I know college is expensive and it is basically the norm for college students to be broke. Between the textbooks we have to purchase that we never use or those late night door dashes because the dining hall closes way too early. I get it, it’s hard to justify spending even more money on yourself for things that are fun. But it is SO important to remember, you DESERVE “me-time”. And no, I don’t mean scrolling on TikTok endlessly or watching the same show for the ninetieth time in a row.
If your wallet’s crying but your pinterest board is full of DIY’s (like mine), here are 4 cute, low-cost hobbies that I think are actually fun and creative.
- Embroidery
I love embroidery because you can add your own creative touch on ANYTHING. A few years ago, I made a tote bag with a design that I worked on for a whole month and I loved that toe bag MORE THAN ANYTHING. Unfortunately, a cap on my pen fell off and left an insanely large ink stain that would not come out so I had to scrap it but it’s so rewarding to wear something around that you made.Â
- Jewelry Making
If you see me around campus, I am ALWAYS wearing my bracelets. I feel like the bracelets I wear are a staple in my identity now. I recently got into jewelry making because I made some simple phone charms for a fundraiser I was a part of. I don’t do super complex or intricate designs, just some beads and elastic string does the trick just fine. I personally prefer glass beads because I think they look better but acrylic beads work well too! (And they’re cheaper). It is definitely helping me channel that inner third grader who was making rainbow loom bracelets 24/7.
- Air Dry Clay
This also helps me channel my inner child– you know, that kid who lived for freetime in class so that I could go grab the Play-Doh. You can sculpt so many practical things with it as well like a trinket dish. You don’t need any extravagant supplies, just your hands, maybe some paint if you want it colorful, and you can seal it with mod podge or clear coat nail polish. I got into this recently because I wanted to make my boyfriend a custom chess set for our anniversary. It is certainly not a practical chess board but I spend a lot of time customizing it for the two of us and air dry clay gifts are as thoughtful as they come!
- Scrapbooking/Junk Journaling
I really love this one and got into it when I made a vision board for 2025. Junk journaling especially is inexpensive because you can just use whatever you find around your living area or stuffed in your bags. I save my receipts, to-go bags, cards, etc. and use them in a junk journal. All the other stuff you need is a simple journal or notebook and a glue stick. It’s so fun to put all the pieces together like a puzzle plus it is very useful in decluttering.
You can find starter kits at Target, Hobby Lobby, or other craft stores and on Amazon usually for $15-30. You don’t need a ton of money to have fun and let your creativity flow. So please go out and try to have a creative day all to yourself whether you stitch flowers onto your pants, sculpt weird clay frogs, or glue all your receipts to a piece of paper. You deserve to be creative without the restriction of money!