What can I take up that leaves me with something at the end?
Hobbies where you make something
There is a specific satisfaction in ending an evening holding something that did not exist at the start of it, and it is not the same satisfaction as getting fitter or learning something. These are the activities in the catalogue that produce an object. They differ enormously in how long the first one takes — a crocheted dishcloth in an evening, a piece of furniture in a season.
602 activities in the catalogue, 60 written up so far.
Subhashish Panigrahi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
3D printing
Making physical objects layer by layer from a digital model — a manufacturing process that became a domestic hobby, with all the calibration that implies.
£100–£300 to start · indoors · sedentary
Christopher J. Fynn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Amateur perfumery
Blending fragrance from essential oils and aroma chemicals — a craft of structure, patience and a great deal of smelling.
£300–£1,000 to start · indoors · sedentary
Fanny Schertzer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Bicycle maintenance
Servicing and rebuilding bicycles, from a puncture to a full wheel build — the rare craft that pays for itself.
£100–£300 to start · indoors · gentle
Astrophotography
HobbyPhotographing the night sky, from a camera on a tripod to hours of accumulated exposure through a tracked telescope.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
Automotive detailing
CraftHobbyCleaning, correcting and protecting vehicle paint as a craft — where the order of operations matters far more than the products.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
Balm and cosmetics making
CraftMaking balms, salves and creams at home — the one distinction that decides whether a product keeps, and where a private craft becomes a regulated one.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
Bonsai
HobbyCraftGrowing and shaping trees in containers over decades — horticulture first, aesthetics second.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
Botanical spirit blending
CraftMaking gin and flavoured spirits by infusing a bought neutral base — lawful, cheap, and done in an afternoon.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
Campervan conversion
CraftHobbyTurning a panel van into somewhere you can sleep, cook and sit out the rain — carpentry, wiring and plumbing in a space that moves.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Charcuterie & curing
CraftCuring, drying and smoking meat, where the food-safety rules are the craft rather than a footnote to it.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
CNC routing
CraftHobbyCutting parts from a digital design on a computer-controlled router — a workshop machine that is genuinely powerful and genuinely unforgiving.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
Comics making
CraftHobbyTelling a story in panels — the sequence, the page, the lettering, and the finishing habit that turns drawings into a comic.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
Composting
HobbyTurning garden and kitchen waste into soil — the methods, what a heap is telling you, and why almost every problem is one of three things.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
Corsetry
CraftMaking structured foundation garments — the branch of dressmaking with real engineering in it, and the least forgiving fit in the craft.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
Crochet
CraftMaking fabric from yarn with a single hook, one stitch at a time, from a £5 starter kit.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
Dressmaking
CraftMaking clothes that fit a real body, from commercial patterns or your own — where the sewing is the easy half and the fitting is the craft.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
Embroidery
CraftDecorating fabric with needle and thread, from six basic stitches to centuries-old traditions.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
Fiction writing
HobbyCraftMaking up stories and writing them down — the cheapest serious craft there is, and one where finishing is a separate skill from writing.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
Film photography
HobbyCraftShooting, developing and scanning film — where every frame costs money, which changes how you take them.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
FPV drone flying
HobbySportFlying a small aircraft from its own camera view — the law that makes it a two-person activity, the simulator that teaches it, and the kit you almost certainly build yourself.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
Game development
CraftMaking games as a hobby — where the difficulty is not the engine but finishing something small enough to finish.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
Game mastering
HobbyRunning roleplaying games for other people — a distinct craft of preparation, improvisation and table management.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
Hand engraving
CraftCutting lines into metal with a graver — lettering, ornament and inscription, done by hand at a bench.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
Herbal preparations
CraftHobbyDrying, extracting and keeping plants as a craft — the forms, the vocabulary, the law, and the line this page will not cross.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
Hobby welding
CraftJoining steel at home — which process to buy, what the hazards actually are, and the work this page will not describe.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
Home automation
HobbyMaking a house respond to sensors, schedules and each other — a systems hobby whose hard part is deciding what should happen, not making it happen.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
Home brewing
HobbyCraftMaking beer, cider, wine or mead at home — a fermentation craft where cleanliness matters more than recipe.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
Home distilling
CraftDistilling spirits at home — what it is, why UK law treats it differently from brewing, and what you can lawfully do instead.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
Home espresso
HobbyPulling espresso at home — where the grinder matters more than the machine and almost all the advice is written by people selling machines.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
Home machining
CraftTurning and milling metal to close tolerances on a lathe or mill in a garage workshop — the craft that makes every other workshop craft possible.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
Hydroponics
HobbyGrowing plants in nutrient solution rather than soil — which system suits which plant, what it genuinely costs, and the gap between the windowsill version and the tent version.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
Journaling
HobbyCraftWriting regularly for yourself — as a record, a thinking tool, or a creative practice.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
Knifemaking
CraftMaking a blade from steel — the two routes in, what heat treatment actually does, the grinder that is the real hazard, and where UK law sits for a maker.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
Knitting
CraftMaking fabric from yarn with two or more needles — the yarn craft that produces clothes people actually wear.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
Luthiery
CraftBuilding and repairing stringed instruments, where fine woodworking meets acoustics.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
Machine knitting
CraftProducing knitted fabric on a domestic machine — fast, technical, and reliant on equipment that has not been made for decades.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
Microcontroller projects
HobbyBuilding small devices around Arduino, Pico and similar boards — the cheapest way to make something physical respond to the world.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
Millinery
CraftMaking hats — blocking felt and straw over wooden forms, and the proportion and fit that decide whether one works.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
Miniature painting
HobbyCraftPainting small figures and models to a standard far beyond what their size suggests is possible.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
Model railways
HobbyCraftBuilding and operating a miniature railway — part modelmaking, part electronics, part landscape painting in three dimensions.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
Mould making
CraftMaking silicone and rubber moulds so an original can be reproduced — the half of casting where the craft actually is.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
Music production
HobbyCraftRecording, arranging and mixing music on a computer — a craft with a very low entry cost and a famously steep middle.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
Narrowboat restoration
HobbyCraftBringing a canal boat back — the survey that decides everything, the steel, the systems, and the safety regime that says whether the work passed.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
Natural dyeing
CraftColouring yarn and cloth with plants, minerals and insects — a craft where the chemistry is the point and most of the folklore is wrong.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
Pattern drafting
CraftDesigning garment patterns from measurements rather than buying them — the craft that decides whether clothes fit before any fabric is cut.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
Pottery
CraftForming clay into objects and firing them permanently hard — by wheel, by hand, or both.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
Prop making
CraftBuilding replica objects from foam, resin and 3D prints for stage, film or shelf — a craft defined by making things look like what they are not.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
Robotics
HobbyBuilding machines that sense and move — from a line follower on a kitchen table to a combat robot in an arena.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
Sauna building
CraftHobbyBuilding a garden sauna — the stove decision, the regulations nobody mentions, and the bench geometry that makes it work.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Scale modelling
HobbyCraftBuilding plastic kits properly — why assembly is the easy part, what the airbrush question really is, and how a model stops looking like a toy.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
Sewing
CraftJoining and shaping cloth by hand or machine — the root skill that sits under dressmaking, quilting, mending and most of the textile crafts.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
Shed building
CraftHobbyBuilding a garden workshop or store from scratch — the permitted development limits, the base, and the damp.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Shoemaking
CraftMaking footwear over a last, from pattern to welted or cemented sole — a craft where an amateur can still outdo anything they could buy.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
Smallholding
HobbyWorking a few acres with livestock and crops — the scale between a garden and a farm, and the registrations nobody mentions.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
Songwriting
HobbyCraftWriting original songs — and the finishing problem that stops most people, which almost nothing written for beginners is about.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
Sourdough
CraftHobbyBread raised by a culture you keep alive — a timing and observation problem rather than a recipe one, which is why recipes keep failing you.
