As Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay at home order continues to be extended, many are left with no ideas as to how to fill their time. However, all of this new free time, especially now that AP tests are over, means that it’s the perfect time to start a new project or hobby.

One hobby that I’ve started with my free time is embroidery. It’s relatively inexpensive and pretty easy to pick up through tutorials or even just through trial and error. Personally, I would recommend starting on pieces of scrap cloth before continuing to actual projects, including clothing. For embroidery, all you really need is an embroidery hoop, embroidery floss and a needle. And if threading a needle isn’t your forte, you could also pick up a needle threader. 

Another needle related hobby would be learning how to sew. Now, sewing isn’t just a hobby, it’s also a skill that can prove very useful throughout life. Like embroidery, there are several tutorials on the internet all depending on what you are attempting to do. It could also be rather useful now, as you could learn how to sew your own mask.

Another project that is relatively low cost and likely won’t require you to go further than the pantry is baking bread. Bread is a relatively easy thing to bake and many recipes are very simple. Personally, I would recommend Irish soda bread because it’s very simple to put together and it also tastes delicious. There are also more complicated things you could try baking, like turnovers or macarons, but I’d recommend getting a bit of practice before attempting these more challenging dishes..

If baking isn’t your thing, maybe try some new recipes for dinner. Yes, I know that technically both activities are considered cooking, but sometimes people are better at one than the other. Cooking can sometimes be easier than baking and there are plenty of easy recipes all over the internet. I would specifically recommend pasta (it’s very hard to set on fire) or some type of soup.

If you are unlike me and have a green thumb, you could also take advantage of the decent weather and start a garden. I probably wouldn’t have the best advice on the subject, but the internet has plenty of information as well as any local nurseries or even the Lowe’s garden center. 

I know that many parents are using their free time for home improvement projects, so you could also decide to join them and help them with their projects (or they might recruit you for manual labor). Either way, you might learn something from it or at least you might get a full night of sleep afterwards.

Even though many of us would rather continue binging seasons of Criminal Minds or other shows on Netflix, sometimes a new project or hobby provides us with a better break from the stress we’re all feeling during the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately most of these projects and hobbies also allow for multitasking so you can also do both at once.