Minimalist Hobbies: 20 Simple and Low-Waste Activities to Try
Written by Cora Gold, Editor-in-Chief of Revivalist
Hobbies make life so much more fun. They can also contradict your sustainable values if they require fossil fuels, extensive supplies or single-use products. Try minimalist hobbies to replace any that don’t match your green lifestyle.
1. Learn an Instrument
Because kids often attend piano or guitar lessons, many assume you can’t take them as an adult, but that’s not true. Recent data shows only 3.8% of adults took classes to learn an instrument in 2022, but many more learned through other means.
If you’re among those adults who want to express themselves by playing music, make learning an instrument your new minimalist hobby. Classes, apps and videos are waiting to teach you.
2. Follow Along With Yoga Videos
Yoga is a relaxing hobby you can give a go at a nearby studio or by following along with a video in your living room. Trying this low-waste activity by yourself creates space to make mistakes and see which poses you enjoy most. If you like it, you can join in-person yoga sessions with friends.
3. Try Drawing
Anyone can grab a pencil and start sketching. This creative outlet is an activity humans have done since they drew on cave walls. The best part is that you can’t do it incorrectly.
Sketch whatever’s on your mind to pass the time. You could even make it more minimalist by drawing on an iPad with a rechargeable pen.
For those who appreciate capturing memories in a creative format, transforming cherished moments into art can be both rewarding and sustainable. Consider turning a favorite photograph into a custom painting using a paint by number photo kit. This allows you to enjoy the meditative process of painting while preserving meaningful images, requiring only minimal supplies and resulting in personalized artwork for your home or as thoughtful gifts.
4. Become a Gardener
Tending to plants is an excellent low-waste activity. You could make a garden of local plant species to help pollinators in your natural environment.
Whether your plants form roots in your backyard or in pots, use a soil test to understand your land’s pH level and create the nutritional balance they need with organic fertilizer. Once your greenery starts growing, it’ll become a nearly self-sufficient hobby if you get plenty of rain and remove weeds regularly.
5. Journal About Your Life
The best hobbies express your authentic thoughts and feelings. Journaling is a great way to do both.
Write a daily log about whatever’s on your mind. You might process emotions or get to know yourself better once it becomes a habit. If you don’t want to use a paper notebook, download a journaling app to make your minimalist hobby greener.
6. Knit Gifts for Loved Ones
Knitting challenges you to learn new concepts while making cute crafts. You may enjoy it if you love working with your hands.
People might think knitting isn’t a low-waste activity because it requires new yarn for each project, but you’ll avoid creating excess garbage by keeping leftover skeins in a box. When the box becomes full, use an invisible knot to join the yarn and make a rainbow blanket you can use, give to someone or donate.
7. Write Fictional Stories
Creative writing is another hobby you can start at any age. All you need are characters, an instigating event, a turning point and a conclusion.
If you fall in love with writing, you can explore the free online resources that further explain more complex topics like themes or B-plots. Who knows — you could even publish your stories one day.
8. Bake Creative Desserts
Anyone who spends most of their time in the kitchen may gravitate toward baking. The low-waste activity combines science with personal expression and treats that satisfy anyone’s taste buds. If you like minimalism because it’s good for the planet, you could buy baking supplies from environmentally friendly manufacturers.
Start with beginner recipes to refine your skills. Eventually, you could put your own twist on classic sweets, like a celebratory pink champagne sponge cake or lavender latte cookies. Depending on how great your baking adventures go, you could turn them into presents, sell them or donate them to nearby organizations.
9. Volunteer in Your Community
Volunteering isn’t only a great way to pass the time — it can also double as a hobby. Choose an activity that feels fun, like coaching a community sports team or walking dogs at a local animal shelter. Call nonprofits close to home to see how you can get involved with something that helps those in need.
10. Brew Your Own Drinks
Brewing beverages is an art form. You have to practice to get the ingredients and timing right.
Think about what you enjoy drinking during a typical week. You could become renowned for your homemade kombucha, apple cider or beer if you get the reusable supplies to make your own recipes.