Under £25 to startIndoorsGentle
Treehouse building
CraftHobbyBuilding a structure carried by a living tree — where the tree, not the timber, sets every rule.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
Upholstery
CraftStripping a chair back to its frame and rebuilding it — webbing, springs, stuffing, fabric, and a great many tacks.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsDemanding
Whittling
CraftShaping wood with a single knife — the cheapest, oldest and most portable making craft there is.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
Wood finishing
CraftOils, waxes, varnishes and shellac — the stage that decides how a finished piece is judged, and the one most often rushed.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
Also matching, not yet written up
These meet the same criteria and are in the catalogue; we have not written them up in depth.
Accordion
HobbyA portable free-reed instrument central to folk traditions across Europe and beyond.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Acrylic painting
HobbyCraftFast-drying, forgiving paint that works on almost any surface.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Air-dry clay modelling
CraftModelling with clay that hardens in the air, so no kiln is needed at all.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Allotment gardening
HobbyGrowing on a rented plot, with waiting lists, site rules and a social world of its own.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Alpaca keeping
HobbyKeeping alpacas for fleece, walking or grazing, which suits small acreages.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Alternative firing
CraftFiring pottery in sawdust, saggars or barrels for surface effects a kiln cannot produce.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Amateur aircraft building
HobbyCraftBuilding a light aircraft from plans or a kit under a national association’s inspection scheme.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Amateur cartography
HobbyCraftMaking maps — surveyed, drawn or digital — of real or imagined places.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Amateur dramatics
HobbyActing, staging and producing plays with a local company.
Under £25 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Amigurumi
CraftCrocheting small stuffed creatures worked in tight continuous spirals.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Antenna building
HobbyCraftDesigning and building aerials from wire and tube, the cheapest way to improve any radio station.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Appliqué
CraftApplying shaped fabric onto a ground cloth by hand or machine, the counterpart to piecing.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Aquaponics
HobbyRunning a fish tank and a growing bed as one nitrogen cycle.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Aquascaping
HobbyCraftDesigning planted underwater landscapes in an aquarium, competitively.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Arcade cabinet restoration
HobbyCraftRestoring arcade machines, part cabinetry part vintage electronics.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Armour making
CraftRaising and dishing plate armour for reenactment and historical combat, from patterns taken off the body.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Arrow making
CraftSportBuilding arrows to a spine and length, which is a precision craft archery clubs still teach.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Artists’ books
CraftHobbyMaking books as artworks — structure, sequence and material rather than text on pages.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Audio drama production
HobbyCraftWriting, recording and editing dramatic audio, where sound design carries what a picture would.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Autograss racing
SportGrassroots oval circuit racing on grass in home-built cars, the cheapest real motorsport in Britain.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Automata making
CraftBuilding mechanical figures driven by cams and linkages, half toy half sculpture.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Backstrap weaving
CraftWeaving on a loom tensioned by the weaver’s own body, which costs almost nothing and stores flat.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bag making
CraftSewing bags in cloth or leather, where interfacing, hardware and structure carry the design.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bagpipes
HobbyHighland and small pipes, learned on a practice chanter for a year before the bag.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Baking
HobbyCraftCakes, biscuits and pastry, where accuracy matters more than improvisation.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Barbecue & smoking
HobbyCraftCooking with live fire and smoke over hours, controlling temperature by hand.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Basketry
CraftWeaving willow, cane or rush into baskets, trays and sculptural forms.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bassoon
HobbyThe bass double reed, with awkward fingering, its own reed craft and a permanent shortage of players.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Batik
CraftResist dyeing with hot wax applied by tjanting or stamp, then removed between colours.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beadwork
CraftStitching tiny beads into patterned fabric, jewellery and ornaments.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beatboxing
HobbyPercussion made entirely with the mouth, needing no equipment and no space at all.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beekeeping
HobbyKeeping honeybee colonies through the year, and the honey that follows.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bicycle frame building
CraftBrazing or welding bicycle frames from tubing, to your own geometry.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bicycle restoration
HobbyCraftBringing vintage and classic bicycles back to riding condition, and deciding how much patina to keep.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bicycle wheel building
CraftHobbyLacing and tensioning wheels by hand, which is the one bicycle skill that stays hard.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bioactive vivarium keeping
HobbyBuilding self-cleaning enclosures with live plants and a clean-up crew of invertebrates.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Birdsong recording
HobbyField recording of bird and wildlife sound, halfway between birdwatching and audio work.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bitters and infusions
CraftHobbyMacerating botanicals in spirit to make cocktail bitters and aperitifs, a slow patient hobby.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Blacksmithing
CraftHeating steel in a forge and shaping it on an anvil with a hammer.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Blackwork embroidery
CraftCounted geometric embroidery in a single colour, from Tudor dress.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Board game design
HobbyCraftDesigning, prototyping and testing your own tabletop games.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bobbin lace
CraftTwisting and crossing dozens of threads on a pillow to build lace by hand.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bodhrán
HobbyThe Irish frame drum, played with a tipper and central to session music.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bone antler and horn carving
CraftCarving bone, antler and horn, materials that predate every other craft material here.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bookbinding
CraftFolding, sewing and casing paper into books that open properly and last.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Boro mending
CraftJapanese layered patch-and-stitch repair, valued for the record of its repairs.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Botanical illustration
HobbyCraftDrawing plants accurately enough to identify them, in a tradition centuries old.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Botanical watercolour
CraftHobbyPainting plants to a botanical standard, where accuracy of structure matters as much as beauty.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bowl turning
CraftTurning bowls and hollow forms on a lathe, distinct from spindle work in tools and risk.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bowyery
CraftMaking wooden bows from a stave, where reading the grain decides whether it survives tillering.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bra making
CraftSewing fitted bras from stretch and stable fabrics, where fit is solved before construction starts.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Brass banding
HobbyThe British brass band tradition: graded contests, weekly rehearsals and lent instruments.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bread baking
HobbyCraftBaking real bread, including sourdough — a craft of time and temperature.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Broad-edge calligraphy
CraftWriting formal letterforms with a chisel-edged pen, from Roman capitals to blackletter.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bronze casting
CraftCasting sculpture in bronze, usually through a foundry but sometimes at home scale.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bullet journalling
HobbyA structured notebook system for tasks, logs and plans, kept by hand.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Burlesque
HobbyTheatrical variety performance built around character, costume and comic timing.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bus and coach restoration
HobbyRestoring and running preserved buses, usually through a group rather than alone.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bushcraft
HobbyLiving skills for the outdoors — fire, shelter, water, cordage, tools.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Butter and yoghurt making
CraftCulturing and churning dairy at home — the simplest end of dairy craft.
