Glued to Your Phone? These Craft Kits for Adults Might Cure Your Addiction

I know I'm not the only one that feels like I got a hell of a lot dumber over the past few years. My memory, once impeccable, now feels like I’m woozy off that bomb-ass discontinued-in-the-late-90s cough medicine Mom gave you whenever you stayed home with a fever. Said another way, I feel I’m perpetually fighting to stay awake to see the end of a 7th Heaven episode. Can anyone else relate? The pandemic simultaneously made me more bored and more boring;I just endlessly scroll until my eyes fall out of my head and I finally know it's time for bed. Short of locking my phone up in a safe, I decided I needed a hobby that didn’t involve looking at a screen. Before you ask: Of course, I know reading exists, but my fingers jones for a task, they hate to be idle, and we all know what they say about idle hands… they’re satanic (or whatever). 

If you need a little motivation or inspiration for getting your butt off the couch and putting down the iPhone, step right up and take a gander at the most enticing craft kits available on the glorious world wide web. Pursuit of a new hobby aside, there’s nothing like giving yourself a gift with something inside to assemble. From a “make your own beer” kit to a dirty coloring book, you’ll be working on your new obsession in no time. 

My only real passion is eating, which is not a coping mechanism—it’s an appreciation for cuisine, OK!? Convince others you’re ok by showing off how you make your own pasta on Instagram. 

Guess what else you can now call a hobby? Drinking—because you made it yourself! These kits range from the classic (brew your own beer) to the mixologist-worthy (infuse your own vodka with herbs and flavorings like Earl Grey, rosemary, and vanilla).

Paint-by-numbers rules if you’re not painting the ugliest image you’ve ever seen, plus you can get into making pottery, papier-mâché or the ancient art of Kintsugi at home without signing up for an overpriced class or even putting pants on. 

I think by now we all know that nerds are the ones who grow up and live successful, fulfilling lives; it's the “popular jocks” that end up working at a Chili’s after getting out of prison. Take a tip from all those smart kids, and get into something classically geeky like assembling ships in bottles (or a pirate ship lamp), some really cool mid-century modern architectural models, or getting big into puzzling (frame that shit, boss). 

I promise you they make adult Lego sets for whatever you’re into—and yes, that means you, a grown-ass adult. Make a Lego-fied model of a Fender Strat, a Porsche 911, or even Jerry’s apartment from Seinfeld.

…and really sick wooden architectural models from your faves like Mise Van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Puzzles are sick now—they’re like an acid trip into those I Spy books you used to get lost in, in elementary school. As an added bonus, the gorgeous puzzles from brands like Le Puzz and Piecework double as coffee table decor once they’re assembled. 

There’s always a spicy way to bide your time, whether that’s making a cast of your, um… anatomy to turn into a sex toy for your lover or “relaxing” with a naughty hentai coloring book.… For the aspiring Bob Ross with a horny edge, there’s even an erotic post-apocalyptic humanoid paint-by-numbers kit.  

Just make sure that you manscape before casting your junk in plaster or you’ll end up giving yourself a Brazilian, whether you like it or not. 

Curious about the dark arts? You can start with learning how to read tarot or tea leaves, all while horizontal on the couch. 

Hoping this Vine will stop playing in my head on repeat after I get some “offline time”.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.