You likely landed on this post because of the ongoing trend to create an analog life for yourself, in as many aspects of said life as possible, including your hobbies.
But analog life isn’t just a trend, and that wave of popularity reveals something much deeper, and more important.
It’s about doing something with your hands or your mind that grounds you and takes away the worries of the day without plunging you into the deep waters of social media. Most importantly, without pressuring you to become something more or somebody else.
So, slow down, grab a pen and a piece of paper, and jot down a few of the following analog hobbies to try in the next few days.
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Top 5 Analog Hobby Ideas
There are five popular analog hobbies that have taken over the analog world. I thought of skipping them, but maybe you want to know about them, and maybe your favorite thing to do in the world is hidden among them (mine is, by the way). So, here they are.
1. Journaling/Junk Journaling
Journaling is, logically, one of the oldest and most valued analog hobbies, and doing it isn’t just about going analog. It is a form of therapy, self-reflection, self-improvement and self-prioritization.
Junk journaling (my favorite hobby), on the other hand, is about collecting all the paper junk around your home and gluing, cutting, and sawing it all together to create a handmade journal. You can enjoy it as it is, or write inside, stick more papers on when you can, and experiment with doodles and drawings. There is no end to junk journaling, and if you love paper but have never heard of this style of journaling, I strongly suggest you dig a bit into the topic.
2. Reading Physical Books
Just as old as journaling, this hobby has claimed its spot in the top five best analog hobbies for a reason. It’s simple, affordable (libraries, thrift stores, and book swap groups make it cheap) and very easy to get you obsessed with.
You could be into one genre or jump between different genres. You can go as fast or slow as you like about it, reading whenever you have time. Also, it is one of those hobbies you could bring with you everywhere – on public transport, on a solo lunch, on a holiday, or anywhere you need to stay in a queue. To make it even more fun, you could keep a reading journal as well.
3. Knitting/Crocheting
Just as above, these are two completely different analog hobbies to have, but I’ve put them under the same heading here.
They are also cheap hobbies; you will find tons of affordable materials at the thrift stores, and they are among the hobbies you could practice nearly everywhere. How do I know?
My aunt is into both knitting and crocheting, and she brings her stuff everywhere – on a family gathering, in the bus on her way to work, even on my son’s baptism party (I know how it sounds, but she also danced a lot and had lots of fun).
4. Photography
There are many styles of photography, so I can’t point you to just one. You could go for urban photography, detailed object photography, portraits, and anything in between.
It is one of those almost nostalgic types of analog hobbies, because it is best to use a real camera, not your phone’s (though both are fine). You then get to see the results only once you have them printed (unless you involve your computer in the mix). This is the perfect analog hobby for people who love catching the little details in life.
5. Jigsaw Puzzles
Of course, I had to mention jigsaw puzzles somewhere here. They are synonymous with an analog hobby, and everyone goes through a stage in life where puzzles become their obsession.
You could put together traditional jigsaw puzzles or go for something even more detailed – 3D wooden puzzles, building models of different objects, and more.
More Analog Hobbies
Now that we have the most popular hobbies out of the way, let’s see what else you can do that would get you in the flow, make you love every second of the time you spend on it, and keeps you offline for ages.
6. Vinyl Records
Collecting vinyl records has a whole separate world built behind it. It asks you to go out and search for vinyls in thrift stores, garage sales, and music shops. You also need to look after them properly, dust them often and play them once in a while so they don’t lose their magic.
7. Finger Knitting Blankets
This has been on my to-try list for many months now. It is such an enticing hobby to have, and you get to keep and enjoy the end result. It has a decent learning curve, which makes it beginner-friendly. The only material you need is some big chunky yarn, which could be found in thrift stores if you’re lucky, or purchased online.
8. Pottery
Don’t think of a big barn filled with clay pottery and hours spent in it. You could always start at your kitchen table with air-dry clay and work your way up if you end up enjoying it. I did that years ago, and I still keep the small trinket boxes I made back then. It’s a very easy hobby, a bit messy, but it teaches you patience and attention to detail.
9. Handlettering
I tried handlettering one many years ago, but my handwriting was so bad, I gave up on it after a month. Yet, I still think about it sometimes, and I know one day I will get back to mastering hand lettring.
There are so many styles of it – Victorian, Caligraphy, and more. All you need to do is pick the one you like, print some instructions, and start practicing a few minutes every day. Patience is the key to mastering this one, which is why I couldn’t stick to it.