Under £25 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
CAD modelling
HobbyDesigning parts in three dimensions for printing, machining or simply for the pleasure of it.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cake decorating
CraftFinishing cakes with icing, sugarcraft and modelling — a craft in its own right.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Calligraphy
HobbyCraftWriting letterforms beautifully and deliberately with a broad or pointed nib.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Camera repair
CraftHobbyServicing mechanical cameras — shutters, light seals, rangefinders — and the tools that make it possible.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Canal boat painting
CraftRoses-and-castles folk decoration from the British canal tradition, on ware and boats.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Candle making
CraftMelting, scenting and pouring wax into moulds and containers.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Car audio installation
HobbyCraftDesigning and fitting vehicle sound systems, where the cabin is the hardest part of the problem.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Caravan restoration
HobbyRestoring vintage touring caravans, where damp and body panels are the whole battle.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Card making
CraftMaking greetings cards by hand with stamps, dies and layered paper.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cartonnage
CraftMaking fabric-covered card boxes and cases, cut and assembled to a drawn plan.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cartooning & comics
HobbyCraftTelling stories in drawn panels, from single-gag cartoons to full graphic novels.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Carved sign making
CraftCutting and gilding lettered signs in wood, a lettering craft distinct from painting one.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cave photography
HobbyPhotographing underground, where every light source must be carried and placed.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ceramic restoration
CraftBonding, filling and retouching broken ceramics reversibly, which is the opposite of kintsugi’s intent.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ceramic transfer printing
CraftApplying printed decals to glazed ware and refiring, which brings graphics into pottery.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chainmaille
CraftLinking thousands of metal rings into armour, jewellery and sculpture.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chainsaw carving
CraftCarving figures and furniture from log with saws of several sizes, finished with grinders and torch.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chair bodging
CraftTurning chair legs and stretchers on a pole lathe in the wood, the itinerant half of chairmaking.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chair caning
CraftReseating chairs in cane, rush or seagrass, a repair craft with a steady supply of work.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chair making
CraftThe hardest thing in furniture: angles in three planes and joints that carry a person.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Charcoal burning
CraftProducing charcoal from coppiced wood in a ring kiln, a multi-day woodland operation.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chasing and repoussé
CraftRaising relief in sheet metal by working it from both sides with punches.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cheese making
CraftHobbyMaking cheese at home, from a same-day soft cheese to an aged hard one.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chip carving
CraftCutting precise geometric chips out of flat wood with one or two knives.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chiptune
HobbyCraftComposing music with the sound chips of vintage computers and consoles.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Chocolate making
CraftTempering and moulding chocolate, and making filled confectionery.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cider making
HobbyCraftPressing and fermenting apples, usually with far more fruit than expected.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Circuit bending
CraftRewiring toys and cheap electronics to make instruments nobody designed.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Clamshell box making
CraftBuilding fitted protective boxes for books and objects, measured from the object rather than to a plan.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Classic car restoration
HobbyBringing an old car back to running, usable or concours condition.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Clay sculpture
CraftModelling figures and forms in clay, fired or cast rather than thrown.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Clockmaking
CraftMaking clock movements and cases from scratch, distinct from repairing existing ones.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Clog making
CraftCarving alder soles and fitting leather uppers, with a knife set specific to the trade.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cob building
CraftBuilding walls from subsoil, straw and water — the oldest earth technique in Britain.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cocktail making
HobbyCraftMixing drinks properly — balance, dilution, ice and technique.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coffee roasting
CraftHobbyRoasting green beans at home, where a thirty-second difference changes the cup completely.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coil building
CraftBuilding pots from rolled ropes of clay, which scales to sizes a wheel cannot reach.
Under £25 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Collage
HobbyCraftBuilding images from cut and torn paper, photographs and found material.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Collagraph
CraftPrinting from a plate built up with glued materials, which prints texture as much as line.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Colourwork knitting
CraftStranded and intarsia knitting in several colours at once, where tension across the float is everything.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Combat robotics
HobbySportDesigning and fighting radio-controlled machines to weight classes, from ant weight upwards.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Community choir
HobbyNon-auditioned group singing, which is the lowest-barrier social hobby that exists.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Community gardening
HobbyGrowing on shared land with other people, where the organising is half the activity.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Competitive sheep shearing
SportHobbyShearing against the clock and on quality, judged in graded competition classes.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Constructed languages
HobbyInventing languages with consistent grammar and phonology, for worlds or for their own sake.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Container gardening
HobbyGrowing in pots on a balcony, yard or doorstep, with no ground at all.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Contemporary dance
HobbyModern technique and improvisation, taught in open classes.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coopering
CraftMaking barrels from shaped staves held only by hoops and their own geometry.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Copper foil glasswork
CraftBuilding glass panels with copper tape and solder rather than lead came — the smaller-scale method.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coppersmithing
CraftRaising vessels from copper sheet by hammering, with annealing between each stage.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coppicing
CraftHobbyCutting broadleaf trees to the base on a rotation and using the regrowth.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Coracle building
CraftHobbyBuilding and paddling the traditional hide-or-canvas river boat, usually on a weekend course.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Corn dolly making
CraftPlaiting straw into the harvest figures that once marked the end of the season.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cosplay
CraftHobbyBuilding and wearing costumes of characters, combining sewing, foam and prop work.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Country wine making
CraftHobbyMaking wine from hedgerow fruit, flowers and vegetables rather than from grapes.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Country wines and cordials
CraftMaking elderflower, sloe and hedgerow drinks from what is in season.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Creative writing
HobbyCraftWriting fiction and narrative non-fiction, and learning to revise it.
Free or near-free to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cross stitch
CraftCounted embroidery worked in X-shaped stitches on evenweave fabric from a charted design.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Crystal growing
HobbyGrowing crystals from solution, which is chemistry that produces something to keep.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Custom motorcycle building
HobbyCraftRebuilding a motorcycle to a chosen style — cafe racer, scrambler, bobber — rather than to original spec.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cyanotype
CraftMaking blue prints from sunlight and two cheap chemicals, no camera needed.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Damascening
CraftInlaying gold or silver wire into a keyed steel ground, used on arms, ironwork and jewellery.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Darkroom printing
CraftPrinting photographs by hand under an enlarger, in chemistry.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Decorative concrete casting
CraftCasting planters, tops and garden objects in concrete and GRC.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Decorative paint finishes
CraftBroken-colour techniques — dragging, stippling, colourwashing — used to age or enrich a surface.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Decorative ropework
CraftTraditional knot work — mats, bell ropes, Turk’s heads — a sailor’s craft that survives ashore.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Decoupage
CraftLayering cut paper onto objects and varnishing until the joins disappear.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Demoscene
HobbyWriting audiovisual programs under severe size limits, judged at parties — a computer art form.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Diatom arranging
CraftArranging microscopic algae into patterns on slides, a Victorian micro-craft.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Digital art
HobbyCraftDrawing and painting on a tablet or computer with pressure-sensitive tools.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Diorama building
CraftHobbyBuilding a scene around a model — groundwork, structures, figures and light.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dirt jumping
SportRiding and building shaped earth jumps for tricks, on short hardtails, at self-maintained trails.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dollhouse miniatures
CraftHobbyMaking tiny furniture, food and fittings at 1:12 and smaller.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Domino toppling
HobbyBuilding and filming large chain-reaction constructions, a patience and engineering hobby with a big online scene.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dorset button making
CraftMaking thread-wound buttons over rings, a revived Dorset cottage industry.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Drag performance
HobbyCraftPerforming in drag, combining costume, makeup, lip sync and stagecraft.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Drag racing
SportTwo vehicles, a straight quarter or eighth mile, and a sport decided largely by the start.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Drawing
HobbyCraftMaking images with pencil, charcoal or ink — the root skill under most visual art.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Drifting
SportJudged sustained oversteer through a marked course, scored on line, angle and commitment.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Drone photography
HobbyAerial stills and video, with a registration and flight-restriction regime attached.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dry stone walling
CraftBuilding walls from unmortared stone, each one chosen to lock the others in place.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Drypoint
CraftScratching directly into a plate and printing the burr, the simplest intaglio method to start.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Egg tempera painting
CraftPainting with pigment bound in egg yolk, the pre-oil European technique.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Electric vehicle conversion
HobbyCraftReplacing a combustion drivetrain with motor and battery, and the paperwork that legalises the result.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Electronics
HobbyCraftDesigning, building and repairing circuits, from a first LED to real instruments.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Electronics repair
HobbyCraftFixing consumer electronics rather than replacing them, starting with a soldering iron.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Electroplating
CraftDepositing metal onto a surface by electrolysis, used in restoration and jewellery finishing.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Enamelling
CraftFusing powdered glass onto metal in a kiln or with a torch for permanent colour.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Encaustic painting
CraftPainting with heated pigmented wax, worked and fused with heat.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
