Have you ever found yourself with nothing to do on a day off or a weekend afternoon? Being bored is never any fun, but the good news is there are plenty of creative and engaging DIY activities you can try to keep yourself entertained. 

Diy Things to Do When Bored at Home

When you’re bored at home with nothing planned, having some easy craft supplies on hand can save the day. Simple projects that use common household items let you get creative without needing to leave the house or spend money. Here are some great options:

Make Origami

Origami is a wonderful craft for people of all ages. All you need is some paper – colorful printer paper works well. There are tons of free origami diagrams online that show you how to fold basic shapes like boxes, flowers, and animals step-by-step. Origami gets your problem-solving skills working and is very calming and meditative. Start with some basic shapes, then try folding dragons, frogs, and cranes for a new challenge.

Draw or Doodle

Do you have art supplies tucked away somewhere? Pull out some paper, coloring pencils, markers, or crayons. Let your creativity flow by drawing original artwork, doodling patterns, or coloring on coloring book pages. Drawing is a simple way to engage your mind through visual expression. You can also get inspiration from online coloring pages if you need guidance to get started.

Make Slime or Play Dough

Kids often love getting their hands messy with homemade slime or play dough. Both are fun to squish and mold. You can find basic recipes online using just a few household ingredients like glue, baking soda, and food coloring. Once it’s made, spend time experimenting with textures and shapes as you squish and stretch your new play material. The process of making it can also be a fun afternoon activity in itself.

Write Stories or Poetry

Grab a notebook and pen and unleash your creativity through writing. You can write short stories, and poems, or journal your thoughts. Let your mind wander as you jot down whatever comes to you. Writing is a wonderful way to process emotions and engage your imagination when you have some downtime. Challenge yourself with creative writing prompts if you need inspiration to get started.

Diy Things to Do When Bored for Kids

When kids have time on their hands, it’s important to keep them engaged with activities that stimulate their minds. Here are some fun, kid-friendly crafts and games you can do together:

Make Homemade Playdough

Playdough is such a classic activity for kids that also makes for a fun, messy crafting experience. Try some homemade playdough recipes using ingredients like flour, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring. Let kids knead and shape the dough however they like once it’s ready.

Set Up an Indoor Obstacle Course

Use basic household objects to set up an obstacle course indoors. Include things for kids to crawl under or through, climb over, balance on, and more. Have races or see who can complete the course the fastest. This gets kids moving in a creative way.

Make Salt Dough Figures

Salt dough is another kid-pleasing craft material. Mix flour, salt, water, and a bit of oil or cream of tartar into a dough. Roll it out and use cookie cutters, stamps, or freehand shapes to create creatures and characters. Let dry fully, then paint and decorate.

Play With Playroom Shadows

On a sunny day, use shadows from furniture or toys to spark creative play. Place objects in front of a light source and have kids position themselves to make shadow shapes on the wall or floor. See who can make the biggest or most interesting shadow configurations.

Make DIY Slime Lip Balm

Kids love anything to do with slime. Whip up a batch of DIY slime lip balm together using ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, and food coloring. Let them add scents and mix creative flavors. Such an easy way to learn while having fun.

Crafts to Do When Bored for Tweens

During middle school, tweens need hobbies that allow their skills and interests to grow. Try these crafting ideas tailored for 9-12 year olds:

DIY Suncatchers

Melt color-shifting glass pieces onto window clings using a glue gun for a rainbow magic trick. Tweens can get creative with arranging the glass shapes. Hang them in a window to add colorful designs as the sun moves through the sky.

Tie-Dye Creations

Dye plain t-shirts, socks, or face masks with a kit. Tweens love getting messy with dye and getting to tie unique patterned effects. Show basic folding and binding techniques to make zigzags, spirals, and more.

Make Slime Stress Balls

Fill balloon halves, gloves, or zipper bags with colorful homemade slime. Seal and tie up for portable fidget toys. Tweens enjoy experimenting with textures and properties of non-Newtonian fluids.

Design Temporary Tattoos

Tweens will love channeling their personal style onto temporary tattoos. Provide plain sheets, coloring supplies, and design ideas. From constellations to animals to inspirational words, personal expression through art is so engaging.

DIY Earrings or Bracelets

With bead kits, string, and colorful accessories, tweens will have a blast crafting wearable pieces. Teach basic jewelry-making techniques like wire wrapping and bead stringing. Self-expression through fashion is so appealing.

Crafts to Do When Bored for 10-Year-Olds

At ten years old, kids are ready to take on some more complex crafts. Mix in activities that exercise both sides of their brains through spatial, logical, and creative challenges:

Make Slime Kit

Provide ingredients and a jar for kids to mix their own fluffy or crunchy slime. Measuring out baking soda, Elmer’s glue, and food coloring aids early STEM learning and provides a fun sensory experience.

