Hobbies & Crafts

Turn everyday meals and desserts into special occasions!

Learn more by enrolling in a step-by-step Wilton method class today! Cake Decorating Classes

Now is the right time to think about gardening. This spring, many folks are devoting extra time to their landscaping projects given the comfort of a safe backyard activity. Many are starting edible gardens ranging from herbs to leafy vegetables.

New to gardening?

Grow strong and stunning plants that have been tested and selected by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service. View resources from Texas A&M below:

• Easy Vegetables to Grow  
• Master Gardener Texas Superstar Plants Brochure 
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Master Gardener On-line Training

Create a Centerpiece

Learn how to make a table centerpiece for about $10 with supplies purchased at a dollar store.
Seasonal items can easily be swapped to meet any occasion. View How to Create a Centerpiece.

Supplies: Two (2) Christmas trees from Dollar Tree (either white or green), ornaments of choice & color, ribbon(s), either one (1) scrub buddies duster or one (1) microfiber car cloth & eight (8) straight pins, one (1) square of floral foam, one (1) set of Christmas lights (battery operated or plug-in), one to two (1-2) floral picks, a pair of good scissors, and wire cutters.

Create Unique Wall Art

Recycle old calendars & paper bags and make beautiful wall art for your home. Framed prints make great unique gifts. Easy step-by-step instructions.
If purchased at any dollar store, this craft will cost around $4. View How to Make a Framed Print.

Supplies: One (1) print from an old calendar or paper bag, one (1) picture frame to fit the print, ribbon, stickers or scrapbook embellishment, a good pair of scissors, and tape.

For more ideas and instructions view the "Get Crafty" section on page 3 of the Being Informed and Staying Connected guide from Texas Health and Human Services.

Read, Write, Embark!

Thinking about becoming a writer? Whether it's journaling your thoughts and feelings or getting a fictional story from your head onto paper, we have a few resources to get your creative juices flowing and getting you started!

Step One - READ. Get inspired by reading some of the great, older literary works from Project Gutenberg. Free. No registration required.

Another free resource for reading books online is OpenLibrary.

Step Two - WRITE. Whatever it is you want to do, just get your creative juices flowing and write or type whatever you want to tell.

A story? A poem? An article? Just remember to have fun and most of all, fill it with heart.

A great place to start is with a journal. Some popular prompts include:

• Express gratitude. Each day, write about three (3) things that you are grateful for.
• A favorite memory from your childhood or teenage years
• A goal for next week, month, or year
• Describe your day. What's the weather like? Where are you? What are you doing?
• Write how life has changed for you in light of the Coronavirus. Chronicle your life during the pandemic: trips to the grocery store, making homemade face coverings, Zoom church meetings, or the steps you took to practice social distancing.
• Fill your pages with emotions. Write them out. Express yourself.

Step Three - EMBARK. Enroll in an instructor-led class to further develop your writing. To register in an online creative writing course visit San Jacinto College Ed2Go.

Learn a New Language

From Spanish to Japanese to Dutch to Hawaiian, the website and app Duolingo is a great place to start learning a new language. With easy, fun new ways to increase your vocabulary in over 10 languages, you learn a lot and very quickly!

Ready for the next level with an instructor-led class at San Jacinto College?

Learn Spanish for leisure or business. Enroll in a conversational Spanish class or one of our specialized Spanish courses. We offer Spanish for Educators and Spanish for Managers and more.

You can also register to take a Spanish class through San Jacinto College Ed2Go!

Explore the Universe

Stargazing with the SkyView Lite App

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what constellation you are looking at?

With the SkyView Lite App for Android and iOS, you can point your phone at the sky and precisely identify the constellations, stars and planets in view. The SkyView Lite app is free to download. You could say the sky is the limit!

Art Appreciation

Do you miss going to museums and seeing all the beautiful art pieces? Then, DailyArt is the app for you. With DailyArt, you will see art pieces from all around the world and read the interesting stories behind them. Free download for Android and iOS phones.