English paper piecing
CraftHand piecing patchwork over paper templates, which makes accurate hexagons possible on a lap.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Escape room design
HobbyCraftDesigning puzzle rooms and hunts, a hobby that has grown its own amateur scene.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Etching & intaglio
CraftBiting lines into a metal plate with acid and printing them under a press.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Experimental archaeology
HobbyCraftTesting how things were actually made by making them with period methods.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fan fiction writing
HobbyCraftWriting fiction in somebody else’s world, with an enormous online culture.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Felting
CraftMatting wool fibres into fabric by needle or by water and friction. Almost no equipment.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fermentation
HobbyCraftKimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha — preserving with live cultures.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fermenting
CraftMaking kraut, kimchi, kefir and kombucha with controlled microbial cultures.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Field recording
HobbyCraftRecording places and soundscapes, which teaches you to hear where you already live.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Filigree
CraftBuilding jewellery from twisted and flattened fine wire soldered into open patterns.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Film scoring
HobbyWriting music to picture against timecode, where the cut rather than the phrase sets the structure.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fleece preparation
CraftSorting, scouring, combing and carding raw fleece — the half of spinning that happens before the wheel.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Flint knapping
CraftHobbyShaping stone tools by controlled fracture, an experimental archaeology craft with real hazards.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Floor loom weaving
CraftWeaving cloth on a multi-shaft loom, where the threading is the design.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Flower arranging
CraftHobbyComposing cut flowers, with a competitive club circuit most people never notice.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fly tying
CraftHobbyTying artificial flies at the vice, a craft with a deep tradition that outlasts any one fishing trip.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Foley and sound design
HobbyCraftMaking sound effects physically, for film, games and radio drama.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Folk sessions
HobbyPlaying traditional tunes by ear in a pub circle, with etiquette nobody writes down.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Food smoking
CraftCold and hot smoking fish, meat and cheese, in a kit smoker or one you built.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fore-edge painting
CraftPainting a scene on the fanned page edges of a book so it vanishes when the book is closed.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Forge building
CraftBuilding a solid-fuel or gas forge and the shop around it, before any smithing happens.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fossil preparation
HobbyCraftCleaning and stabilising fossils out of their matrix, a patient specialist craft.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
FPGA projects
HobbyDescribing digital hardware in code and running it on a reconfigurable chip, rather than programming a processor.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Free flight models
HobbyCraftModel aircraft with no control at all, trimmed on the ground and then simply let go.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
French polishing
CraftBuilding a shellac finish with a rubber over many sessions — the traditional furniture surface.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fruit tree grafting
CraftHobbyPropagating varieties by joining scion to rootstock, which is how heritage apples survive at all.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Furniture making
CraftDesigning and building furniture, from flat-pack alternatives to fine cabinetmaking.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Furniture restoration
CraftRepairing and refinishing furniture without erasing its history, which is the whole argument in the craft.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Garden pond keeping
HobbyBuilding and maintaining an outdoor pond, for wildlife or for fish.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Garden railways
HobbyCraftModel railways built outdoors at larger scales, where weather and planting become part of the layout.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gardening
HobbyMaking and keeping a garden — the parent of a very large family of hobbies.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Generative art
CraftHobbyMaking images from code and rules rather than by hand, with plotters and screens as output.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Generative music
HobbyBuilding systems that compose rather than composing directly, in patchers, code or hardware.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Geocache hiding
HobbyDesigning, placing and maintaining caches rather than only finding them.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gilding
CraftApplying gold leaf to wood, plaster and glass, a trade skill kept alive by hobbyists.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Glass casting
CraftKiln-casting glass into refractory moulds taken from a wax original, over long controlled schedules.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Glass engraving
CraftCutting decoration into glass with a rotating burr or by hand with a diamond point.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Glass etching
CraftCutting designs into glass by sandblasting or acid, for panels and vessels.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Glass fusing
CraftMelting layered glass together in a kiln into dishes, panels and jewellery.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Glassblowing
CraftShaping molten glass on a blowpipe, almost always learned and practised at a shared hot shop.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Glaze chemistry
CraftHobbyFormulating and testing your own glazes rather than buying them ready-mixed.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gold tooling
CraftImpressing heated brass tools through gold leaf into leather bindings, one impression at a time.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Goldwork embroidery
CraftEmbroidery with metal threads laid and couched onto the surface.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gouache painting
HobbyCraftOpaque water-based paint prized for flat colour, illustration and travel sketching.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Granulation
CraftFusing tiny metal spheres onto a surface without solder, an ancient goldsmithing art.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Green roof building
HobbyCraftPlanting a shed, garage or extension roof, which is a loading and drainage problem first.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Green woodworking
CraftWorking unseasoned wood with hand tools on a shave horse and pole lathe.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Guitar pedal building
CraftHobbyBuilding effects pedals from kits and stripboard, the most common route into practical electronics.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Gyotaku
CraftJapanese fish printing, taking impressions directly from the specimen.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Haiku writing
HobbyWriting to the short Japanese forms, with a seasonal reference and a cut rather than a syllable count.
Free or near-free to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hand lettering
HobbyCraftDrawing letters as artwork rather than writing them — signs, cards and posters.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hand papermaking
CraftMaking sheets by hand from pulp, including from recycled and plant fibre.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hand spinning
CraftHobbyDrawing raw fibre into yarn on a spindle or a spinning wheel.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hand tool restoration
CraftHobbyBringing old planes, chisels and saws back into use, which is cheaper than buying new.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hand tool woodworking
CraftWorking entirely with planes, saws and chisels, without machines.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hand-building
CraftMaking pottery with pinch, coil and slab techniques, no wheel required.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Handbell ringing
HobbyTuned handbells rung in teams, from tune ringing to change ringing on the table.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Handbuilt pottery
CraftMaking pots by pinch, coil and slab without a wheel, which is most of ceramic history.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hay making
HobbyCutting, turning and gathering hay by hand or with vintage equipment.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hedgelaying
CraftPart-cutting and bending living stems to make a stock-proof hedge that keeps growing.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Herb growing and use
HobbyGrowing and preparing herbs for cooking, tea and household use.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hi-fi restoration
CraftHobbyRecapping and realigning vintage amplifiers, turntables and tape machines back to specification.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hide photography
HobbyPhotographing wildlife from a permanent or portable hide, where patience beats equipment.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
High-altitude ballooning
HobbySending instruments to the stratosphere on a weather balloon and recovering them.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Historical costuming
CraftHobbyReconstructing period dress from extant garments and patterns, to a chosen level of accuracy.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Historical wargaming
HobbyRefighting real battles with miniatures and rules that model period tactics.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Home butchery
CraftHobbyBreaking down primal cuts at home, usually learned on a course, with real hygiene requirements.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Home foundry casting
CraftMelting and pouring aluminium or bronze into moulds you made yourself.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Home server
HobbyRunning your own services on hardware you own, for storage, media and privacy.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Home weather stations
HobbyRunning and maintaining a personal weather station, and feeding its data to a public network.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Horn working
CraftFlattening, shaping and polishing horn into cups, combs and spoons, a heat-and-press craft.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hot sauce making
CraftHobbyGrowing, fermenting and blending chillies into sauces, with a large amateur trading culture.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hurdle making
CraftWeaving hazel or cleaving ash into gate and wattle hurdles, worked green straight from the coppice.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hurdy-gurdy
HobbyA cranked string instrument with a drone and a buzzing bridge, undergoing a revival.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ice carving
CraftCarving blocks of ice with chisel and chainsaw, largely a competitive and event craft.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ice dyeing
CraftMelting ice through dry dye powder onto cloth, so the dye separates into its component colours.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Icon painting
CraftPainting religious icons to traditional canon, in egg tempera and gold.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Incense making
CraftBlending and forming incense from resins, woods and binders.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Indigo dyeing
CraftDyeing in a reduced vat where colour appears on contact with air, and the vat is kept alive for weeks.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Infrared photography
HobbyCraftShooting beyond visible light with a converted camera or filter, which changes foliage and sky entirely.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ink making
CraftMaking writing and printing inks from oak gall, soot or plant matter, and testing them for permanence.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Inkle weaving
CraftWeaving narrow bands on a small frame loom, portable and quick to learn.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Intarsia
CraftPicture-making from shaped and fitted pieces of solid wood rather than veneer.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Interactive fiction
HobbyWriting and playing parser and choice-based text games, with an annual competition culture.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Iris folding
CraftBuilding a spiral of folded paper strips behind an aperture, worked from a numbered pattern.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Japanese joinery
CraftCutting interlocking wooden joints without glue or fasteners, worked with pull saws and chisels.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Japanese knife care
CraftMaintaining and sharpening single-bevel Japanese knives on water stones.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Jewellery making
CraftMaking wearable pieces from wire, beads, resin, clay or metal.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Jukebox restoration
