31 Analog Hobbies to Try in 2026
Put your phone down!!!
I don’t know about you, but if I don’t break the cycle of doomscrolling and get off my damn phone more in 2026, I am likely to go full-on, Yellow Wallpaper-style crazy. I NEED to not waste brain cycles and energy scrolling through Instagram ads for weight loss pills. I need to do something with my hands.
This led me to looking through craft kits and ordering some yarn to finally try and knit a sweater, and lo and behold, I suddenly found myself making a list of various analog activities to share with you fine folks. Let’s get into it!
Reminder: today is the last day to lock in the $5/month or $50/year price! Tomorrow the paid tier price is increasing to $6.50/month or $65/year.
Arts & Crafts
Painting
Painting is one of those things that can either be really fun and serene or incredibly nerve-wracking and stressful. Since I’m a perfectionist, I tend to lean toward the latter, but I do love painting, and all the cute paint-by-numbers kits that are coming out are a lot of fun.
Resources
Pink Picasso Paint-by-Number Kits (these are so cute!)
Coloring Books
If the idea of trying to paint or draw something from nothing freaks you out, coloring books are a great way to get creative without the anxiety!
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Candle Making
I love candles, and frankly, I’d go so far as to say that I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t. In college, my roommate and I spent an afternoon making candles out of thrift store coffee cups and it was a blast. The candles were horrible, for the record, we just melted down a bunch of other candles we had laying around, would NOT recommend. But nowadays you can just get adorable kits and don’t even have to mess with that.
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Embroidery
My great-grandma taught me embroidery when I was like 8 or 9 and I’ve been really wanting to get back into it lately. It really feels like painting with thread, and it’s been enjoying a rise in popularity along with other fiber arts lately.
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Sewing
Last year I got a sewing machine, made a single ruffled pillow cover, and promptly never touched it again. I’ll get to it okay!!! I have so many things I want to make, so maybe this year is the year!
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Cross Stitch
I feel like cross stitch and needlepoint are really having a renaissance with the “hot girls do Grandma crafts” movement and tbh I’m here for it. Wall hangings, coasters, bookmarks, pillows, the possibilities are endless!
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Photography
I’ve always really loved photography, and the best part is, you don’t even need a super fancy camera to get started nowadays. Just go for a walk in your neighborhood or backyard and snap photos of whatever catches your eye. Obviously, your phone has a built-in super powerful camera, but there’s something so romantic and nostalgic about film photography.
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The Darkroom (you can send in your film and they will process it, mail you back the photos, and send you digital versions).
Fujifilm 35mm Disposable Camera (yes they still exist!)
Malibu Barbie 35mm Film Camera (I kinda need this bad)
Latch Hook
My great-grandmother gifted me a straight-outta-the-70s latch hook kit for one of my birthdays (I think either 10 or 11). It was a massive wall hanging of a tiger. I never finished it, though I did plug away at it for quite a while, and the repetitive hooking motion was quite calming.
Resources
Craft Club’s Latch Hook Kits (the cutest rugs and pillows!)
Punch Needle
During the beginning of the pandemic I got really into punch needle (by which I mean, I made a pillow front and never finished sewing it on the pillow, you know how it goes). I really like the tufted look of the end product, plus punching holes with what is essentially a giant hollow needle feels very cathartic.
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Knitting & Crochet
Knitting was one of the first crafts I learned how to do (from a Klutz book purchased at the Scholastic Book Fair, no less) and I have always enjoyed having the ability to just… create a scarf or hat from nothing (well, yarn). Blankets, little stuffed critters, mittens, sweaters, the possibilities are endless!
