DUE TO COVID-19, many have spent their time in solitude, trying to find ways to ease the boredom. However, as the world is opening, “alone time” may once again become a rare commodity. Instead of spending your time watching screens, we can tap into our creativity and get our hands a little dirty. Woodcarving, candle making, and miniature house building are unique hobbies that take our time and attention and ultimately satisfy our interest in craftsmanship. 

Woodcarving kits

   Armed with a block of walnut wood, a carving tool, gloves, sandpaper, and the YouTube video provided in Haruhobby’s woodcarving kit, I eventually produced a butter knife. Woodcarving is an intimidating hobby to start as the proper materials and tools are challenging to find. Moreover, without detailed guidance, it is difficult to successfully achieve the intended result. Woodcarving kits, such as the one offered by Haruhobby, facilitate the process and allows you to enjoy the craft with little prior experience. The kit gives short but specific guidelines on how to correctly approach the pre-shaped piece of wood; all that is required is to file and sand it down. Woodcarving is an unusual hobby for a university student, but the kit piqued my curiosity. How could I experience the craft without ever leaving my room?

   When I first received the kit, the task seemed simple enough—but alas, I was mistaken. Confidently, I started carving away, excited to create my knife. Quickly enough, I realized I had vastly underestimated the task: after an hour or two of whittling away I had barely made a dent. Eventually, I let go and lost myself in the craft, barely noticing the hours go by.

   "Woodcarving is a hobby filled with life," commented Kim Yesol, owner of craft shop Haruhobby, in an interview with The Yonsei Annals. "To carve, you must feel every grain, every pattern, and every knot within the wood piece," Kim explained further. For Kim, woodcarving offers a different perspective to what is around you—the wood furniture and even the trees seem to gain more value.

Woodcarving kit: Haruhobby

Time spent: 30 minutes to 2 hours

Cost of the kit: ₩14,000-₩34,900

Candle-making kits

   Melting wax pellets in a microwave, mixing them with different bottled fragrances, and pouring the mix into a mold is all it takes to create a candle that suits your aesthetic. Ondore Studio candle-kit offers all the materials and the link for a YouTube video to guide you through the process.

   Candle-making kits can expand your creativity with the vast array of molds for wax: you can find kits to create structurally complex and asymmetric candles or be a bit goofy and create a candle from a more random mold. Ondore Studio’s kit came with a silicone mold in the form of a cube made of spheres. With the vast array of colors and scents that the kit offers, no two candles you make will be the same.

   Ondore Studio’s kit helped me make the candle I had been eyeing for a while, but which I refused to buy because it was often overpriced. With the kit, I got enough materials for two candles, and I could personalize it as much as I wished.

   While melting the wax, I got lost in thought and pondered on the candle’s finishing details: “Should I add color? Probably not, I’ll keep it white. What scent should I use? Maybe some of the leftover lavender essential oil, to help me relax.” But as simple as melting wax seems, turning your attention away is not the best idea. I got distracted, and within ten minutes, I had already burned the kit’s paper cup used to soften my wax and was scurrying to clean up the mess.

   Despite my struggle, candle-making required less effort compared to the other crafts mentioned. Within 30 minutes, the wax had already cooled down in its mold—all that is left to do is simply wait for it to harden. Though the candle was not as perfect as a store-bought one, it was uniquely mine—from its shape, its smell, to its story. Its small indentations and imperfections differentiate mine from other cookie-cutter candles.

Candle-making kit: Ondore Studio

Time spent: 30 minutes 

Cost of the kit: ₩19,900

Scale miniature building

   Piece by piece, you assemble each part, from a little coffee bar to even potted plants, to build a miniature cafe—one perfect for displaying in the middle of your room. Adico’s miniature kit offers all the materials you need. With different types of glue, wooden and plastic tiles, all types of fiber, plenty of accessories, and a detailed booklet of instructions, the kit is extremely thorough. 

   At first, I had no interest in building a miniature garden café: I saw no point in investing hours of work for a creation I saw no practical use for. But as the building slowly came into shape, I started to enjoy assembling it. First, the wooden base and electrical wiring had to be built, then each accessory had to be made, and finally, everything was put together. A keen eye for detail is a must when attempting to attach the tiny pieces, as each of them has a specific place and function in the piece.

   Building it all proves more challenging than one might expect. Even as I followed what seemed to be clear-cut instructions, it took me countless tries to get the electrical wiring right, and one false move made me restart the model from scratch. The intricate nature of the craft makes it a perfect hobby for passionate and meticulous tinkerers.

   In an interview with the Annals, Park Hyeon-hwa, a miniature house building enthusiast, said, "Houses are each person's special place. By mix-matching and connecting each structural component, building miniature houses offers you the feeling of creating your own home." For Park, miniature house building allows us to create countless unique spaces. "With this hobby, I can make my dream spaces or even get a closer look at my favorite ones," commented Park.

Scale miniature building kit: Adico

Time spent: 15 hours

Cost of the kit: ₩39,000

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   Craft-related kits are easy and practical gateways for creation, but they are also opportunities to spend time with yourself, fostering skills that enhance your creativity, patience, and perseverance without interference from the outside world. Each craft kit presented is unique in its approach, but all offer sweet memories in the form of mementos scattered around your home. In a busy world, craft hobbies give us a chance to appreciate our relationship with our personal time.