CraftHobbyRestoring the selection mechanisms, amplifiers and lighting of coin-operated record players.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kantha stitching
CraftRunning-stitch quilting from Bengal, made from layered worn cloth.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kiln building
CraftBuilding a wood, gas or raku kiln, which is a refractory and combustion problem.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kinetic sculpture
CraftMaking sculpture that moves, by motor, wind or hand.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kintsugi
CraftRepairing broken ceramics with lacquer and gold, making the break part of the object.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kirigami
CraftPaper art that cuts as well as folds, including architectural pop-ups cut from a single sheet.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kit car building
HobbyCraftAssembling a car from a manufactured kit and a donor vehicle, ending in a road-legal registration process.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kite making
CraftHobbyBuilding kites from spar, sail and line, where small changes in bridle transform how one flies.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Knife handle making
CraftFitting scales and handles to blades in wood, bone and composite — the accessible half of knifemaking.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Knife sharpening
CraftPutting and keeping an edge on tools and knives, which underlies half the crafts here.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Knitwear design
CraftWriting knitting patterns — grading, sizing and test-knitting — rather than following somebody else’s.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Koji fermentation
CraftHobbyCultivating the mould behind miso, soy and sake, which is temperature control more than cookery.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kombucha brewing
HobbyFermenting sweetened tea with a culture, and the gateway most people take into fermenting.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kumihimo
CraftJapanese braiding of silk or cord on a disc or stand into round and flat braids.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kumiko
CraftAssembling delicate geometric lattice from thin wood strips with no fasteners at all.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lampworking
CraftMelting glass rod in a torch flame to make beads and small sculpture.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Landscape photography
HobbyPhotographing land and sky, which mostly means being somewhere at the right hour.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lapidary
CraftHobbyCutting, grinding and polishing stone into cabochons and faceted gems on wheels and laps.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Laser cutting
CraftHobbyCutting and engraving sheet material from vector artwork, usually at a makerspace before at home.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Leather tooling
CraftCutting and stamping damp vegetable-tanned leather into relief patterns.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Leatherwork
CraftCutting, stitching, tooling and dyeing leather into bags, belts and cases.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
LEGO building
HobbyBuilding sets and original models, and collecting the parts to do it.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Letter carving
CraftCutting letterforms in stone or wood by hand, a lettering discipline as much as a carving one.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Letter cutting in stone
CraftCutting lettering into stone by hand, a lettering craft as much as a carving one.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Letter writing
HobbyCorresponding by post, often with strangers, at length.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Letterlocking
CraftHobbyFolding and securing letters as they were before envelopes, a small historical craft with a research base.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Letterpress printing
CraftSetting metal or wood type by hand and printing it under real pressure.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Life casting
CraftTaking moulds directly from a living body, for sculpture, prosthetics and prop work.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Life drawing
CraftHobbyDrawing from a live model in timed poses, the standard training exercise in observational drawing.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lime plastering
CraftWorking with lime mortars and plasters on old buildings, where modern cement causes damage.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lino printing
CraftCutting a design into linoleum and printing it by hand or press.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Linocut printing
CraftCutting a design into lino, inking it and pressing prints by hand.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Literary translation
HobbyCraftTranslating poetry and prose for its own sake, which is writing more than it is language.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Live sound engineering
HobbyMixing bands and events in the room, on desks and systems learned largely by doing.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Live steam locomotives
HobbyCraftBuilding and driving coal-fired miniature locomotives, usually on a club’s ground-level track.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Live steam modelling
CraftBuilding and running working steam locomotives and engines to scale.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Live-fire cooking
CraftCooking over wood and charcoal at controlled low temperatures for many hours.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Log building
CraftScribe-fitting whole logs into a structure, a Scandinavian and North American tradition.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lost-wax casting
CraftCarving a model in wax, burning it out of a mould and casting metal in its place.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Loudspeaker building
CraftDesigning and building speaker cabinets and crossovers.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lucet braiding
CraftMaking square cord on a two-pronged fork, a medieval technique that fits in a pocket.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Macramé
CraftKnotting cord into hangings, bags and plant holders without needles or hooks.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Macro photography
HobbyPhotographing very small subjects at life size or greater.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Manuscript illumination
CraftDecorating letters and pages with gold and pigment in the medieval manner.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Marquetry
CraftCutting and fitting wood veneers into pictures and patterns on a flat surface.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mathematical origami
HobbyCraftFolding as geometry, including constructions impossible with compass and rule.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mead making
HobbyCraftFermenting honey into mead, the simplest ferment to start and the slowest to finish.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mechanical keyboards
HobbyCraftBuilding and modifying keyboards — switches, keycaps, dampening and sometimes hand-wired firmware.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mechanical puzzle design
CraftDesigning and making burr, sequential-movement and packing puzzles.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Men’s Sheds
HobbyA community workshop where the making and the company matter equally.
Under £25 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Metal clay
CraftModelling with clay that fires to solid silver, bypassing most traditional metalwork.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Metal spinning
CraftForming sheet metal over a mandrel on a lathe with hand tools, one of the few chipless metal processes.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mezzotint
CraftRocking a plate to full black and then burnishing the lights back out, working from dark to light.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model boats
HobbyCraftBuilding static or radio-controlled boats, and sailing them on a club pond.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model engineering
CraftHobbyMachining working miniature engines and locomotives from raw metal on a lathe.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model gliding
HobbyFlying unpowered model aircraft on slope lift or thermals, often on the same hills.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model rocketry
HobbyBuilding and launching solid-motor rockets, and recovering them safely.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model tramways
HobbyBuilding and operating tramway layouts, which model street running rather than rail.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Model yachting
HobbySportRadio-controlled sailing on ponds, raced competitively in classes with strict rules.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Modular synthesis
HobbyCraftBuilding sound from patched modules, where the instrument is assembled rather than bought.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mokume gane
CraftLaminating and forging patterned metal billets, wood-grain metal from Japan.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Monoprinting
CraftPrinting one-off images from an unetched plate, the most immediate and forgiving printmaking route.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mosaic
CraftSetting cut tile, glass or stone into patterned surfaces and pictures.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Mushroom growing
HobbyGrowing edible fungi at home on logs, straw or sterilised grain.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Music composition
HobbyCraftWriting music down for others to play, from song to score.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Music transcription
HobbyWorking out recorded music by ear and writing it down, which is how most players actually learn to hear.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Musical arranging
CraftRewriting existing music for different forces — a choir, a band, a quartet.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Nålbinding
CraftA single-needle looping technique that predates knitting, producing a dense non-unravelling fabric.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Nature journalling
HobbyCraftDrawing and writing observations in the field, sitting between sketching and recording.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Naval wargaming
HobbyRefighting naval actions with models and rules, at fleet or squadron scale.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Needle felting
CraftStabbing loose wool with a barbed needle until it sculpts into a solid shape.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Needle lace
CraftBuilding lace entirely from buttonhole stitches over a drawn outline, with a needle rather than bobbins.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Neon bending
CraftBending and filling glass tube to make neon signs, a small and shrinking craft.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Neon sign making
CraftBending and filling glass tube for luminous signs, a craft with very few remaining practitioners.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Net making
CraftKnotting netting by hand with needle and gauge, for fishing, sport, fruit cages and rigging.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Nixie clock building
CraftHobbyBuilding clocks around cold-cathode display tubes, which need a high-voltage supply to light at all.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
No-dig gardening
HobbyGrowing vegetables on undisturbed soil under compost mulch, a method with a large following.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Oar and paddle making
CraftShaping oars and paddles from timber, a satisfying single-object craft.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Oboe
HobbyA double-reed woodwind where reed-making is part of the instrument rather than an accessory.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Oil painting
HobbyCraftPainting in slow-drying oil colour, the medium most Western masterworks were made in.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Organ building
CraftMaking and maintaining pipe organs, an intersection of joinery, metalwork and acoustics.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Organ playing
HobbyPlaying the pipe organ, which needs feet as well as hands and an instrument you cannot own.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Origami
HobbyCraftFolding a single sheet of paper into a form, with no cuts and no glue.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ornamental turning
CraftCutting geometric patterns with a rose engine or ornamental lathe, a Victorian machine craft.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Paper engineering
CraftDesigning pop-up and movable paper structures.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Paper flower making
CraftShaping crepe and tissue into botanically accurate flowers, cut from templates and coloured by hand.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Paper marbling
CraftFloating pigment on a thickened bath and lifting the pattern onto paper.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Papercraft
CraftCutting, scoring and assembling paper into models, cards and sculpture.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Papercutting
CraftCutting intricate designs from a single sheet with a scalpel, a tradition in several cultures.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Papier-mâché
CraftBuilding forms from paper and paste over a mould or armature, the cheapest sculptural material there is.
