It’s safe to say that with the power of social media, what American women do in their free time is trending all over. Whether you’ve yet to pick up a hobby or you have too many, this blog deep dives into what hobbies are hot and heavy or steadily on the rise, even some niche hobbies that I personally find chic and even a bit badass.
The hobby I’m sure every woman has had flood her For You Page, her friend group chats, and somehow end up in a “WIP Wednesday” group chat that she secretly has to mute is needlepointing.
An expensive and time consuming one, I too have hopped on the needlepointing train. I’d say I go through spurts of doing it for an hour or so every weeknight or not touching my canvas for weeks at a time, and shamelessly sometimes months. Right now I am at the tail end of my first project, a wallet for my father. Why start small when you can go with a large and somewhat difficult choice? That’s the ADHD way. I’m just proud that I keep returning to it with the determination to finish it unlike my usual habit of starting something, getting halfway through, and then beginning a new project while forgetting about the first one.
Needlepointing is a grandma hobby at heart. It’s sentimental and creates timeless pieces that will be cherished around your home and by the people they’re gifted to. A true labor of love. I find the repetitive movements quite relaxing while you slowly get to watch your canvas come to life.
Coming in hot at second on this list is a team effort and something I’m sure women of all ages have seen, talked about, or played, mahjong. Some are obsessed, join clubs, and have weekly game nights, while others simply cannot spend the brainpower nor have the desire to pick up an entirely new game with a new set of complex rules. I personally have not learned mahjong but I absolutely would love to. For now, I’ll be pushing it off until I have the time to fully commit because I know I’ll more than likely become enthralled with it. Again, another hobby I’d pick up, become hyperfixated on, and then let fall off the face of the earth.
The third hobby is an all time classic, reading. Book clubs, coffee shop reading dates, romance novels, adventure stories, Kindles versus physical books, this hobby covers all the bases for any reader. What I love most about reading is that it can be anything from an outlet to escape the mundanity of everyday life and dive into a world of fantasy to a source of self help and empowerment. It can be gut wrenching, uplifting, spirited, adventurous, erotic, all in the palm of your hands taking your mind and imagination elsewhere.
Now me personally, I’m not much of a reader, but when I do get into a book I am all in. I’d like to get back into it, but it has to be a physical book. I’ve tried with the Kindle and I just cannot do it. It’s the same way that if something is on my phone and not physically written down in front of me, the odds of me forgetting it are very high. Again, I think it’s an ADHD thing. Or maybe I’m just blaming my quirks on ADHD, who knows.
The fourth hobby is a topic I could write an entire blog on. Is pickleball dead? While the sport that was once sweeping the nation is slowly trickling out, some are even swapping their paddles back for tennis rackets. Tennis is back and it’s chic and sporty. While I did enjoy pickleball at its peak, I never got to a serious point with it.
Now for the hobbies that I find thrilling, chic, niche, and intriguing, the ones I do, I hope to do, or at least try once.
First, blacksmithing or silversmithing jewelry. How cool. Being able to create pieces of art from metal and stone into something that will last a lifetime, feel unique to you, and tell a story behind it. I love the variety too. You can create silver, turquoise, western inspired, or natural stone pieces or even buy diamonds and create your own settings. I find that sooo chic and unique.
Second, beading. I’ve seen girls make intricate necklaces, flower arrangements, embroidered bikinis, and clothing all with the gorgeous craftsmanship of beads. How fun. To bring such sparkle, whimsy, and joy into everyday things simply because our human brains love bright and shiny details, and honestly those little details really do make everyday life better.
Third, stained glass art. I mean wow, hello. How awesome to make gorgeous pieces of art for your home that catch the light, showcase sunshine, and once again bring everyday whimsy into your space. This hobby is definitely intense yet so beautiful.
Fourth, glass blowing. HELLO. Glass blowing? How cool. This hobby truly requires professionalism and skill and definitely isn’t as simple as signing up for a pottery class. But being able to create something as exquisite as hand blown glass? How could you not feel like the chicest badass in the room showing off a vase you made yourself?
Fifth, drawing, painting, sculpting, the arts in general are always incredibly chic, timeless, and feminine. Whether it’s watercolor, sketching, or acrylic on canvas, there’s nothing more incredible than seeing what the human mind can dream up or replicate to create something meaningful. Art can tell a story or express what’s happening internally without ever having to whisper a word.
