By Michelle Willson, Feature and Entertainment Editor
Quarantining can be rough. Lounging around the house used to be what everyone did for fun, but now feels more like a chore. Lounging around the house has got to the point where people are bored of being bored. I have found some cheap and easy crafts you can do while you are bored.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to monetize your hobbies. They can be something you do for fun or only when you are bored. If you are focusing on getting it perfect so you can sell it, you will take the enjoyment out of it.
First one coloring. Yes, I know what you are thinking. “I have not colored since grade school.” Exactly, it’s like swinging on a swing set you don’t remember how much fun you had while doing it until you do it again. You can print out an adult coloring page or color a kid’s page. Sometimes the adult pages take too much time and daunting to start, but coloring a kid’s page takes just the right amount of brainpower and time.
Make “friendship” bracelets. All you need is some embroidery floss and a piece of cardboard. I learned to make them this summer. I was working as a Counselor for Upward Bound I taught myself how to make different types of friendship bracelets in one day. I was able to teach the campers how to make them the day after that. I taught myself by using tutorials on Pinterest and Youtube. You can make them for yourself or you can make them for and with others.
Learn origami. Start out simple with something such as origami stars. Origami stars have plenty of tutorials on the internet to follow. One of the cool things with origami stars is you can write in them. Last year, I started a jar of things that make me happy and things I am grateful for and whenever I have a bad day, I would open a few and it would make me happy.
Learn a new language. There are plenty of free apps out there to learn a new language, but the one my friends and I use is Duo Lingo. Use the app and once you know a few words watch movies and listen to the music in the language. Try watching the movie without subtitles this will help with the annunciation. You could come out of quarantine and surprise your friends with this new talent.
Last but not least, reading. We all have a stack of books we “need to read eventually.” Well, buddy, you are stuck in your house with nothing to do now is the time. If you don’t have physical books, apps have books where you can download for free.
There is more to do than sleep all day. Pick up a paintbrush and paint, sing at the top of your lungs and declutter the drawer that needs it. I know it is tough to be stuck indoors, but there is plenty to do, podcasts to listen to and shows to watch.