Hobbies · Crafts
Art & drawing
Mark-making of every kind — pencil, ink, paint, pastel and digital.
Embroidery
CraftDecorating fabric with needle and thread, from six basic stitches to centuries-old traditions.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
Miniature painting
HobbyCraftPainting small figures and models to a standard far beyond what their size suggests is possible.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
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
Also in this category
Classified but not yet written up.
83 activities in the catalogue, 3 written up so far.
Acrylic painting
HobbyCraftFast-drying, forgiving paint that works on almost any surface.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
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
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
Bookplate collecting
HobbyCollecting ex libris bookplates as small printed artworks with a traceable ownership history.
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
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
Calligraphy
HobbyCraftWriting letterforms beautifully and deliberately with a broad or pointed nib.
Under £25 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Encaustic painting
CraftPainting with heated pigmented wax, worked and fused with heat.
£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
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
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
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
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
Gyotaku
CraftJapanese fish printing, taking impressions directly from the specimen.
£25–£100 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
Heraldry
HobbyThe study and design of armorial bearings, with a formal grammar and a live regulatory system.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
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
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
Kinetic sculpture
CraftMaking sculpture that moves, by motor, wind or hand.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Pastel drawing
HobbyCraftDrawing with soft or oil pastels, blended directly with the fingers.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
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
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
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
Plaster casting
CraftCasting in plaster from moulds, for sculpture, architectural detail and restoration.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
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
Portrait miniature painting
CraftPainting portraits at a few centimetres, historically on ivory substitutes.
£100–£300 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
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
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
Sand sculpture
CraftHobbyCarving compacted sand, from beach work to competitive festival sculpture.
Under £25 to startOutdoorsDemanding
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
Screen printing
CraftPushing ink through a stencilled mesh screen onto paper or fabric.
£100–£300 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
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
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
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
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
Stumpwork
CraftRaised, three-dimensional embroidery worked over padding and wire.
£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
Tapestry weaving
CraftWeaving pictorial designs by hand on a simple upright loom.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
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
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
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
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
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
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
Zine making
HobbyCraftWriting, laying out and photocopying small self-published magazines.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet