Calligraphy
A New Brew
Sure, you could just go out and buy a six-pack. But wouldn't it be more fun—not to mention more impressive—to offer a guest one of your home-brewed beverages? To learn the basics, Naked Malt Brewing Company offers starter kits—from pale ales to apple ciders. Pick your fave and hop to it.
To buy: Spiced Cider Kit, $8
In-Home Cooking Course
Since you have to cook during the week anyway, why not turn the chore into an enriching hobby? Take your cooking skills and recipes to a higher level with guidance from some of the world's most renowned chefs. For beginning and intermediate cooks, try "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman or "How to Cook Without a Book" by Pam Anderson. For more advanced techniques, tryThomas Keller's "The French Laundry Cookbook" or "Ad Hoc at Home."
To buy: The Essential Thomas Keller, $59
Glass Etching
This hobby is a must for anyone itching to get creative and organized at the same time. With the help of some stencils and etching cream (which you can find in any glass-etching starter kit), you can add frosted labels to drinking glasses, glass jars and containers while bringing some Pinterest-worthy order to your spice cabinet, pantry, fridge and laundry room.
To buy: Armour Etch Glass Kit, $19
Pet Sitting
This is the ideal hobby for any parent who's tired of getting pestered about getting a pet and who wouldn't mind earning some extra money on the side. Sign up to be a pet sitter with Rover.com or Petvacay.com, and watch another family's pet while they're away. Or, turn the hobby into a volunteering gig and become a foster home for a rescue organization (Petfinder offers guidance on the process). Just be sure to let the kiddos in on the hobby too as some "practice" for their future pet.
Sign Language
Fun fact: Sign language is the third-most-used language (after English and Spanish) in the U.S. Beyond that, becoming bilingual (whether through speech or sign) improves creative thinking, problem-solving and listening skills, according to Handspeak.com. And for parents with babies or toddlers, learning and teaching baby sign language can be a terrific tool in fostering early communication skills and boosting their cognitive development and IQ.
Master Public Speaking
While it's tempting to pass off public speaking as an intrinsic skill, all it takes is practice. And, like coding, it could be a hobby that helps you professionally as well. Whether you want to gain more confidence when giving a presentation at work, give an impromptu toast at a family celebration or just be able to easily strike up a conversation with a new acquaintance, find a local Toast Masters group where you can polish your public speaking skills each week.