Resources
Mabel Chicken Crochet Pattern (I’m obsessed with these, I want an army of them)
Lauren Aston Designs (she makes the cutest contemporary and stylish knitting patterns and SOMEDAY I’m gonna make one of those sweaters)
More Crafty Hobbies to Try
Bookbinding
Hand Lettering
Calligraphy
Origami
Scrapbooking
Collage & Junk Journaling
Resin Pouring
Miniatures
Food & Drink
Mixology
Getting super into creative cocktails is a fun rabbit hole. And it works even if you’re sober! There are so many low- and no-alcohol options for mixers, spirits, etc. And most cocktail recipes can be made as mocktails by omitting the alcohol.
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Baking
Baking and cooking do not relax me, at all, but I know it does for a lot of people (my husband included). And hey, everyone likes to eat.
Resources
Sally’s Baking Addiction Blog (the ONLY baking recipe blog you’ll need)
Cooking
Cooking doesn’t stress me out quite as bad as baking does, because there’s a lot bigger margin for error, but I digress. That said, cooking classes do sound fun!
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Hosting
Hosting is fun because it combines your newfound cooking and/or baking skills with gathering with friends, and decorating. What could be better?
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Barista-ing
Getting coffee out every day, in this economy? In 2026, we’re becoming our own baristas. My first job was as a Starbucks barista, and I worked there for four years, so I have a soft spot for caffeinated creations. I had a (cheapo) espresso machine for a while and I miss making little iced lattes and whatnot.
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Fun & Games
Puzzles
I wish I liked puzzles. Unfortunately they enrage me. I don’t know why! But there are so many cute puzzle brands out there now and every time I think… maybe I could do a puzzle. And the answer every time is no, no I cannot.
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Board & Card Games
My husband and I got super competitive on the Chess.com app earlier this year, so for Christmas, I bought him a physical chess board, and it’s super fun to sit and play a game without a screen between us. There are so many fun board and card games that go way beyond the typical Monopoly, Clue, etc.
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Cozy Games
This technically isn’t an analog hobby, but at least it gets you off social media. In the past few years there has been a huge uptick in “cozy” video games – the kind where you’re organizing home decor or doing chores for adorable animals. It’s definitely my favorite category of video game and I’ve played a LOT of them.
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The Great Outdoors
Birding
I don’t personally get birding, but I do appreciate that there’s a big birding movement and hey, I like looking at the lil fellas, so I guess I can kinda understand.
Resources
Bird Collective (despite not being a bird person, I want everything on this site because it’s so adorably designed).
Merlin App (identifies birds using either photos or a recording of their calls. It’s actually pretty cool!)
Gardening
I have the literal opposite of a green thumb, tragically, but gardening seems like a fun and relaxing skill and hobby. This spring I really want to get some herb planters for our porch so we can have fresh herbs for cooking. That is probably the extent of my gardening prowess.
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Learn & Grow
Reading
I mean, duh. This is primarily a blog about books. Reading really and truly is one of the best analog hobbies – you can go anywhere and do anything without ever leaving your couch. I love books so much and now I’m getting kinda emo about it.
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Your local library and/or indie bookstore.
Logic Puzzles
Much like regular puzzles, logic puzzles also tend to infuriate me. Take this however it sounds, but I am not a logical person. I’m about as left-brained as you can get. However, I do like to try and solve crimes, which is itself a type of logic puzzle, so maybe I’ll invest in some Murdles this year. (Also I like saying the word Murdle).
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Research
In 2026 we’re getting smarter. You don’t have to be taking a class for credit to do a research project! From the “personal curriculum” trend all over Tiktok to simple genealogy research, there are all sorts of topics you can dive into.
(Note: this is not one of those ~do your own research~ anti-vaxxer things, I’m talking about like… Wikipedia rabbit holes.)
Resources
The Pudding (this site has all sorts of really cool visual essays and research – it’s fascinating!)
WikiRoulette (surfaces a random Wikipedia page at the click of a button)
Your local library! Especially for things like local history.
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These are so fun! A friend got me an origami book recently, and I'm excited to do some.
I love this! One of my new year goals is to learn calligraphy - so excited that one of my goals is to simply enjoy a new hobby!