Sixth, cooking. I love love love cooking. I love finding new recipes, the hosting and hospitality aspect of it, plating and presentation, and especially meals that tell a story. Cooking truly is a science, but it’s a playful science because everyone has different tastes and preferences. You get to decide how much salt is too much or too little while the person next to you could say the complete opposite. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, your partner, your friends, or your family, it’s a labor of love. It’s an art.
“I love myself and I love you enough to have gone out and selected these ingredients with intention to make something that would light up your eyes or give you a storytelling experience.”
My favorite thing to watch in my free time or even just have playing in the background is behind the scenes walkthroughs or prep days at small, usually Michelin star restaurants. These chefs are so passionate about what they do and you can hear it in the way they talk about their ingredients, their process, and how they developed their dishes through mentorship or trial and error. Their dedication every single day is incredible.
Cooking is more than throwing something in the microwave and grabbing a fork. It holds memories of sitting around a laughter filled table with family. It’s farmers devoting their lives to growing food that ends up on our plates. It’s appreciating the beauty and abundance the earth has provided for us. But even with all of that, cooking can still simply be throwing something in the microwave and sharing it with someone you love. Because as fast and accessible eating has become, there are still people who see food as love, art, celebration, and medicine.
Seventh, gardening. Gardening is another hobby that has is so chic to me, but also one that feels deeply personal. I come from a long line of farmers and even studied horticulture in college, so plants, growing things, and working with the earth have always felt familiar to me in a way I can’t really explain. It’s less of a trend or aesthetic hobby to me and more something rooted in who I am and where I come from.
And not even in the perfectly curated vegetable garden with matching baskets and a sunhat kind of way, although I do love that aesthetic too. I mean the getting your hands dirty, watering your plants in pajamas at 8 a.m., talking to your flowers like they’re people kind of gardening. There’s something so grounding about it all. Watching something grow because you consistently cared for it is such a beautiful reminder that good things truly do take time. I think gardening teaches patience in a way not many hobbies can. You cannot rush growth. You cannot yell at a tomato plant because it isn’t producing fast enough or expect flowers to bloom overnight. You learn to pay attention, adapt, nurture, and trust the process. And honestly, I think that’s probably why gardening feels therapeutic to so many people. It forces you to slow down. I also think there’s something deeply feminine about gardening. The nurturing aspect of it, the patience, the intention behind creating something beautiful and alive. Whether it’s growing fresh herbs for your kitchen, tomatoes in the summer, or simply planting flowers because they make you happy when you pull into the driveway, it all feels wholesome. And honestly there is nothing more satisfying than using something in a meal that you grew yourself.
Now realistically I am not out here living on a farm collecting eggs at sunrise and milking cows before Pilates, but I absolutely understand the appeal. There’s just something so romantic about slowing down and caring for living things in a world where everything feels so rushed all the time.
Lastly, art and expression through exercise. Some people pick up running, yoga, Pilates, barre, dance, whatever it may be, but it’s a hobby that betters you inside and out. There’s something so beautiful about connecting the mind, body, and spirit through breath and movement so deeply that you genuinely look forward to your next class, session, or run.
I personally loveeee yoga. Not the classes with weights and high tempo music that honestly should just be advertised as HIIT classes, but true yogi classes. The kind where you see people from every walk of life coming together in a shared space to better themselves in some way. And the best part of it all is that it truly feels safe. Not a single soul is paying attention to whether you fall out of a pose or spend half the class in child’s pose because it all became too much. And if they are judging? You don’t need to care about the opinion of someone who would shame another person for trying to better themselves. As Southern as it gets, all you can do is pray for them and pay them no mind.
But 99.99% of the time everyone is so focused on themselves, their form, their breathing, and how they feel, that it becomes freeing. You can have an awful day on the mat one class and absolutely crush it the next, and none of it really matters because you’re doing it for you. You get to learn your body, become in tune with it, and grow with it without worrying what anyone else thinks. And honestly one of the most relaxing parts of it all is realizing people are almost certainly not thinking about you at all, which in itself is incredibly freeing. At the end of the day it’s never really been about being the best in the room, it’s about finding peace within yourself and learning how to simply exist as you are while pushing yourself to become better. Surrounded by people who also wish that for you too.
