What hobbies did you have as a child?

I went through all kinds of hobbies, but I guess looking back most of them had to do with sewing. I started out making pot holders with the loops, hooks and square frame. By eighth grade I started sewing. One year in high school I made all of my Christmas gifts. The highlights were a jumper for Mom and a robe for Dad.

I babysat for a dear woman who spent her child's nap times in the summer teaching a friend of mine and I to sew. It wasn't until I had children of my own that I appreciated what she did for us.

I have lots of fond memories of hanging out at her home.

Meredith, did you make jewelry as a child?

[ January 02, 2005, 05:08 PM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

I've been drawing or painting since I was about six or seven.....I was painfully shy and preferred "solitary" entertainments such as sitting in my room and reading or drawing. While I came out of the shyness thing I'm still knee-deep in reading, writing and drawing!

Later on in life I started collecting things but haven't done that in a while. I have a huge collection of cat and pig figurines. Just one of those "stages" of hobbies I guess.

Weren't those pot holders fun?? Makes me want to go out and get a kit, just for old time sakes.

My mother taught me to sew, embroider, crochet the lace around the handkerchiefs. Taught myself to knit, used to sit there knitting a small piece, maybe 5 inches wide, and see how long I could make it.

Now for some reason that reminded me of making those long links with gum wrappers, anyone remember those??

I've always like all kinds of crafts.

As a child I wasn't into anything remotely "girlie" and as such didn't start beadwork until age 15. I did do the pot holder thing, probably in summer camp, and still have the ratty relics to prove it. I just can't bear to throw them out. Other camp favorites: langyards, and those chased copper (ashtrays? wall hangings?) whatevers. I also still have a 5' long woven tail made from wool scraps, on this plastic barrel with 6(?) spokes, with the wool still on the spokes. I'd finish it except I can't remember why I made this in the first place.

In grade school I read read read read read and read. Literally (get the pun??) anything I got my hands on. I also loved to draw, especially with color pencils. Loved painting too, especially because I mixed my own colors. I think creating colors impressed me as much if not more than using them.

Oh yes, and I loved to build things. Dioramas. Little cities made from cardboard. Lincold logs and erector sets. I made up elaborate stories with everything I built.

At a very young age, around 4ish, I use to play around tree trunks...I'd build villages out of sticks and dandelions, leaves, bark, and then take small cars and park them outside of the homes. Talk about imagination...geeish. I would also entertain people by putting on neighborhood shows...charged a penny a piece for getting to see these wonders. I use to browbeat the kids in the neighborhood to perform. They had talent, I had a mouth. I was, of course, Ed Sullivan. I always opened with, "We've got a reallllly big shuw tonight." hahahah...those were the days. I also worked a bazillion jigsaw puzzles...still do. Work um...glue um...frame um...then give them to charities for kids "safe places" etc...

JJ

I used to love being Ed Sullivan too! We'd make pretend televisions out of huge cardboard boxes and put on really big "shoes" for anyone that would stop and pay attention to us!
I always loved to read and still do, my favorites back then were "The Happy Hollisters" I was in the book club and would recieve one every month. They were a family that solved mysteries.
I also liked to make things with clay and play doh.
Did anyone else peel dandelion stems and drop them into water to watch them curl up? For some strange reason I used to do that for hours on end...LOL

Soooo....you were a dandelion dipper, eh? Nope, never did that one. Course you know that everyone in here will try this as soon as they can find some dandelions, don't you? They won't admit it, but they will.

I've never heard of those books you mentioned, but I did read The Bobsie Twins books. Nancy Drew Mysteries...oh what fun! Agatha Christie's, Rex Stout....

And then of course, I'd topped the afternoon off by swapping all the heads of the Barbie dolls....that use to blow my sister's minds...teehee...They would swear they put the evenings dress on their Barbie but when they pulled her out, she had on a bathing suit....hahahahah...what bozo's! hahahah....

what? Why yes, I DID get grounded alot. How did you know?

JJ

Boy I can't wait for dandelions now. Never heard of that before. Gotta' try it.
I always drew pictures as a kid. A teacher told me I was good at it so I did it a lot. We also made toys from the mud in my granny's back yard. We made whole villages.
I wandered in the woods a lot and my sister and my cousins and I noodled for fish in the ditches when the ponds ran over in spring. Also caught crawfish and roasted them over my grandpa's forge then ate them guts and all.
Loved fireflies and my cousins and I would make the neatest light up jewelry out of them.
Started writing in ninth grade. A teacher told me I was good at it and picked me out for all kinds of writing projects.
Obviously I'm a dabbler. Dabble at everything and excel at nothing. But shucks, you gotta' do something.
smile

Smile I think thats referred to as:

Jack of all trades, Master of none!

That description would have fit me then as well. I did love flowers and animals even then, so had what I thought was a beautiful garden full of Lilacs and Sunflowers and all kinds of wildflowers. I bought my own first dog at age 14 1/2 with money I myself earned. She was a Chihuahua named lady. I drew alot and made good grades with extra credit from my drawings...