10. Collecting Cassette Tapes
My husband suggested we start this hobby the other day, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I am not sure it’s easy to find cassette tapes nowadays, but if it’s something that makes your ears perk up, try garage sales and thrift stores. eBay also offers many tapes, but I cannot advise you on that, as scrolling there for an hour every day would take away from the idea of it being an analog hobby.
11. Typewriting
Now, this is a fun thing to try. Find an old typewriter – it has to be old or half the charm goes away. Clean it up, put in some ink, line up your paper sheet, and start typing. Type a paragraph a day and see how it goes without the delete button we’re so used to. This is what I call learning ptience and attention to detail.
12. Postcard Collecting
Going through a stack of postcards, reading about people’s experiences, plans, and ideas, and collecting them into your own folder is the perfect analog hobby. You truly get to peek into people’s lives, without it being weird. You can focus on specific decades, events, or people deatured on the postcards or just go for everything that has an interesting piece of text on the back.
13. Bookbinding
Any bookworm would tell you that bookbinding is somehting they’d like to try one day. If the thought has crossed your mind as well in the last few years, now would be the time to make it happen. I’ve done bookbinding in the past and let me tell you – it is harder than it looks, but also it is so much more rewarding than you’d imagine.
YouTube is rich with free tutorials, materials are relatively cheap, and honestly, you have most of the stuff in your house already.
14. Playing Board Games
Of course, playing board games is a hobby you should consider, especially if you’re talking about a joint hobby with your partner or if both you and your bestie are into analog life right now.
You don’t want anyone around you? There are tons of board games you could play by yourself – Mahjong solitaire, isingle-player puzzle games like Onirim and more.
15. Baking
Baking is a hobby, you read that correctly. It could be a boring Sunday task, or it could be a ritual of creating something aromatic, delicious, and warm for yourself and your family. It is all about how you look at it. If you are a beginner at baking, start small and work your way up.
16. Gardening
Sowing, watering, pruning, weeding, and looking after plants is such a meditative experience for everyone who’s not afraid of bugs and a little dirt. You could look after a few plants at home if you live in a flat, or plant veggies and fruits if you have more space available. I promise you, homegrown veggies taste like the sun when you enjoy them immediately after picking them.
17. Hiking
Good for your physical health and good for your mental health. Hiking is a great analog hobby for people who just want to combine it all together and who have a passion for a good Sunday walk. It is also a great hobby to share with friends and family and maybe turn it into a weekly tradition, piling up memories of those miles walked together.
18. Model Trains
I touched on this when I talked about jigsaw puzzles, remember? Building models of trains with train tracks is a hobby guaranteed to get you into the flow. You can lose hours of your days putting together those little pieces, and loving every second of it. It’s the perfect hobby for those with an engerneering mind and history buffs.
19. Collecting Watches
It could be a slightly expensive hobby to have, but it is also very fun, and you learn so much about watches, brands, materials, and small detaiils. Hunting for the small treasure at a garage sale or in a thrift shop, then finding that treasure, is a thrill you need to experience.
20. Restoring Old Cards
Just like in the movies. You buy that “piece of scrap” nobody else wants and you work on it slowly, returning it to its previous glory, shining like a jewel, all thanks to you. Many people would love to have this hobby, as long as they have the space for it, of course.
21. Pressed Leaves and/or Flowers
Long walks, careful selection of the perfect flower or leaf, then drying it, pressing it in a special press (or between the pages of an old, heavy book), and in the end creating something beautiful with it or keeping it just as it is.
There are so many things you could do with pressed flowers and leaves: jewelry, bookmarks, using them in your art journaling sessions, creating art pieces with them, and more.
22. Rock Painting
This analog hobby gives you the romantic, meditative experience you crave for. Finding the right rocks might take a while, but you wouldn’t mind the nice walk. Painting those small perfect, rocks is also really fun, you get to turn them into whatever your imagination tells you, and then you could keep them as they are or create an art piece with them.
23. Collecting Tea
This is such a fun analog hobby to have, in my opinion. I just imagine you need to be nearly obsessed with tea, and have different, interesting pots and little jars to keep them in. You could also create your own blends.
Final Thoughts
The perfect analog hobby is the one that keeps you away from your devices, makes you forget time exists, and gets you daydreaming just thinking about filling your days with it.
So, I hope you found that hobby in the list above. If you did, leave a comment saying which one it is. Also, don’t forget to check my other hobby lists for even more inspiration.
Blogger, dreamer, procrastinator, and lover of everything soul-touching. My mission is to make you laugh, provoke your thoughts, light up your day and inspire you to fall in love with life and yourself.
