Free things to do alone

(photo by ckaroli)

Lots of ideas for those days where no-one wants to play, everyone is busy or you just need some me-time!

Hang out at the library:

• Photocopy cool pictures to decorate your room with,

• Browse through books on vintage fashion to get style inspiration,

• Read stacks of magazines for free,

• Check out the cookbooks for thrifty recipes to try at home,

• Read self-development books to work out those issues,

• Get cheap decorating ideas from interior design, sewing and craft books,

• Raid the kids section for easy-peasy "things to do", "how to.." and other crafty sorts of books!

Lay on a blanket somewhere sunny:

• on the beach,

• in a park,

• by a lake,

• on a hill,

• on a roof-top.

Take something to do and something to eat, if you want to!

Be a photographer for the day:

• Go for a long walk and take pictures of anything interesting,

• Set yourself a topic or theme (water, funny, animal, style, up, ground, etc.) or pick a colour,

• Make a really interesting "set" in a corner of a room with quirky objects, furniture and decorations, then take pictures at arty angles. If you have a timer/tripod/remote for your camera, add yourself to the picture! Pose like a model in your favourite outfits.

Meet the locals:

• Get out and about and talk to everyone, like old people do! Talk to shop keepers, pet peoples' dogs, that sort of thing.

• Look in your local paper (or on a website if your town has one) to see what free events are on. Mine usually only has tea dances, bridge club, "talks" and church coffee mornings - meh. Hopefully yours is better!

• Sit somewhere lively and people-watch.

• Visit friends who work in bars and cafés - bonus points if they can get you freebies! (If not, you could always ask for tap water if you really can't stretch to a coffee or something).

Reminisce:

• Go through old photo albums, letters, diaries and mementos from your past.

• Listen to old albums that remind you of good times!

Exercise:

• Do a workout video,

• Put your favourite energising music on, shut the curtains and dance until you're exhausted,

• Practice hula-hooping,

• Do toning exercises for every muscle in your body,

• Go for a run,

• Go for a bike ride! Borrow a bike if you need to.

Slob out:

• Wear your comfy clothes or pyjamas,

• Spend the entire day in bed,

• Read a great book from start to finish,

• Download free films to watch,

• Watch day-time T.V (so bad it's almost good!),

• Play video games for hours,

• Drink stupid amounts of tea!

Create:

• Sew lots of small objects to a tote bag,

• Bake or cook something with whatever ingredients you've got,

• Make origami paper cranes and string them up, a la wishwishwish!

• Draw/sketch/doodle from your imagination or real life,

• Alter a T-shirt,

• Make a collage of randomness. Cutting and sticking is fun!

Go window shopping:

• Try on clothes in fashion stores, or examine things to work out how to make similar stuff yourself,

• Go to the book store and browse through whatever looks interesting,

• Try on beautiful shoes that you could never afford. Don't get sad! Appreciate them as if they were art in a gallery and walk away happy,

• Listen to obscure bands you've never heard of at those listening stations in music shops.

- Got more ideas? Share them in the comments! xxx

Comments

[annette @ kittentails]

hi there!

i really like this post, i'm going to link to it on my latest post :) lots of cute fun ideas!

my idea would be to have a cheap pampering day @ home.

take time setting up your bathroom with some candles or nice scents, wash your hair and use a deep conditioning treatment, take a bath with a Lush treat put on your favourite face mask while drenching yourself in muscle relaxing warm water!

remove old nail polish, moisturise your feet!!! pop on fresh polish.... pluck your eyebrows. all those kinds of fun things :)!!!

[Claire]

Ohhh now this I love!!! Often I hvae no money and sometimes I have nothing to do, so the combination can lead me here!

[Kitty]

I love picnics, and I could wander around a library or bookstore for hours without getting bored! Great post. :)

[Harriet]

Nice ideas - I am a bit of a library addict, but ideas like getting out cookery books and interior design ones never occured to me - thanks for the tip!

[Miss Purple Cat]

I'm going to print this out and keep it in my wallet!
I'm linking your website :D

[WORDS]

This is a FANTASTIC list! I love it lots...always looking for fun, creative things to do when i've got a quiet day. Thanks heaps

[Katie]

Excellent! X

[Tara Melissa]

This was awesome! I love the list! :)