Top Winter Hobbies For The Self-Reliant Woman

Without a doubt, it’s harder to find things to do in the winter than it is when the weather is nice, but there are plenty of hobbies that a self-reliant woman can learn in order to fill her time.

In a post-SHTF life, you may have to learn to combine pleasure with utility; that is, what you do for fun may also need to serve a purpose. In the true pioneer spirit, we’ve put together this list of fun but useful winter hobbies for the self-reliant woman.

1. Indoor Gardening

Just because there is 3 feet of snow on the ground doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy fresh flowers and herbs. Terrariums and herb gardens do well in the winter and if you have some windows that allow enough light, you can even grow some fresh vegetables such as tomatoes.

By saving your seeds from your summer garden, many flowers will even grow well indoors. We recommend purchasing some books on indoor gardening so that you have something to read and refer to as you start making winter delicious and flowery.

In preparation for your summer garden, you may want to get a head start by planting your seeds in February so that you can have young plants that are ready to go in the earth when the weather warms up.

2. Cooking

{adinserter emp}You worked hard all summer to can and preserve and now is the time to enjoy the fruits (and veggies!) of your labor. There’s nothing like a hearty bowl of stew or a mouthwateringly delicious apple pie to make your family smile. Cooking is a great winter hobby for the self-reliant woman because it serves two purposes: it brings you pleasure and fills hungry bellies.

If you enjoy cooking, putting together your recipes and making perfect sauces, dishes and desserts is a great way to relax and get away from your worries for a while. Since you’re only limited by your supplies and your imagination, you can do pretty much whatever you want in the kitchen and your family will love the results.

3. Home Improvement Projects

Self-reliant women often enjoy being handy around the house, too. Woodworking, home repair, and remodeling projects are all tasks that many women dig right in to, so if that cabinet is hanging or you flat-out hate the way that look, fix them or replace them!

The advantages of enjoying home improvement projects are that you add both monetary and aesthetic value to your home, you keep it safe for all who enter, and you improve the function of your space. Plus, it’s often a physically exhausting hobby so you’ll be ready to sleep well at night.

4. Sewing

Why throw away that shirt just because it lost a button or was torn when the kids were climbing under the fence? Mend it instead; you’ll save both money and resources. If you become handy with a needle or a sewing machine, you can make everything that you’ll need from clothing to blankets, too. All you’ll need is material and some time.

The best thing about making your own clothes is that they’ll be tailored to fit you in a way that no store-bought clothes could ever be. They’ll also be in colors and styles that you like, and if you don’t have access to stores, you won’t be wandering around in ripped up rags. Stockpiling some fabric and thread may not be a bad idea if you have the room.

Video first seen on About.com.

5. Crocheting/Knitting

As anybody who crochets or knits will attest, you can burn up many hours making beautiful items with this hobby.

Scarves, mittens, caps, sweaters, afghans…the list of what you can make is practically endless if you’re good with a set of needles or hooks.

Crocheted and knitted items make wonderful gifts that the recipient will keep for years, too.

Who doesn’t have an afghan that Great Aunt Sally made them? They’re often timeless and almost always durable.

Make sure that you stockpile yarn or thread and that you have an heir and a spare set of needles or hooks.

6. Family Board Games

It’s tough to keep the kids occupied when it’s cold out but family board games are a great way to entertain them while helping your family bond.

There are so many games available that a few trips to yard sales will quickly have you all set for an entire winter’s worth of game-playing fun.

Since games are often a great way to burn up a few hours, this may be a great hobby to adopt after dinner when it’s dark out and there’s nothing else to do until bedtime. It also ends the day on a good note for everybody.

7. Candle or Soap Making

The great thing about making candles or soap is that in a survival situation, you’re going to need them but it’s also a way to exercise your creativity. That’s important, especially if, as a self-reliant woman, most of your day is filled with mundane, drag-your-feet tasks. Soap and candles can look and smell however you want them to and are only limited by your supplies and your imagination.

Video first seen on I’m so Random.

8. Exercising

Maintaining your physical fitness is a great winter hobby for the self-reliant woman, or for any person for that matter. Especially in a survival situation, it’s going to be imperative that you’re as healthy as possible and exercising can be done right in the house whether you have a home gym or not.

There are many body weight exercises that will keep you lean and fit, and yoga is an excellent activity to soothe your mind as well as tone your body.

9. Writing

If you enjoy writing, it can serve several purposes. If you like to do write a journal, you can document your experiences and the feelings that you have right at that moment. It’s a great way to purge emotions and to take a good look at what you’re feeling from a distance. Writing is often a great way of working through emotions, and in a post-SHTF situation, that may mentally invaluable.

Writing fiction is a great way to escape for a while. You can step into another world where things are exactly as you create them. Regardless of whether you prefer writing romance, horror, comedy, or another genre, it’s a great way to get away from your worries for a bit.

Regardless of what you like, there is without a doubt hundreds of winter hobbies for a self-reliant woman out there. Since you certainly don’t want to spend all winter staring out the window, think about what you truly enjoy doing, then find a way to do it inside.

Make sure that you have plenty of supplies stockpiled to get you through the winter, or until you’ll have access to more supplies; there’s nothing more frustrating than getting half-way through a project before realizing that you don’t have what you need to finish it!

Do you have a favorite hobby for winter that we didn’t mention? If so, please tell us about it in the comments section below.

This article has been written by Theresa Crouse for Survivopedia.