’s a skill that I can never unlearn, and who would want to? Making friendship bracelets are a great hobby option for when you like to multi-task, such as watching TV or listening to music.
Yarn work
Another excellent multi-tasking hobby is some type of yarn hobby. Whether that’s knitting, crochet, or even macrame, there are endless things that can be made. I understand that yarn hobbies are more popular in winter, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be adjusted for the summer as well. Make a tote bag, purse, crop top, bucket hat, scrunchie, bandana — the list goes on!
DIY Fashion
There’s something about the summertime that makes me want to spice up my wardrobe. I love a good craft that I can wear, and there are numerous clothing customization hobbies to look into. Embroidery, tie dye, and upcycling thrift finds are just a few ideas to inspire you.
Vlogging
Vlogging is an all-around super fun hobby to get into. So long as you have a phone, you’re pretty much ready to go. There are endless reasons to begin vlogging, and multiple softwares you can use to edit, merge, and make your own videos. Maybe you’re going on an exciting trip and want to capture as much as possible. Maybe you want to kick off a YouTube channel or TikTok account. Regardless of the reason, vlogging is a great way to collect memories and try something new.