Weave Colorful Coasters

Using embroidery hoops, thin craft foam, and yarn or embroidery floss, kids can learn simple back-and-forth loom weaving. Teach how to securely start and finish the weave to make round, colorful coasters for drinks.

Origami Modular Map

Challenge spatial skills with an advanced multi-step origami project. Provide detailed diagrams for kids to fold interlocking origami squares representing different terrains like mountains and oceans.

Build With popsicle Sticks

With craft glue or hot glue, guide kids in engineering unique structures like boats, animals, and buildings entirely from inexpensive popsicle sticks. Creativity and problem-solving abound.

Tie Dye Galaxy in a Jar

Stir colored water, glitter and glycerin in Mason jars for a galaxy in a bottle effect. Top with swirls of tie-dye to add nebulas and stellar nurseries. A relaxing science experiment meets art.

Crafts to Do When Bored for Adults

For grown-ups, boredom relief needs to engage both the creative senses as well as provide a sense of accomplishment. Level up your crafting with these advanced ideas:

Macrame Wall Hanging

Using colorful cord or yarn along with a dowel or hoop, learn basic macrame knots like square, half hitch, and more to weave intricate geometric wall art. A meditative textile craft.

Polymer Clay Jewelry

Condition, roll, and sculpt colored polymer clay into one-of-a-kind beads, pendants, and charms. Cure pieces in the oven and add chains or cords for stylish accessories.

Felt Applique Ornaments

Draw festive winter scenes, add felt details with fabric glue, and stuff with polyfill for three-dimensional Christmas creations. Frame with embroidery if desired.

Paper Quilling Pictures

Roll, shape, and arrange thin paper strips into curled sculptures and portraits. Layering different hues and textures brings illustrations to life in unique curly-cue form.

Begin Wire Wrapping Gems

Using wire, pliers, and semi-precious stones, twist elegant wire-sculpted settings. Enhance any plain jewelry with your own custom-wrapped stones. Unlock your inner jeweler!

FAQ

What can girls do when they are bored at home?

There are countless creative activities girls can enjoy when bored at home. In addition to many of the crafts already mentioned, girls may like making DIY bath bombs, charm bracelets out of beads, friendship bracelet kits, making personalized zines or journals, doing face masks or hair masks with friends, baking or cooking, putting on mini fashion shows with different outfits, playing dress up, doing backyard scavenger hunts, learning choreography to favorite songs on TikTok and YouTube, starting an art or craft project like painting, sketching or embroidery. Playing with dolls or action figures, reading books, listening to music, doing at-home spa treatments, and researching potential careers or hobbies online are all interactive ways girls can entertain themselves indoors.

What can I make at home easy crafts?

Some easy crafts you can make at home include homemade play dough, no-bake slime, DIY greeting cards, paper flower bouquets, dotted line art, painted rocks, beaded bracelets or necklaces, salt dough sculptures, origami animals or bookmarks, picture frames from popsicle sticks, tissue paper collages and more. Many simple, kid-friendly crafts use basic supplies you likely already have on hand, like paper, glue, scissors, beads, and clay-based materials.

How do you survive boredom at school?

Some ways to overcome boredom at school include staying organized so you always have your textbooks and supplies, participating during class discussions, asking your teacher questions, doing extra credit assignments, starting a journal to write or doodle in, coloring or puzzling during downtime, studying ahead or re-learning topics you’re weaker in, listening to audiobooks or music during free periods, playing card or board games with friends at lunch. You can also form a study group, join a school club, or take up a new hobby like photography or coding to optimize your spare moments.

How do you make homemade coasters?

Basic homemade coaster materials include felt, embroidery hoops, or cardboard backed with contact paper. To make felt coasters, cut felt into circles using a template or scissors. Glue onto cardboard rounds and decorate with embroidered or iron-on designs if desired for woven coasters, thread yarn, or embroidery floss horizontally and vertically through an embroidery hoop. Tie a knot, weave over-under, and knot off on the back. Cut circular cardboard to fit inside.

How do I have fun with no money?

There are plenty of inexpensive or free ways to have fun, like going for a hike, drawing or coloring, stargazing on clear nights, starting a journal, doing a jigsaw or crossword puzzle, practicing an instrument, organizing photos, learning card tricks, playing board games or cards, yoga or exercising at home, learning a new language with an app, baking treats, doing a DIY craft or science experiment, singing or dancing to music, starting a collection like pressed flowers or shells. Being outside and enjoying nature is always stimulating and free of cost.