New Hobbies to Try That Your Small Apartment Can Handle

Hobbies are exciting new ventures, but they can also take up a lot of real estate. Some require deep investment in materials, while others might need garage or backyard space you simply don’t have. Fortunately, there are plenty of activities that can fill your time without filling your limited space.

Here are eight hobbies to try that your small apartment can handle.

1. Game Design

There’s more than one path to becoming a game designer. And if you love computer programming and relaxing in front of the console, this hobby could teach you more about your favorite pastime. It also lets you unleash your creativity.

Side hustles such as this one can help you eventually quit your day job. You know the time is right when you have paid down your debts and have several months of reserve saved to carry you through lean times.

2. Cross-Stitch

Knitting is a blast, but it can take considerable space to store the amount of yarn needed to complete an afghan. However, you need only a square foot or so of space to house your cross-stitch supplies. 

Cross-stitch can be a calming activity with lots of opportunity to advance your skills and try more challenging techniques. You’ll find tons of free patterns online, all suitable for framing when finished.

3. Yoga

Does your tiny pad leave you lamenting your lack of a home gym, especially during the pandemic shutdown of your favorite fitness facility? You don’t need more than 6 feet by 3 feet to throw down a yoga mat and get a full-body workout. 

There are more benefits to yoga, too. Flexibility training can help you stave off aches and pains while helping you become more mindful. It’s a full-body experience. Best of all, you can access free yoga classes on YouTube and work on your skills in any space.

4. Container Gardening

Look at it this way — a small apartment means never having to plow the back 40. However, you can still grow organic produce at home using containers. You can even learn how to save the seeds from what you buy at the store to save money on planting.

5. Painting

Have you always dreamed of creating artistic works? You don’t have to stay between the lines to let your inner Jackson Pollock free. You can pull up a few paint-a-long sessions on YouTube or Netflix and trust guidance from a skilled painter, or free-form your way through watercolor designs and abstract canvases.

Nor do you need to resign yourself to oils and canvas. Create smiles around your neighborhood by getting in on the painted rock game and sharing your creations on social media.

6. Scrapbooking

Do you have a world of memories from your various excursions to preserve? If you get into the fine art of scrapbooking, you can preserve your mementos while saving space. Who needs a lengthy portrait wall when you can create a unique album replete with descriptions of your special events for guests’ perusing pleasure?

7. Blogging

Blogging is another way to challenge yourself while requiring only a spark of interest and an Internet connection. Some bloggers can even earn extra income through blog advertisements and promotions, although it does take considerable time to establish yourself. 

For that reason, it’s best to stick to a blog topic you really care about. What’s unique about this pastime is that you can do it in tandem with one of your other passions. If you live to create new healthy recipes, why not start a cooking blog to showcase your inventions?

8. Jewelry-Making

If you love bling, why not get started making unique designs? If you are a more social sort, you can peddle your wares on weekends at various local art shows and festivals. Jewelry making requires some good quality tools, but you can dive into the type of jewelry that appeals to you most in order to cut down on supplies.

However, there’s no need to risk the in-person world of questionable social distancing practices — you can also set up an Etsy shop and share your art with a wider audience online. Of course, no one says you have to sell your creations at all. There’s nothing wrong with designing pieces for your own pleasure — and that of your closest friends and family members.

Try These 8 New Hobbies in Your Small Apartment Space

Your small apartment need not limit your pastimes. Whether you’re a fan of crafting, writing, fitness or gardening, there are so many passions you can develop that don’t require a boatload of savings or storage space. Try these eight hobbies and see where they take you.