Under £25 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Passementerie
CraftMaking decorative trimmings — tassels, cords, fringes — for furnishing and dress.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pasta making
HobbyCraftMaking fresh pasta by hand or machine, and the shapes that go with each sauce.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pastel drawing
HobbyCraftDrawing with soft or oil pastels, blended directly with the fingers.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pastry
CraftHobbyLaminated and shortcrust doughs, where temperature discipline separates good from disappointing.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Patchwork
CraftPiecing small fabric shapes into a larger design, by hand or machine.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pattern welding
CraftForge-welding layered steels into a patterned billet, usually for blades.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pattern-welded steel
CraftForge-welding layered steels into patterned billets for blades and jewellery.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
PC building
HobbySpecifying, assembling and tuning your own computer.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
PCB design
HobbyCraftDesigning printed circuit boards and having them fabricated, now cheap enough to be a hobby.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pen turning
CraftTurning pen bodies onto manufactured kits, the standard first project on any lathe.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Permaculture
HobbyDesigning growing systems that work with ecology rather than against it.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pewter casting
CraftCasting a low-melting alloy in simple moulds, the gentlest introduction to metal casting.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pewter smithing
CraftRaising and spinning pewter, a soft metal that forgives beginners in a way silver does not.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Photo bookmaking
CraftSequencing and binding photographs into a book, where editing matters more than shooting.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Photogrammetry
HobbyBuilding three-dimensional models from overlapping photographs, used for heritage and printing.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Photography
HobbyCraftMaking photographs deliberately — the parent of every specialism below it.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Picture framing
CraftCutting mounts and mouldings and assembling frames, including the conservation choices behind the glass.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pig keeping
HobbyRaising a few pigs, usually on a rotation of ground, at smallholding scale.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pigment making
CraftGrinding and levigating earth and mineral pigments and mulling them into paint.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pinch pots
CraftForming vessels entirely by hand from a ball of clay — the oldest pottery method there is.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pinhole photography
CraftHobbyCameras with no lens at all, often made from a tin, with exposures measured in minutes.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pit firing
CraftFiring pots in a pit with combustibles, for smoke-marked surfaces and no kiln at all.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pixel art
HobbyCraftDrawing at deliberately low resolution, where every pixel is a decision.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pizza oven building
CraftHobbyBuilding a wood-fired masonry oven, from the base and dome to the curing fires.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Plaited leather work
CraftPlaiting leather into whips, lanyards and bosals, a precise craft with a small dedicated following.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Planetary imaging
HobbyVideo astronomy of planets, where thousands of frames are stacked to beat the atmosphere.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Planted aquariums
HobbyGrowing aquatic plants as the point of the tank, balancing light, carbon and nutrients.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Plaster casting
CraftCasting in plaster from moulds, for sculpture, architectural detail and restoration.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Play-by-post gaming
HobbyRoleplaying or wargaming asynchronously in writing, over months, with no scheduled session.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Plein air painting
CraftHobbyPainting outdoors from life in one session, where light and weather set the deadline.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Podcasting
HobbyCraftPlanning, recording, editing and publishing an audio show.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Poetry
HobbyCraftReading and writing poems, in form or free, and reading them aloud.
Free or near-free to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Polymer clay
CraftModelling with an oven-hardening plastic clay — jewellery, miniatures and canes.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Porcelain
CraftWorking the least forgiving and most translucent of the clay bodies.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Portrait miniature painting
CraftPainting portraits at a few centimetres, historically on ivory substitutes.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Portrait photography
HobbyCraftPhotographing people, where lighting and direction matter more than the camera.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Powder coating
CraftElectrostatically applying and oven-curing a powder finish, now within reach of a home workshop.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Preserving
HobbyCraftJam, chutney, pickles and bottling — putting a glut into jars.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Programming
HobbyWriting code for its own sake — tools, puzzles, side projects.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Punch needle
CraftPunching loops of yarn through backing fabric to build a soft textured surface.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Puppetry
HobbyCraftBuilding and performing puppets, from rod and glove to full marionettes.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Puzzle setting
HobbyCraftConstructing crosswords, logic puzzles or cryptics, which is a craft with its own conventions.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pyrography
CraftBurning images and lettering into wood or leather with a heated point.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Pysanky egg decorating
CraftUkrainian wax-resist egg decorating, worked in layers from lightest colour to darkest.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
QRP operating
HobbyAmateur radio at five watts or less, often on home-built sets, where the challenge is the constraint.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Quilling
CraftRolling and shaping narrow paper strips into filigree designs, needing almost nothing to start.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Quilting
CraftStitching layers of fabric and wadding together into quilts, usually from pieced patchwork.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Quiz writing
HobbyWriting and hosting quizzes, which is question construction, difficulty balancing and performance at once.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Racket stringing
CraftHobbyStringing tennis, squash and badminton rackets — a paid skill most club players never learn.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Radio astronomy
HobbyDetecting hydrogen line emission and solar activity with a home-built dish and software radio.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Radio-controlled aircraft
HobbyFlying model planes and helicopters, usually from a club field.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Radio-controlled car racing
HobbySportBuilding, tuning and racing radio-controlled cars on and off road.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Raft building
HobbySportBuilding a floating craft from barrels, poles and lashings, then finding out whether it works.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rag rug making
CraftHooking or prodding fabric strips through hessian, a thrift craft with a strong revival.
