Much of the world has been asked or ordered to remain inside their homes in accordance with social distancing. While we wait for updates on resuming day-to-day activities, you may be searching for ways to keep busy, stay productive, or get ahead on some of your spring errands. Here are some ideas for entertaining your spare time:
Making repairs to old furniture
Why not set aside a moment to fix that wobbly chair or busted cabinet? You’ll get to use some time to continue getting the most out of the key pieces in your home and extend their “shelf” life. Check out HowStuffWorks' guide if you're unfamiliar with some of the processes.
Redecorate/reorganize a room in your home
It might be time for a change you can control – giving one (or more) of your rooms a new layout. Redesign a room in any way you see fit, and while you’re at it, this will be a great chance to sort through and pull out your things to help arrange your room in a whole new way.
Spare storage room? Shift some things around and make it into a home office or hobbyist room. Have a guest room that looks like the same ‘guest’ has been there for years? Move the bed to a different part of the room, add some wall art, or toss some extra flooring covering or furniture in there.
Assess your storage situation
Remember when the Marie Kondo method was at its peak? Now might be the perfect opportunity to take stock of the stuff you may have stashed away. You may find something to add to a recently redecorated room, or discover you’ve been keeping some items longer than needed.
Start/join a virtual group, chat, meeting or digital page
Social distancing doesn’t have to mean zero communication. Maybe you’ve got a great DIY idea but would like some feedback. Maybe you found some board games or old karaoke machine laying around the house. There are clubs and outlets for just about anything these days.
With a little creativity, you can make a virtual gathering to get your social fix. Others may appreciate the initiative and opportunity to get involved or collaborate!
Some virtual ideas include:
- Book club
- Game night
- Writers’ group
- DIY project showcase
- Q&A forum for people you may know in your industry - locally or otherwise
- Skype/Zoom/FaceTime, etc. call with friends or family
- Creating your own YouTube, Vimeo, or TikTok channel
Tend to a garden
When our lives get busy, it can be easy for side projects to get pushed to the back-burner, especially ones at home. If you have a garden already, this could be a chance to get a head-start on your seasonal planning and planting if you already have the supplies.
If you don’t have a garden and have space in your yard, you could start one by planning out the space you’d like to designate and prepare it to house future plants.
Draft or begin your next project
Still have a craving for crafting? Try getting started on your spring/summer to-do list and planning for around the house or your side business.
Even if you are unable to run out and get new materials, you can develop your project timelines, blueprints, and concepts and have them ready down to the smaller details. For example, if you’re looking at making a new fire pit in your yard this year, you could start prepping your space, think about the materials you’d want, and possibly get started on digging.
Not looking to DIY right now? There are a variety of hobbies to explore and discover if you have the down time. Research your topics of interest, save a few helpful videos and links, and try it out on your own to see how it goes. You may find that another hobby can complement some of your other interests or assist you down the road.
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