11 Unusual Hobbies to Keep You out of Mischief This Autumn ...

Forget the French, German or Spanish you learned at school – pick an exotic language and get learning! In the past, I’ve longed to learn Russian, Chinese and Korean, but there are plenty of choices; you could even study the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt if you’re looking for something a bit different! Learning a new language is one of my all-time favorite unusual hobbies.

For something a bit different to knitting, why not learn to crochet? It’s perhaps not that unusual, but you’ll definitely find less people trying it than knitting. Gather a few friends and supplies and give it a go – you might find a hidden talent!

The art of origami was originally thought to have come from Japan, but actually originates from China – it involves the creation of figures and designs using ancient paper folding techniques (no glue is used). You can create some really beautiful decorations and models, and this would be a great hobby to take up during the winter months, as you can add origami figures to cards and Christmas presents!

Have you ever wanted to play the harp, or make music with a ukulele? Pick an unusual instrument to learn and any enthusiasm you feel is sure to outweigh the doubt and fear of learning a new skill! If you already play the piano, the harp is very similar, so you should pick it up in no time at all!

LARPing, or Live Action Role Playing is where you dress up and ‘role-play’ with a group of other people – for example, some people take part in Dungeons and Dragons themed LARPing, whilst others prefer Star Wars. It can be a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people – particularly if you’re inclined to like fun geeky activities!

Lampworking is the art of melting glass to make beads, glass figures or marbles. You can setup a lampworking station at home (I have one!) fairly cheaply although you will need to make an initial investment in a hot-head torch, glass and other supplies. It can be tricky to master but there are great resources available to help you online, and a thriving lampworking community that it’s really fun to be a part of!

Book binding is a really cool and unusual hobby – you can make great gifts for friends and the feeling of satisfaction you get is out of this world! You can find guides online or on Amazon, and pick up basic book binding supplies fairly cheaply (shop around for the best deals).

As a huge fan of the UK TV show ‘Robot Wars’ (which sadly is no more), the idea of creating and battling robots has always appealed to me. If you have some tech skills as well as coding knowledge, ask at your local college or university – they may already run a competitive robotics league, or you may meet other students who would be interested in setting one up!

Whatever you decide to collect, make sure it’s something you’re passionate about. Whilst some people are fascinated by stamp collecting, others love vintage perfume bottles. Vintage typewriters are another popular thing to collect, and of course some people adore collecting cars or other motor vehicles that they can restore and bring back to their former glory.

Cross stitching can be a relaxing hobby, once you’ve mastered the relatively simple technique, and you can pick up cross stitch kits fairly cheaply in most craft stores, or why not design your own? Completed cross stitch designs make great gifts!

If you’ve ever fancied a spot of jousting, a sword fight or an afternoon drinking mead and eating roast suckling pig, then medieval re-enactment could be for you! Many castles and historic places hold regular re-enactments, so you could enquire about how to get involved, or there may be a drama group in your area which holds events. This can be really fun!

Hopefully, one or more of these ideas has inspired you – not all of them are for everyone and some might seem a little random! One thing is for sure though, you won’t be bored if you take up a couple of these unusual hobbies. Life is too short to sit around wasting it, so why not try something new this winter? What hobbies have you taken up recently; anything unusual?