As the coronavirus crisis continues, I thought it might be helpful to compile a list of creative quarantine projects for you. This list has a little bit of everything, from traditional TPK pastimes like sketchbooking to YouTube workouts!
The TPK blog endeavors to stoke your creativity and to empower you to take on all sorts of different projects! In that spirit, I decided to make a master list of things to do at home as we flatten the coronavirus curve. Not all of these quarantine projects are related to art, but all of them require creativity and problem-solving! From virtually touring museums to finding your next favorite book, this list has a little bit of everything.
One of my very favorite things to do when traveling is participate in Airbnb Experiences. Experiences have allowed Hernán (my husband) and me to explore Pompeii with an archeologist, bike through Paris’s markets, and make amazing homemade pastas in Italy. Now that we’re all staying at home, many Experience hosts have ingeniously gone online! You can find all of Airbnb’s online experiences here.
Florence natives Luca and Lorenzo have gone online to teach you how to make Italian culinary classics at home. Obviously, Hernán particularly enjoyed making their tiramisu! We highly recommend their Experience.
2. Make Artwork for Your House
There are several quarantine projects on the TPK blog that you can use to add warmth and personality to your home! These are my three favorite frame-worthy projects:
This one is so obvious, it might slip under the radar! A reader recently recommended Open Library to me, and I’m so impressed at the selection (and the fact that all the books there are free).
Many of us are using this time to catch up with friends and family members. Why not do it “old school” style and surprise them with a letter? In this article, you can find several inspiring tips for sending snail mail!
If you’ve got a few spare moments, try sending your letters in mail art.
5. Learn Calligraphy
I mean … you knew this would appear on a TPK list of things to do, right? So many people are ordering starter kits and actively participating in The Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course right now. That’s been amazing to see! Feel free to start your calligraphy journey with a free worksheet.
A sketchbook journal provides an amazing way to channel your creativity and process your feelings! You can find my tips for starting a sketchbook journal here.
If you like this sketchbook layout, you can learn how to make a similar page here.
A bullet journal is different from a sketchbook journal because it’s more like a planner. During these times that we can’t quite predict or control, a bullet journal can help us to stay accountable for the things we can control! You can find some serious bullet journal inspiration here.
8. Do a Home Workout
It’s amazing how much working your body can boost your mood! I’m partial to Pop Sugar workouts on YouTube, but there are so many different workouts to choose from. It’s also worth noting that many fitness studios — like Corepower Yoga and Orangetheory — have put their classes online for free!
That’s right — I’m putting this one right after the workout suggestion. 🙂 Try baking to add some good smells and cozy vibes to your home! I normally don’t bake a lot (there’s no need to with two cafés down the street), but social distancing is getting me reacquainted with my kitchen.
The beauty of the internet is the sheer volume of information available! This website has thousands of courses — some through ivy league universities — that you can use to learn something new. (This would also be something fun to do with kids!)
Approach your courses seriously: take notes, and dedicate a notebook (or a section of your notebook) to each course.
11. Design a Modern Family Crest
What better way to celebrate your family than with a modern family crest? A family crest acts like a logo for your family. You can use it on stationery, as artwork for your home, or as a return address stamp! You can learn how to make one here, and find several pieces of family crest inspiration here.
This modern family request includes items that represent the family, like wooden training swords and cherry blossoms.
12. Plan Out Your Meals for the Week
In an effort to reduce our grocery story trips, we’re putting effort into planning out weekly meals. You can meal plan in a bullet journal, or you can print out a meal planner PDF.
You can find this printable meal planner by clicking here.
13. Start a Garden
You don’t need a yard to start a garden; just a few seeds, pots, and a sunny spot will do just fine! If you do have a yard, though, you can plan your garden out now and plant next month.
Planning out our garden has been one of my big quarantine projects.
14. Do Some Spring Cleaning
Of all the quarantine projects listed here, this may not be the most entertaining, but it is productive! And you know how it goes: there are some special days where you really feel like cleaning and organizing. If the cleaning bug bites, embrace it!
Hernán takes spring cleaning very seriously — as you can tell from his outfit.
I’m so grateful for all the museums doing virtual tours right now! Realistically, quarantine or not, I won’t be setting foot in a museum for another couple of years or so because of my rambunctious toddler. These virtual tours are fantastic for me, and I hope that you’ll like them, too!
You can find lots of free adult coloring pages online, but my favorites are from Flow Magazine‘s website! You can find six fabulous calming printables here.
This image is courtesy of Flow Magazine; you can find the full printable version here. Coloring pages are fantastic quarantine projects because they’re so relaxing!
17. Find Your Next Favorite TV Show, Book, or Podcast
Hernán is a huge cinephile, and he loves tastedive.com for finding new TV series and movies. It led him to his favorite shows, including Mad Men and Deadwood. I, on the other hand, love it for finding new books and podcasts!
Use Tastedive to find your next favorite TV show, book, or podcast.
18. Learn a Language
As someone who married into a predominantly Spanish-speaking family, I am no stranger to learning a language online! I loved learning Spanish with Duolingo, a free language learning app. I devoted 30 minutes per day to using the app, and it paid off big time when I returned to Peru and could finally have conversations with my in-laws!
If you want to invest in learning a language with a teacher, iTalki.com is a great resource for that! My mother-in-law teaches Spanish full-time on iTalki, and has several students who have reached fluency under her tutelage … all online.
19. Make a Map of Your Favorite City
Jet-setting has been put on hold for now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit your favorite city through art. Instead, get out your watercolors and make a map! You can find detailed instructions over how to do so in TPK’s Watercolor Illustrated Map 101 eCourse, or read the basic instructions in this tutorial.
The Watercolor Illustrated Map 101 eCourse will teach you how to make this gorgeous map of Paris. After you make the Paris map, you can go on to make any map!
I love having extra birthday cards on hand to send out throughout the year! Right now is a great time to create a surplus. You can find all of TPK’s birthday card tutorials here.
The coronavirus has thrown us all into different situations. Some of us have more time than ever, some of us have less time, and many of us feel increased stress or anxiety. No matter what situation you’re in, I hope that one or more of these quarantine projects helps to enrich your time indoors!
Thanks so much for reading, and enjoy the rest of your week — hopefully tackling one or more of these quarantine projects!
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