Posted on 10/24/2025 6:09:28 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
There's probably a lot going on in your life that can be turning you into a ball of stress (guilty!). But what if all it took to help you unravel that stress ball was a little yarn, a favorite feel-good book, or a great cookie recipe? If you're looking for a low-cost, high-reward self-care treat, taking up a grandma-inspired hobby may be just what the doctor ordered to help you unwind after a busy or stressful day.
And it turns out, knitting, baking, and other cozy pursuits can have plenty of benefits for you (beyond a cute scarf or a delicious batch of cookies). Get the scoop on granny hobbies, their benefits—and how to find the best one for you.
What Are Grandma Hobbies?
Generally, "grandmacore" hobbies are the kinds of quiet, slow hobbies you can take your time doing. They also tend to be on the crafty and creative side—such as sewing and crocheting.
Sewing - Quilting - Crocheting and Knitting - Embroidery and Needlework - Baking - Canning - Gardening - Reading - Birdwatching - Board Games - Jigsaw Puzzles
Why Are Cozy Hobbies Popular Now?
Honestly, these pursuits never went out of vogue entirely—who ever stopped baking goodies? But granny hobbies like knitting and baking really took off in 2020, when everyone was spending more time at home. Even if your sourdough starter died off years ago, the passion for some of these cozy hobbies has continued to thrive, as they're not only relaxing pursuits, but also activities that can be shared, whether you're creating a homemade quilt to give as a gift or working on a jigsaw puzzle with your loved ones.
And it doesn't hurt that people are posting plenty about these pursuits on TikTok and other social media, too! This buzz is only increasing the interest in these hobbies.
Mental Health Benefits of "Old-Fashioned" Hobbies
While enjoying freshly baked bread or some pretty flowers from your garden is one big benefit of these hobbies, there are also some science-backed reasons to try these relaxing pasttimes, says Tiffany C. Ho, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at the Brain Research Institute at University of California, Los Angeles.
Cozy hobbies can bring you joy
"Hobbies, by definition, are activities that evoke pleasure, so it makes sense that individuals who are inherently drawn to knitting, crocheting, embroidery, etc., would experience improvements in their mood when engaging in these activities," Ho says. But even if you haven't tried knitting before or are tackling a new and more involved recipe, the novelty of something new can come with a big dopamine hit—which can help you feel good.
They can help calm you down
Ho points out that activities like these can help people unwind, especially after a difficult or stressful day. "Working and creating with their hands brings a sense of calm. It helps divert ruminative and internally focused energy that we often see in anxiety, depression, or burnout."
These hobbies can become meditative
The repetitive nature of many of the grandmacore hobbies—embroidery, knitting, and kneading dough, for instance—can help you slow your breath and find your balance. "The repetitive movements and present moment awareness mimic mindfulness meditation in a lot of ways, which may explain why they could help improve mood and mental health," Ho says.
How to Choose the Cozy Hobbies That'll Bring You the Most Joy
If you're looking to add a few of these activities to your self-care routines, it can be tricky to figure out which ones to choose. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Decide what you're hoping to get out of it
Different hobbies provide different benefits, Ho says. "Hobbies that help you connect with nature, promote social interactions with others, provide an outlet for creativity, offer skill learning, result in a tangible product, and where accomplishment scales with effort, are all good places to start."
Consider your own talents
If you're all thumbs, you might get more frustrated than fulfilled with trying a complicated embroidery pattern—so perhaps something that's a little less exacting, like gardening, would be a better choice.
Don't neglect your other self-care needs
While granny hobbies can definitely help you chill out, you can't neglect the other ingredients for good mental health. "I would recommend staying physically healthy and active," says Ho. "That means getting enough sleep, eating well, and engaging in daily movement and regular exercise."
I spend about half of every day quilting, with a bunch of embroidery standing by to “take with” to waiting rooms in doctors’ offices, etc.
Cool. I saw a Bald Eagle sitting atop a tree at the lake, two days ago. Kinda odd that none of the usual suspects.. crows, osprey...were paying it any mind.
I’m always surprised to see that so many quilting experts are engineers — some retired some not.
Complicated patterns often require a lot of mathematical calculations — especially if designing.
I’m always surprised to see that so many quilting experts are engineers — some retired some not.
Complicated patterns often require a lot of mathematical calculations — especially if designing.
“I find it is the process that is relaxing, not the final product.”
So true. I saw a sampler once that said something like “Screw the product. Relish the process”.
My hand work totally relaxes me.
😆
Saw a bunch of grandmas gettin’ cozy at the casino yesterday. And no, they weren’t baking cookies.
I WAS going to bake bread today - but I can’t find my yeast! Who loses a new, unopened jar of yeast? Geeze Louise!
The world stops until I get to the Piggly Wiggly on Tuesday, I guess! And then I’ll FIND my missing jar of yeast while I’m putting the other one away! ;)
I remember those bird threads, too! So many long-time FReepers are missed! Tubebender. Green Eyes. :(
For someone that doesn’t sew, other than for straight lines, or do any quilting, I have a ridiculous amount of fabric on hand, LOL!
It is the only area where I’ve disappointed my Mom, who is am awesome seamstress. I won a few ribbons in 4-H for clothes back in the day, but sewing just never grabbed me by the throat, ya know?
I do make hot pads, dish towels, pillow cases, window valances, etc. Again, straight lines.
I once worked with a woman that was a retired Engineer and she was a great quilter, so I think your theory is sound!
P.S. Math is hard...for some of us! ;)
“Puttering means to spend time doing small, relaxed tasks without rushing or focusing on anything important. It often involves aimless or casual activities, like working in the garden or tidying up the house.”
I am an Expert Level Putterer! :)
Good idea.👍
Sewing is the one thing I don’t do, except under duress (buttons and repairs). For some reason, perhaps because I’m no good at it, it really irritates me! Even sewing in the ends on my crochet projects is my least favorite part.
“Mom had an elderly friend who was giving up on her yarn crafts and I got FIVE big, black trash bags full of yarn! It all went to use in the above projects - took me a good two years to get through it all. What a blessing that was! :)”
I had someone give me *one* big black bag of yarn. That was a lot of yarn you got!
I haven’t quite figured out what to do with it all yet. I got tired of doing things for family never to see it again, so at the moment I am doing a shawl for a friend who works at a dementia “daycare” kind of facility. I thought one of her ladies might want to use it during the day.
I enjoy doing intricate challenging patterns. I crocheted a bunch of snow flakes for my Christmas tree, along with a popcorn garland!
“My hand work totally relaxes me.”
I have “crochet to go” for all the time I spend waiting on someone ... Dr appointment , meetings, picking up after work, etc. After a concussion my daughter couldn’t drive for 6 months, so there was a lot of carting around. Much better than solitaire.
I cheat with the quick rise yeast a lot and sometimes I make the no knead in a pot.
In 2007 my mom was in the hospital for a couple weeks. I made hundreds of “hexies” sitting by her bed. In the end I had a Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt all done by hand except sewing on the binding by machine.
Mr G is having surgery Monday. My *crochet to go* is ready for 2 days of sitting.
8-)
Yep. I’ve got two fail-safe ‘secret recipes’ that keep us in fresh bread all winter. Nothing better than homemade soup and bread for supper on a cold Winter night! :)
https://anaffairfromtheheart.com/no-knead-crusty-dutch-oven-bread/
https://www.recipelink.com/recipes/cheese-casserole-bread-betty-crocker-1986-016777
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