Under £25 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rainwater harvesting
HobbyCollecting and storing roof runoff for garden or household use.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Raku firing
CraftPulling red-hot pots from the kiln into combustible material for dramatic crackled glazes.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Repoussé and chasing
CraftRaising relief in sheet metal by working it from both sides over pitch.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Resin 3D printing
HobbyCraftPrinting in photopolymer resin for fine detail, with a chemical handling problem filament printing does not have.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Resin art
CraftCasting and pouring epoxy resin into coasters, tables and jewellery.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Resin casting
CraftCasting polyurethane and epoxy resin into moulds for models, parts and jewellery.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rigid heddle weaving
CraftWeaving cloth on a simple frame loom, the practical way into weaving without a floor loom.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ring making
CraftSizing, forming and finishing rings — the usual first project in silver jewellery.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Risograph printing
CraftHobbyPrinting in layered spot colours on a stencil duplicator, a zine and small-press staple.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rocket stove building
CraftHobbyBuilding high-efficiency combustion stoves for cooking or outdoor heating.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rocking horse making
CraftCarving and finishing traditional rocking horses, a long single-project craft.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rod building
CraftHobbyBuilding fishing rods from blanks — guides, wraps and finish — to a specification you choose.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rope making
CraftLaying rope from yarn on a ropewalk or hand machine, which is how twist becomes strength.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rug hooking
CraftPulling loops of wool strip through hessian to make hard-wearing rugs.
Under £25 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rug tufting
CraftShooting yarn into a stretched backing with a powered tufting gun to make rugs fast.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rush and willow weaving
CraftWeaving with harvested rush and willow, from seats to baskets to sculpture.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Saddlery
CraftMaking and repairing riding tack in leather, a trade craft with a live apprenticeship route.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sail making
CraftCutting and sewing sails to a designed shape, with hand finishing at the corners and edges.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sand casting
CraftCasting metal into bonded sand moulds, the accessible route into home foundry work.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sand sculpture
CraftHobbyCarving compacted sand, from beach work to competitive festival sculpture.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sashiko
CraftJapanese running-stitch embroidery, originally for reinforcing and mending workwear.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scale aeromodelling
HobbyCraftBuilding and flying accurate models of real aircraft, judged on fidelity as well as flight.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scenic painting
CraftHobbyPainting flats, cloths and textures for the stage, at a scale and speed easel work never demands.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scientific illustration
CraftDrawing specimens and structures for clarity and record rather than effect.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scrapbooking
CraftHobbyArranging photographs and mementoes into designed, annotated albums.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Screen printing
CraftPushing ink through a stencilled mesh screen onto paper or fabric.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Screenwriting
HobbyCraftWriting for screen, to a format with unusually strict conventions.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scrimshaw
CraftEngraving and inking bone or synthetic ivory, a sailors’ craft with strict material rules.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scroll sawing
CraftCutting intricate curves and fretwork in thin wood on a scroll saw.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Scything
HobbyCraftMowing grass with a hand scythe, revived for meadow management and competition.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Seaweed pressing
HobbyCraftCollecting and mounting seaweeds, a Victorian pursuit with real botanical value.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Segmented turning
CraftTurning vessels glued up from hundreds of cut segments, which is joinery before it is turning.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Segmented woodturning
CraftTurning vessels glued up from hundreds of cut segments, where the geometry is done before the lathe.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sewing machine repair
CraftHobbyServicing vintage machines, most of which are mechanically simple and built to last.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sgraffito
CraftScratching through coloured slip to the clay beneath, a drawing technique on pots.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sheet metal fabrication
CraftCutting, folding and joining sheet into boxes, panels and enclosures, worked out flat before it is bent.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Shepherd’s hut building
CraftBuilding a small wheeled timber hut, a revived form now used as a garden room.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Shibori
CraftJapanese resist dyeing — binding, folding and stitching cloth before it meets the dye.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ships in bottles
CraftBuilding a rigged model that folds flat, then raising it through the neck of a bottle.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sign painting
CraftHand-lettered signage with brush and enamel, revived hard after near-extinction.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Silverpoint drawing
CraftDrawing with a metal stylus on prepared ground, unforgiving and precise.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Silversmithing
CraftForming, soldering and finishing silver into jewellery and vessels.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Single-board computer projects
HobbyBuilding small always-on machines — media servers, sensors, retro consoles — on a credit-card computer.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skateboarding
SportStreet and park riding, now an Olympic sport with a large adult beginner population.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skin-on-frame boatbuilding
CraftBuilding kayaks and canoes as a light lashed frame under a stretched skin, in a few weekends.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Skirmish wargaming
HobbySmall-scale miniature games with a handful of figures each.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Slip casting
CraftPouring liquid clay into plaster moulds to reproduce a form repeatedly.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Slot car racing
HobbyRacing electric cars on a grooved track, with club leagues, tuning and scratch-built chassis.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Small boat restoration
CraftHobbyRestoring clinker dinghies and small craft, which is joinery, caulking and paint over years.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Smocking
CraftGathering fabric into decorative elastic pleats, a technique from English agricultural dress.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Smoking and curing
CraftPreserving fish and meat with salt and smoke, where the safety margin is the whole craft.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Soap making
CraftMaking soap from oils and lye, cold or hot process.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Soapbox racing
HobbySportBuilding and racing unpowered gravity carts, where scrutineering and brakes matter more than speed.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Soapstone carving
CraftCarving soft stone with hand tools, the usual entry point to carving stone at all.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sock knitting
CraftKnitting socks in the round — heels, gussets and toes at a small gauge.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Soft drink brewing
CraftMaking ginger beer, cordials and naturally carbonated sodas at home.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Soft toy making
CraftSewing stuffed animals and dolls from patterns or your own designs.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Solo wargaming
HobbyPlaying wargames against a system rather than an opponent.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Spindle spinning
CraftSpinning yarn on a drop or supported spindle, which needs no wheel and travels in a pocket.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Spinning wheel restoration
CraftRestoring and tuning antique spinning wheels back into working order.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Spoken word
HobbyPerforming poetry and monologue live, at open mics and slams, where delivery is half the work.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Spoon carving
CraftCarving eating and cooking spoons from green wood with an axe and two knives.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sprang
CraftAn ancient stretchy fabric technique worked under tension, predating knitting.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stage lighting design
CraftHobbyDesigning and rigging light for live performance, which is an electrical craft and an artistic one.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stagecraft
CraftHobbyThe backstage crafts of amateur theatre — set building, lighting, sound and stage management.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stained glass
CraftCutting coloured glass and joining it with lead came or copper foil.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stamp carving
CraftCutting your own stamps from rubber blocks, the fastest way into relief printing.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stand-up comedy
HobbyWriting and performing your own material at open mics and clubs.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Steam bending
CraftSoftening timber with steam and bending it around a form, for boats, chairs and hoops.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Steam road vehicle restoration
HobbyRestoring and driving traction engines, steam rollers and steam wagons.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Steel tongue drum making
CraftMaking tuned steel tongue drums by cutting and tuning sheet steel.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stencilling
CraftCutting and applying stencils to walls, furniture and cloth, in registered layers where needed.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stone carving
CraftCutting stone with chisel and mallet, from letter-cutting to figurative sculpture.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stone setting
CraftSecuring gemstones into metal — the jewellery skill with the least margin for error.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stonemasonry
CraftCutting and shaping building stone to a template — banker work rather than sculpture.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stop-motion animation
HobbyCraftAnimating physical models one frame at a time.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Straw bale building
CraftBuilding insulated walls from bales, rendered in lime, usually as a group build.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Straw marquetry
CraftSplitting, flattening and laying dyed straw into patterns on boxes and panels, which shine like inlay.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Street photography
HobbyPhotographing public life as it happens, unposed.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stumpwork
CraftRaised, three-dimensional embroidery worked over padding and wire.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sugarcraft
CraftModelling flowers and figures in sugar paste, judged at shows to an exacting standard.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Suminagashi
CraftJapanese floating-ink marbling, older and quieter than the European method.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sundial making
