Overview
By now, we're all pretty well acquainted with a little thing called lockdown. Being stuck with stay-at-home orders is mostly a drag — and if you want to spend the majority of your time slowly becoming one with your couch, there's absolutely no judgment here. Do what you need to do.
But, if you happen to be looking for creative ways to keep yourself (and your housemates) entertained at home, there are plenty of options from Sydney's clever businesses — and you won't even need to change out of your PJs. We've rounded up a few non-boring ideas for nifty new things you can learn in lockdown, ranging from therapeutic Japanese craft projects to boss-level renovation skills. Consider this your isolation inspiration.
Cork and Canvas
GET CREATIVE WITH CLAY AND KINTSUGI
Dabbling in a new arts or crafts skill won't only see you reaping the benefits of creative therapy. It'll also likely land you with neat new handmade objects to pretty up your pad or gift to someone special. If you fancy having a crack at some pottery, you can get those hands messy and learn how to make your own ceramics with an at-home clay kit from Marrickville studio Clay Sydney. It'll hook you up with some clay, tools and illustrated cheat sheets, couriered to your door, plus give you on-demand access to its online instructional videos. It is also running live Wine and Clay nights via its Facebook page every Friday at 7.3opm, if you're looking for more virtual instruction.
Meanwhile, Cork & Canvas is offering on-demand paint and sip sessions, delivered virtually — of course. Select which masterpiece you'd like to create, then one of the company's professional artists will guide you through the painting process via an online tutorial. BYO wine.
And, among Class Bento's hefty lineup of online creative classes, you'll find a hands-on workshop dedicated to the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi — a unique way of repairing broken pottery that celebrates imperfection. A DIY craft kit including all the necessary materials will be sent out to you, with the comprehensive three-hour class taught via Zoom.
Batch Brewing
MAKE TIME TO DIY A TIPPLE
Numerous lockdowns have left us all pretty well-practiced in the art of drinking, so now is the perfect time to take things up a notch and throw some knowledge behind the art. For example, you can add a few home-blended editions to that gin collection, with help from Gin Kit's range of artisan gin-making packs. They come filled with everything you need to transform a bottle of base spirits into a botanically-charged, sippable gin that you can call your own.
Or, if you'd rather boost your beer smarts, Sydney-based booze retailer Bucket Boys has you covered with its virtual tastings, showcasing a different brewery via Zoom every Saturday evening at 6pm. The beers are delivered to your house and the experts will talk you through them on the day. Recent guests include Batch Brewing and Hawkers.
COOK SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ANOTHER LOAF OF SOURDOUGH
If you want to learn a few new culinary tricks to add to your repertoire, there are plenty of local kitchen maestros that are happy to help. If you're not tied down to a specific dish, you'll want to get acquainted with Mitch Orr's (Pilu, Acme) Instagram page, which is a treasure trove of culinary know-how. The chef's catalogue of how-to videos are fun, informative and a cinch to follow, featuring creative dishes like sea urchin spaghetti and KFC katsu curry.
Meanwhile, Sydney's sustainable seafood king Josh Niland (Saint Peter, Fish Butchery) is sharing his secrets to prepping and cooking fish via his online masterclass videos, which you can rent or buy.
Nomad is delivering make-at-home mortadella kits, complete with ingredients, a cheeky wine or beer, and even a couple of snack accompaniments to enjoy alongside your final product.
And Omnom Cheese Making — the crew behind those Bubbles, Burrata & Bocconcini classes — now has an assortment of cheese-making kits to snag online. They come with all the required ingredients, equipment and instructions, delivered neatly to your door.
Prudence Earl via Unsplash
MAKE YOUR HOME SPACE LOOK ACE
If you're here looking for nifty things you can learn at home, then the chances are that you're currently spending a lot of time between those four walls. And if that's the case, you might as well pick up some skills that'll help leave your space looking fabulous, inside and out. For plant-lovers and wannabe green thumbs, there's a jungle's worth of hot plant tips and gardening knowledge to be found over on Bunnings' Staying Grounded podcast. It's hosted by certified plant guru and horticulturalist Chloe Thomson, along with a suite of guest experts, covering everything from edible plants to lawn basics.
Alternatively, head to Sydney horticulturalist Tammy Huynh's (Leaf An Impression) Instagram feed, where she is dropping helpful tips, tricks and how-tos. During lockdown, she even hosts virtual classes for those looking to boost their green thumbs at home.
Got a room, wall or piece of furniture that's begging for some DIY love? Embrace your inner handyman-slash-reno master and upskill with a little help from the Bunnings Youtube channel. It's a goldmine of how-to goodness, ranging from basic tool tips to full-blown makeover workshops.
SORT OUT SOME SELF-CARE
While a little self-improvement never goes astray, it's more important than ever to hone those self-care instincts. And you can do plenty of that without even leaving the house.
Get bendy with some live-streamed or on-demand living room yoga, guided by experts from the likes of Sydney Yoga Collective or Power Living's Yogaholics.
Or, if you'd like to finally learn how to meditate, there's lots of handy digital tools that'll get you off to a flying start with minimal fuss. The popular Headspace app features a brief beginners course that teaches the basics in just a few minutes a day. If you'd like to shake up your screen time, the company has also recently released a new interactive Netflix special titled Headspace: Unwind Your Mind.
Meanwhile, award-winning app Calm has a bunch of different meditation lessons, along with expert-taught masterclasses, guided exercises and relaxing soundscapes you can use in your future meditative endeavours.
Top Image: Clay Sydney