Hobby Happy

Expand your horizons with a relaxing hobby or reignite one of your passions for a refreshingly terrific time. Flex your green thumb, gather with other crafters or collectors, and pick up a good book or three with these stress-relieving activities. No matter what floats your boat, the North Shore has plenty of Things to Do On the North Shore.

 

Chalet Home + Garden, Wilmette

It’s Actually Easy Being Green
Indoors and out, surrounding yourself with growing things is a proven mind mender. Commune with the plant life at Chalet Nursery (Wilmette) where you’ll find Instagram-worthy annuals and perennials, pet-friendly houseplants, orchids, tropicals and one-of-a-kind rarities to nurture and admire. For a colorful, scent-abundant experience, Botanik Culture (Skokie) boasts a fresh flower market. Their Floral Bar is set up for you to choose individual flowers then use the shop's workspace, design tables, tools, materials and supplies to create your own design. Continue your green journey at Chicago Botanic Garden (Glencoe), where you can engage your senses and explore art, gardening, cooking, and wellness classes designed to deepen your connection with nature. Emily Oaks Nature Center (Skokie) offers programs like Book Club, Hiking Club, Tabletop Terrariums, and Volunteer Days, inviting all ages to learn, explore, and enjoy the outdoors. The Evanston Ecology Center (Evanston) offers hands-on programs, workshops, and events designed to inspire environmental learning for all ages.
 

Classic Stitch, Winnetka

Sew What’ll It Be?
Befriending fabric is becoming cool again with sewing circles cropping up and creative mending ideas circulating. Whatever you need to feed your needle, Vogue Fabrics (Evanston) will have it in spades. From swanky designer knits to cozy kid-friendly fabrics emblazoned with colorful characters or sports team logos, this mecca serves up quilting, home decor, cosplay and craft materials, too. For needlepointers, Classic Stitch (Winnetka) stocks canvases from 100+ designers, an expansive fiber and yarn selection, plus accessories. Beginners’ classes and Stitch-ins make this easygoing shop THE go-to resource. Three Bags Full (Northbrook) stocks a bountiful collection of yarns, notions and patterns if knitting or crocheting is more your speed. All kinds of classes and kids camps help build skill and camaraderie.  
 

Dave's Down to Earth Rock Shop, Evanston

Collect Them All!
Good news for keen-eyed magpies! Gasping at the bounty of Dave’s Down to Earth Rock Shop (Evanston) makes for an amazing afternoon. Score tempting treasures for your home or fire up a new fascination: authentic fossils, colored minerals, glittering jewelry and myriad beads and precious/semi-precious stones. Glenview Coin & Collectables (Glenview) is well known to long-time collectors, but the staff shares their deep expertise (and free evaluations) with beginners exploring the impressive array of U.S. and world coins, paper money, stamps, sterling, jewelry and more. 
 

Squeezebox Books & Music, Evanston

Comics, Games, Music and More
Need a new board game for the gang? How about expanding your creative chops with a role-playing game (that’s RPG for short)? Heroines & Heroes (Evanston) has got it all with games, trading cards, tabletop RPGs, plus a wide variety of comics and manga. Cherry-picked second-hand books from hip merchant Squeezebox Books & Music (Evanston) share space with vinyl records, CDs and DVDs. This friendly boutique is layered in goodies for you and anyone on your shopping list who needs to amp up their leisure time.
 

Pink Couch Books, Wilmette

Curl Up with a Good Book
Expand your mind or indulge in some escapism. North Shore independent booksellers thrive on matchmaking you with your next favorite tale. Pink Couch Books (Wilmette) is the newest bookshop of the bunch touting a well-curated, diverse selection of romance titles. Bookends & Beginnings (Evanston) sprawls new, used and bargain books into their two-story store and tucked-away MiniBar. Grand-dame debuting in 1940, The Book Stall (Winnetka) champions something for everyone: fiction, travel, cooking, children's books, biographies, you name it. Check out calendars at each store for author signings, storytelling and more book-happy events.
 

Artem Pop Up Gallery, Evanston

Color Outside the Lines
Ready to try something new? Local art spaces are here to inspire. Explore your artistic side at the Evanston Art Center (Evanston), where classes in drawing, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, printmaking, and digital media invite learners of all levels to create and express themselves. Immerse yourself in creativity at Artem Pop Up Gallery (Evanston), a downtown Evanston studio and gallery where hands-on workshops in painting, mixed media, jewelry-making, and seasonal crafts turn inspiration into artful experiences. Discover something new at Community House Winnetka (Winnetka), where you can enjoy creative and skill-building classes from cannoli making and sewing to Mahjong, music, and more.