18 Hobby Ideas That Are Perfect for Mums

Inside: Find a new pastime with this list of hobbies for mums.

When I was growing up, my mum had lots of hobbies.

On top of working full-time as a nurse (night shift so she could be home with us during the day), she took night courses in Calligraphy and Chinese cooking.

She also knitted, sewed, played tennis and painted butterfly fridge magnets, which she would sell at local markets.

I recently realised that I have no hobbies and desperately wanted something to do that wasn’t work, my kids or my husband.

Then, I started researching hobbies that would suit my timetable and came up with the following list.

18 Hobby Ideas for Mums

1. Build Your Family Tree Online

Building your family tree is a fun way to spend your time. You’ll discover fascinating stories from the past and potentially uncover a passion for history along the way.

I’ve recently started to become obsessed with my family tree after taking an Ancestry DNA test.

I then bought an annual membership to Ancestry.com and used the available tools to map out my family tree.

I’m still going with it, and it’s a wonderful hobby for mums because it’s something you can do whenever you have a minute.

It doesn’t require a lot of commitment but sparks a huge interest.

For instance, I’m now researching life in the coal mines in Wales, the Pilgrim’s voyage to Plymouth in the 1600s and the convict ships to Australia (still trying to figure out if my great great great great grandmother emigrated from Ireland to Australia by choice or by force).

This is a great website to learn more about start a Genealogy hobby.

2. Baking Cakes for Sale

Kids make the best taste testers, don’t they?

If you have time on your hands and love to spend it in your kitchen, baking cakes or cookies for special occasions could lead to more money in your bank account.

3. Sewing High-Demand Items

Face masks are the newest accessory everyone needs, thanks to the pandemic.

If you’re handy with a needle and thread, you can make your own styles.

Other in-demand items are weighted blankets and baby clothes.

4. Crocheting Reusable Bags

Be part of the solution, not the problem and crochet reusable bags and totes.

Your unique styles can be sold online in places like Etsy.com to reach a wider market.

5. Turnaround Those Second-Hand Treasures

If you find joy in scoring second-hand items from garage sales or second-hand shops, you can turn that into a money-maker.

It takes a little initial investment, but if you have a keen eye, you can spot things that can be fixed up and sold for much more than you paid.

6. Make Jewellery

For mums with little girls, making jewellery can be one of the most simple and fun hobbies for mums and daughters to share.

It may also turn profitable if you get into lampworking and other more intricate arts of jewellery making.

However, there’s nothing wrong with creating your designs to accessorise when you go about town.

7. Fill Your Own Canvas

Painting is one of the best ways to express yourself.

It also happens to be incredibly relaxing.

You can encourage your little ones to unleash their creativity on the canvas (though be sure you lay down plenty of drop cloth to catch the mess).

When art fairs come to town, you can try to sell your pieces or use it as an escape from the ordinary.

8. Write Your Own Children’s Book

Perhaps you’ve made up a story for the children, the kind where they say, “Mummy! Mummy! Tell us that story again!”

If it delights your children, chances are it will delight others too. Go for it!

9. Dust Off Your Camera

If you have a quality camera that has quickly gathered dust in the closet, trot it out and start capturing life in raw form.

Photography can be a soothing hobby for mums, especially since you can command the lens to see life through your eyes.

10. Make Soaps and Bath Bombs

When the holidays roll around yet again, it’s stressful enough to plan the family dinner.

Add to it the struggle of finding lovely gifts for everyone on your list, and it just gets too much.

Instead, you may find the art of crafting homemade soaps and bath bombs absolutely perfect.

The next time your husband requests that you pick out gifts for all 5 of his staff, you can create a gorgeous gift basket from your handmade bath delights!

Related post: 20 Crafts to Make and Sell for Profit

11. Create Festive Decorations

Speaking of those holidays, you can learn to make holiday wreaths if you’d love for your home to reflect more warmth and individuality.

You don’t have to limit it to Christmastime, though.

Wreaths can be made for every season, giving you a prime opportunity to sell your wares.

Related: 28 Christmas Decorations You Can Make With the Kids

12. Can Preserves, Jams, or Pickles

Do you love to go to the farmer’s market and get fresh goodies?

If you buy more fruits than you can feasibly feast upon before spoilage, learn to can them or turn them into jam.

Vegetables can be pickled too, something you can involve the children in to teach them a new skill.

13. See the Stars

Ever wonder what lies beyond our world?

A great hobby idea for mums is to do a little star gazing.

You can buy a basic telescope without too much expense, though a second-hand one might be even better!

14. Teach English

For mums who enjoy helping with schoolwork, why not take on more students and get paid?

You can teach English in other countries, all from the comfort of your computer. It tends to pay quite well, too!

Learn more about teaching English online here.

15. Be a Professional Reviewer

If you have a knack for social media, you might be the kind of mum who can create proper reviews for her flock.

Brands are always looking for someone to do unboxing videos or write blog posts that discuss quality and how items work.

16. Create Healthy Meal Prep Kits

Cooking healthy is a big challenge for many.

For mums with a natural gift to cook delicious and healthy foods, you may find plenty of customers in your local area who would love tasty, homemade, and healthy meals that they simply have to heat and eat.

17. Design Your Own T-Shirts

Mums that are witty shouldn’t let that talent go to waste.

Whether you have a talent in graphic arts or are simply handy with an iron, you can design your own t-shirt apparel.

18. Get into Fitness

Even if you’re stuck at home with the kids and can’t go anywhere, you can find plenty of classes for fitness online, many of them free.

You’ll find it all whether you want to try yoga or Zumba. And if you’re really good at it, you can start your own fitness class.