The school year is nearly at an end, making way for the long-awaited summer break, but all of this free time can leave us at a loss for how to spend it.

This summer is as good a time as ever to pick up a new hobby, so here are some fun, creative ways to spend your summer vacation:

Painting

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on supplies to pick up painting. Cheap canvas panels can be found at Dollar Tree or most craft stores, as well as inexpensive acrylic or tempera paints that will give you a lot of bang for your buck.

Enjoy a fun day of painting by yourself, or invite friends over for a painting and movie night. No need to stick to canvas. Have fun customizing canvas tote bags, makeup pouches, flower pots, trinket dishes and more. Get creative and simply enjoy the process.

Air Dry Clay

Cheap and easy to work with, air dry clay is a great hobby to take up this summer. The clay itself is lightweight and dries within 24 to 48 hours, and the only limit to what you can make is your imagination. Some beginner-friendly projects include charms, keychains and small vases.

My favorite things to make are trinket dishes. Simply roll out a ball of clay, press it down and squish in the middle until it is the shape of a shallow bowl. Simple, easy and useful.

Once your clay creations are dry, you can paint them or leave them bare for an organic feel.

Reading

The school year can get hectic, so use this summer to relax with a good book. Looking for a thought-provoking book with relevant social commentary? Try “Everything I Never Told You” and “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng.

For lighter, heart-warming reads, try “A Man Called Ove” by Frederik Backman and “Before the Coffee gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. For a fun murder mystery, try “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson.

Vision Boards

Vision boards are the perfect way to manifest a fun summer or prepare for the upcoming school year.

Create a collage on a poster board of images that represent your goals and aspirations for the future. Pinterest is a great resource for inspiration or images you can print out to include on your board. This craft project is a great way to go into the next leg of your life with a positive, goal-driven mindset.

Upcycling

Ready for a wardrobe upgrade? Before throwing out your old clothes, try upcycling them into something that fits your style. Pinterest is again a great resource to use when looking for upcycling ideas and inspiration.

One easy upcycle is to crop your shirts. To prevent cutting it too short and ensure that your line is straight, try laying a shirt that is the appropriate length on top and use its hem as a guideline.

Another fun upcycle is adding patches to your plain clothing. Either cut some fabric scraps into letters or shapes and hand-sew them on, or buy some iron-on patches from a craft store.