11. Upcycle Donated Goods
Think about your family and friends. Do they love shopping? They may frequently throw out items because they find trendy or seasonal replacements.
Ask them to bring their unwanted goods to your home. You could upcycle them with new coats of paint or creative additions. Sell them to make money and prevent the items from reaching a landfill.
12. Join a Community Performance Group
You don’t have to be in grade school to become part of a club. Check out community groups that do things like singing, dancing or playing music. You could join them to make new friends.
The skills will become your latest hobby that’s easier to maintain because you’ll have other people developing the same skills as you. It might even be your chance to fulfill your lifelong dream if you didn’t have the opportunity to join a club in school.
13. Hike on Nature Trails
Research public trails near your home. Walking around in nature is a form of forest bathing, which reduces stress and anxiety by giving you direct contact with your local environment. You don’t need anything more than a reusable water bottle to enjoy this low-waste activity and stay hydrated.
If you’re concerned about using fossil fuels to reach your town’s trails, you could walk through your neighborhood and get the same mental health benefits. As long as you’re around plant life, walking may become the hobby that makes your routine more enjoyable.
14. Gaze at the Stars
Investing in a telescope could be the only step between you and your favorite way to spend your evenings. Gaze at the stars and learn about constellations. You might even spot events like shooting comets or the International Space Station flying over your home. There are also stargazing apps you can point toward the sky to identify constellations if you don’t have the budget for a telescope.
15. Dance at Home
Look up a dance video online to get moving at your house. Instructors in all types of dance post lessons so people who can’t attend studio classes can still learn. Practice the basics at home to see if you want to turn your hobby from a private activity into a professional class. Thinking about taking studio classes next? Before you sign up, budget for group vs. private lessons, packages, and registration or cancellation fees—The Studio Director’s guide to pricing dance lessons explains typical rates and cost drivers so you can choose an option that fits your minimalist, low-waste lifestyle.
16. Make Floral Arrangements
People love vases full of gorgeous flowers. Turning them into bouquets takes talent, but you can develop that skill if arranging flowers becomes your new low-waste activity. Follow along with free videos after picking flowers from your garden.
You could also contact your local florists or grocery stores. Ask them to call you when they have wilting flowers they’d otherwise throw out. You might get them at a discount and revive them with nutrient-packed water in your vases.
17. Rollerblade Around Your Neighborhood
You don’t need to visit a gym to work out. Get a pair of rollerblades and glide around your neighborhood.
New or used pairs are equally useful. As long as the wheels turn easily and the straps are secure around your feet, you’ll get a full body workout by rollerblading anywhere there’s a sidewalk or a quiet street.
18. Watch for Birds
Birds are fascinating animals. Grab a pair of binoculars if you’ve always loved watching them hop around your yard. Experts estimate 95% of bird watchers prefer using their backyards for their hobby.
Alongside a comprehensive guide to birds in your region, you can watch them find friends, start families and thrive. See if you can spot rarities — online communities always want new pictures of species that avoid the spotlight.
19. Start a Podcast
When you hang out with friends, do you gravitate toward specific topics? You could become a podcast host if you choose a subject you care about.
Create an outline for your topic, episode schedule and how you’d like to format the content. If you take time to learn the technology required for audio editing, your podcast could become a long-term hobby.
20. Learn a Language
Becoming fluent in a language takes commitment. It might also become your next favorite activity during your free time.
Find an app that teaches the language you want to learn or sign up for in-person classes. When you’re not practicing through those means, you can watch TV shows or movies in your desired language. Becoming bilingual can be fun even if you never use it conversationally.
Have Fun Trying New Minimalist Hobbies
Low-waste activities could prevent you from feeling bored in your free time, so consider your passions or things you once wanted to try. Explore various minimalist hobbies and you’ll learn which ones feel most fulfilling.
About the Author
Cora Gold has a passion for writing about life, happiness and sustainability. As Editor-in-Chief of women’s lifestyle magazine Revivalist, she loves to share her insights and find inspiration from others. Follow Cora on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.