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A new survey out of Anglia Ruskin University suggests that “arts and crafts give greater life satisfaction than work,” as The Guardian puts it. People who do arts and crafts reported higher levels of life satisfaction (“a sense that life is worthwhile”), well-being, and happiness.
This was terrible news to me because I struggle with anything arts and crafts related. But lately, I’ve been having a strange notion: What if I had a hobby…that wasn’t reading or consuming media? Specifically, it would be great to have something to do with my hands while I watch TV or listen to audiobooks — other than my current strategy, which is biting my nails. That’s when I decided to give cross-stitching a try. I figured it was regimented enough that my lack of an artistic eye or any sense of coordination shouldn’t hinder me too much. I’ve finished my first piece and am onto my second, and I’m pleased to report that I love it. There’s something calming about doing something that isn’t related to words: my job and hobbies have all, up to this point, been book-centric.
Fall is the perfect time to start a new hobby. It’s the coziest season, and while you can, of course, spend every hour of free time reading, might I propose complementing that with some life-enhancing hobbies? To make it even more enticing, these are all bookish, and they can almost all be done while listening to an audiobook.
You can’t get much more bookish of a crafty hobby than bookbinding. You could pick up a kit like this one ($123) or attend a class.
Jigsaw puzzles are a perfect match for readers. Not only are there plenty of beautiful bookish jigsaw puzzle designs like this Book Nerd puzzle ($23), but it also pairs well with audiobook listening.
This is the exact cross-stitch kit I used to make my first design ($35)! It comes with everything you need, including a hoop, fabric, embroidery floss, a needle, and the pattern. You can also get just the design if you want to source the materials yourself. I highly recommend this for anyone intimidated by crafts: it’s very accessible! Oh, and did I mention Book Riot has its own cross-stitch pattern book? It’s Lit Stitch: 25 Cross-Stitch Patterns for Book Lovers.
Personally, embroidery scares me because it can get a lot more artsy and freeform than cross stitch, but that’s just me. This embroidery pattern ($7) is meant to be used as a reading tracker: you fill in the books as you read them!
Another great hobby to do while listening to audiobooks is crocheting or knitting! There’s this crochet pattern of a bookcase ($11), but the sky is the limit for bookish crochet and knitting designs for just about anything, from clothing to bedding to toys and more.
If you love to arrange and rearrange your books, you might appreciate an anxiety bookshelf like this one ($40+). The idea is that you arrange the books and then close the cover and shake it to relieve stress, starting the process over. There are lots of versions, including the original anxiety bookshelf ($70 for a bookshelf with 260 mini books).
I love these book nook kits, and they’re designed to add some decoration to your bookshelves. You can find tons online, including this library-themed one (currently on sale for $63), but I’ve also started to see them in stores in person, usually next to the jigsaw puzzles.
Of course, book nook assembly is only one small step from falling into the world of miniatures. Create your dream library on a dollhouse scale with bookshelves like these ($36). There are tons of tutorials online for making mini books to fill the shelves with.
Now that we’re in the realm of miniatures, it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump to a bookish hobby that will take over your life: TTRPGs, like Dungeons and Dragons. Not only can you design mini libraries to explore using sets like this ($10-150), but D&D is also an inherently bookish hobby: it’s collaborative storytelling, using several books as reference points. Here’s our guide to getting started: How to Play Dungeons & Dragons: Your Guide.
I hope this gave you some inspiration for a new bookish hobby to while away the cooler months with. For my fellow book obsessives, I know it can be difficult to imagine sacrificing any of your reading time for something else, but I promise that there is value in doing something outside the world of books and words sometimes.
