January is National Hobby Month

If your life is about 90% work, then maybe it's time to relax more and acquire a new hobby. As January is National Hobby Month, it's a great time to learn a new craft or discover hobbies you'd never thought of exploring.

We've all heard of the common hobbies such as gardening, collecting, photography, etc. But what are some rarer hobbies that people find enjoyable enough to spend their free time in hours of pleasure?

Here are few unusual hobbies that might piqué your interest if you just can't seem to find a new hobby and are adventurous enough to "step outside the box" of traditional past-times.

Collecting License Plates

I have a friend whose late husband collected automobile license plates and display them inside the walls of his garage. Although he never lived in the more than 40 states represented by license plates, he had a way of getting his hands of just about every license plate in America. How can you get started? You can find them at fairs, antique stores, etc., and of course, save your plates when you move to another state. What's more, you can probably find them on EBay.

Collecting Beanie Babies

My friend's husband also was addicted to collecting Beanie Babies. Up until the month he died of lung cancer, he continued to fill his office with hundreds of different Beanie Babies, giving him some joy although he knew his days were numbered. Even though it's not as popular as it was ten years ago, you can still find Beanie Babies from other collectors on the internet.

Modeling Clay Birds

If you're artistic and have always wanted to own a pottery urn, but don't want to invest in one, as they're quite pricey, why not use your kitchen oven to bake your figures? That's what I did several years ago when I took up clay pottery. I bought some cheap modeling clay at an arts and crafts store and then modeled birds, which I baked in my oven. I remember how my kids teased me, but hey, I had fun! (see photo of my clay bird.)

Collecting Frog Figurines

Although she'd never come close to a live frog, my friend Marcia started collecting frogs about 35 years ago while dating her husband. I'm not sure about how it all got started, but her home is filled with all kinds, shapes, and sizes of frogs. It doesn't have to be frogs, but anything that strikes your fancy. For example, my mom loved ducks and had them displayed on walls and shelves throughout her country home.

Collecting Art Books

I have enough art books to open up my own shop. Starting more than 30 years ago, when I was going stir crazy at home with my toddler, I took my first art course. Since there, I've added scores of different art books to my library. Although I don't paint and draw as much as I used to, I'm still a succor for an art book.

Astrology

In the 1930s, during the days of the Great Depression, my mother and her three siblings were never bored, Although they were born before TV, video games, and computers, they found pleasure in spending their evening hours outside learning about the stars. My grandfather used to share his love for astrology with his family as most starry evenings he could be found on the back porch pointing out everything from the Big Dipper to the Milky Way. To this day, I still remember my mom's stories of her father explaining the mysteries of the stars. And, today I enjoy not only looking at the stars and finding shapes, but also noting all kinds of the shapes in the clouds.

Swedish Weaving

About four summers ago getting ready for a road trip from Connecticut to South Carolina, I discovered "Swedish Weaving." Done on monk's cloth, Swedish weaving only requires wool yard, a yarn needle, and patterns. You can creative beautiful shawls, as well as wall hangings. You work on the surface of the fabric, making it neat on the other side. Swedish weaving is an excellent hobby while you're watching TV or take a car or plane trip. What's more, it's portable. Just throw your yarn and monk's cloth in a tote bag and you can take your projects anywhere with you.

These are just a few unusual hobbies. Why not discover one for yourself. All you have to do is give a new hobby a try and you just may become addicted.