CraftHobbyDesigning and building sundials, which is applied astronomy and craft together.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Surfboard shaping
CraftShaping and glassing boards from foam blanks, in a garage or a shared bay.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sushi making
CraftRice, knife work and fish handling, where the rice is the actual discipline.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Synthesiser building
CraftHobbyAssembling modules and instruments from kits or from scratch, where calibration is half the work.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tablet weaving
CraftWeaving patterned bands by turning a pack of cards, a technique older than the loom.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tabletop roleplaying
HobbyCollaborative storytelling with dice and rules, run by one player for the rest.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tabletop wargaming
HobbyPlaying battles with miniatures on terrain, under a published rule set.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tailoring
CraftConstructing structured garments with canvas, padding and pressing rather than pattern and seam alone.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tapestry weaving
CraftWeaving pictorial designs by hand on a simple upright loom.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tatting
CraftBuilding lace from a series of knotted rings and chains using a shuttle or needle.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Taxidermy
CraftMounting animal skins over sculpted forms, a preparation craft with strict rules about what may be used.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tea blending
CraftHobbyBlending leaf teas and botanicals to a repeatable recipe, which is a tasting skill first.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Telescope making
HobbyCraftGrinding and figuring your own mirror, which is how amateur astronomy began.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Terrain building
CraftMaking the hills, ruins and roads that miniatures are played over.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Terrarium building
HobbyCraftBuilding closed or open glass gardens that mostly look after themselves.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tesla coils
HobbyCraftBuilding resonant transformers that produce visible discharge, a display and demonstration hobby.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Textile block printing
CraftPrinting repeat patterns onto cloth with carved blocks.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Thatching
CraftRoofing in straw or reed, a heritage building trade with a small amateur and volunteer route in.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Theatrical costume making
CraftBuilding costume for the stage — period shapes, quick changes and clothes that survive a run.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Theremin
HobbyPlayed without being touched, and the only instrument where the hardest part is the first note.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tie-dyeing
CraftBinding cloth before dyeing so the ties resist colour, with a folded geometry behind the apparent chaos.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Timber framing
CraftCutting large joinery in structural timber, for barns, frames and garden buildings.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Time-lapse photography
HobbyCraftBuilding motion from stills over hours or months, which is a planning and consistency problem.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tin whistle
HobbyThe cheapest real instrument there is, and the standard route into Irish traditional music.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tinsmithing
CraftMaking and repairing objects in tinplate, a light-metal trade craft.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tool sharpening
CraftPutting genuine edges on chisels, plane irons and knives, and understanding why.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Top-bar beekeeping
HobbyKeeping bees in horizontal hives on natural comb, a lower-intervention alternative to framed hives.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Topiary
CraftHobbyClipping shrubs and hedges into deliberate shapes, over years.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Torch enamelling
CraftFusing powdered glass to metal with a hand torch rather than a kiln.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Torchon lace
CraftThe geometric bobbin lace style most beginners learn, worked on a pricking from a pillow.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tractor restoration
HobbyCraftRestoring vintage agricultural machinery, with a rally circuit and a parts culture of its own.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Traditional broom making
CraftBinding birch besoms and bench brooms by hand, one of the oldest surviving woodland trades.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trained fruit growing
HobbyGrowing fruit trees flat against walls and wires in trained forms.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Trug making
CraftSteaming and shaping chestnut and willow into Sussex garden baskets over a frame.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tunisian crochet
CraftCrochet worked with a long hook, holding many loops at once for a dense woven-looking fabric.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Type design
CraftHobbyDrawing typefaces, which is drawing, systems thinking and an unusually long feedback loop.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Umbrella repair
CraftRepairing and reframing umbrellas, an almost vanished trade.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Underwater photography
HobbyPhotographing below the surface, where light, housing and buoyancy control matter more than the camera.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Urban sketching
HobbyDrawing places on location, on the spot, in whatever time you have.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Vacuum forming
CraftShaping heated plastic sheet over a mould with suction, for props and parts.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Valve amplifier building
CraftBuilding and restoring thermionic valve audio equipment, at lethal voltages.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Vegetable fermenting
CraftHobbySauerkraut, kimchi and pickles preserved by lactic fermentation rather than vinegar.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Vegetable growing
HobbyGrowing food on a plot, allotment or in beds, to a yearly rhythm.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Veneering
CraftLaying thin decorative wood over a stable substrate, the basis of most fine furniture surfaces.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Vertical gardening
HobbyGrowing up walls and structures where there is no ground to plant in.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Videography
HobbyCraftShooting and editing video, from documentary to short film.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Vinegar making
CraftHobbyTurning wine, cider or beer to vinegar with a mother, over months in an open crock.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Violin bow making
CraftMaking bows for stringed instruments from pernambuco and horsehair, a specialism within luthiery.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Visible mending
CraftRepairing clothes so the repair shows and is part of the garment.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Walking stick making
CraftMaking sticks and crooks from shanks and horn, with a strong show tradition.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wargame army painting
CraftHobbyPainting a whole army to a consistent tabletop standard, which is a different problem from a display piece.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Watch modification
CraftAssembling and customising mechanical watches from parts.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Watchmaking
CraftBuilding and servicing mechanical watch movements to tolerances measured in hundredths of a millimetre.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Watercolour painting
HobbyCraftPainting with transparent water-based pigment, where the paper does half the work.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wattle and daub
CraftBuilding infill panels from woven hazel and earth render, on heritage buildings and garden structures.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Weaving
CraftInterlacing warp and weft on a loom to make cloth, from a frame loom to a floor loom.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wet felting
CraftMatting wool fibres with hot water, soap and friction into flat or hollow felt.
Under £25 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wet plate collodion
CraftHobbyMaking photographs on hand-coated glass or metal, developed within minutes, using period chemistry.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wheel throwing
CraftForming pots on a spinning potter’s wheel — the hardest and most addictive part of ceramics.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wheelwrighting
CraftMaking wooden wheels, one of the most demanding and least practised of the traditional trades.
Over £1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsVery demanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Widefield astrophotography
HobbyPhotographing the Milky Way and constellations with an ordinary camera and a tripod.
£300–£1,000 to startOutdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wikipedia editing
HobbyWriting and sourcing encyclopaedia articles, to a strict citation standard.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wild food preserving
HobbyCraftTurning foraged gluts into preserves, where identification and preserving safety both matter.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wild yeast culturing
CraftHobbyKeeping and understanding live cultures — starters, kefir grains, ginger bugs — as a practice in itself.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wildlife photography
HobbyPhotographing wild animals, which is mostly fieldcraft and patience.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wildlife pond building
HobbyCraftDigging and planting a pond for wildlife, the single most effective garden intervention there is.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Willow growing and preparation
CraftHobbyGrowing, cutting and grading your own willow for basketry, which changes the craft entirely.
£25–£100 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Windsor chairmaking
CraftBuilding stick chairs from green wood with a shave horse, drawknife and a pole lathe.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoors or outdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Winemaking
HobbyCraftFermenting grapes or fruit into wine, over a year at a time.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wire wrapping
CraftBinding stones and beads in shaped wire with no soldering at all.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wood carving
CraftShaping wood with chisels, gouges and mallets, from relief panels to figures.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wood engraving
CraftCutting into the end grain of hard blocks with gravers, printed as relief at very fine detail.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wood graining
CraftPainting one timber to look convincingly like another, using combs, rockers and glazes.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wooden boat building
CraftBuilding small craft in wood — dinghies, canoes and kayaks — over months or years.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Woodturning
CraftCutting spinning wood on a lathe into bowls, spindles and hollow forms.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Worldbuilding
HobbyCraftInventing consistent fictional places, histories and cultures in detail.
Free or near-free to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wreath making
CraftBinding foliage, dried flowers and seedheads onto a ring or frame.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Yamadori collecting
HobbyCraftCollecting stunted wild trees for bonsai, under permission and with a long recovery period.
£100–£300 to startOutdoorsDemanding
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Zine making
HobbyCraftWriting, laying out and photocopying small self-published magazines.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
This is one hand-picked cut through the catalogue. If your constraints are more specific than a single question, the hobby finder takes several at once and shows you why each suggestion matched.