At first glance, a night in by yourself may sound like a boring time, especially spent at home. No friends to grab drinks with. No parties going on. Not one person to come over and just veg out with. But it’s actually a luxury to be taken advantage of. How often do you get time by yourself to do whatever you want? The answer: barely ever. So check out these 20 ways to make it count and truly enjoy the opportunity. Turn a potentially dull night by yourself into a fun party of one with these awesome things to do during a night in.
Cook for yourself! This is one of those totally productive things to do during a night in. You gotta eat somehow anyway, and this makes for a fun and time-consuming way to do just that. Search the internet for some delicious looking sides and entrees you can try out for an elaborate dinner in the kitchen. The bonus of being alone is that no one is around to judge you for any mess or mistakes you may make.
If you’re looking for a more relaxing night in, vote to take it easy with a bath. You can pull out all your most luxurious bath salts or scented oils, light a few candles, and settle into that piping hot water until your toes get all pruny. Make your time even more enjoyable by bringing a book in with you. Finally crack open something from that pile of good reads you always mean to try.
A messy space always adds to my stress, but in moments of crisis, I never have time to clean. That’s why a deep clean when you’ve got lots of time on your hands can be one of the most satisfying things to do during a night in. Maybe for just a second you’ve got your life in order and things taken care of. You can feel great about being on top of things through a clean and organized house.
Turn just sitting in front of the TV into something exciting by starting a new show you’ve been meaning to watch. Get yourself hooked when you have the time to actually sit and watch and you’ll quickly find yourself having binged through a solid chunk by the night’s end. The time will fly by with this “productive,” but still relaxing activity.
My closet is always an overflowing mess, despite the fact that I routinely only wear about 5 articles of clothing. Having time for a full closet purge is such a luxury. You can throw everything onto the bed and sort through what you have to keep and what needs to go, trying on and modeling anything in between. It’s time consuming, so it’s one of those things to do during a night in that will take up the whole night. And maybe the next night, too. Make a list of “maybes” and monitor how much you wear them in the next few weeks. If you never do, it’s time to throw them out and lighten your load even more.
I take a lot of joy in dressing myself up. Doing my hair, putting on makeup, and trying on different looks is a fun way to chill out and pamper yourself when you’ve got a night to do whatever you want. It’s the perfect time to try out new hairstyles or test makeup, so you can make mistakes and figure things out in order to actually debut your new skills at your next real outing. Plus it’s the perfect opportunity for some self-indulgent selfies in the comfort of your own home.
Never had time to really decorate your room? Maybe you’ve got a bare wall just begging for some love? Target your energy on that fun project for the night. Sure, you can head to the craft store for supplies, but if you don’t want it to be a big ordeal, just grab some paper and some photos. Write out your favorite quotes or phrases to hang next to those pics of you and your friends and you’ll have a super cute collage wall in the making.
I’m not much of a cook, but I can whip up some desserts. If you’re the same, one of the most fun things to do during a night in is to use your night in to indulge in something sweet! There are tons of tempting dessert recipes available on the internet you can go crazy with. Just try not to eat the whole thing.
There’s nothing wrong with using the time to basically…well, do nothing. Relaxing and enjoying time to yourself is as worthy of your night as anything! If you don’t really feel like exerting a lot of energy or trying something new, just curl up on the couch and put on your favorite movie you’ve seen a thousand times. If you do want to add something extra, paint your nails in the meantime or put the movie on in the background while working on any of these other suggestions.
Another one of the best things to do during a night in is to revamp your wardrobe. Lots of those clothes that you’re dissatisfied with and looking to throw out may have another chance you don’t realize. A pair of scissors can do a lot for a piece of clothing. Old t-shirts can become cute tank tops. Tired dresses can become something totally new. Check out online all the different ways to amp up old clothing and spend the night working on a worthwhile project. You can even take a quick trip to the craft store to iron on or bedazzle your way into a fun new look.
I love photos, but–like my closet (and perhaps the rest of my life)–my photo library is a mess, a monumental thing disorganized and spread out all over the place. Another satisfying project for a night in would be to gather up and organize your photos all in one place. Delete any duplicates and create folders for big occasions or separation by year. Once everything’s settled, you’ll have a much easier time finding photos in a flash, and if it’s quick work you can go an extra step by crafting a scrapbook of the past year or your particular faves.
If you want to spend your night working on a fun sort of project, canvas art is a great place to start. All you have to purchase is some cheap canvases from the craft store and paints or sharpies and you’ve got a basic craft on your hands that can go in any direction. A flower, a design, a favorite quote, whatever. You can even get fancier with a more detailed project like this water color design from Pinterest. They have lots of awesome ideas on there to spend your night making.
Why not take the time to expand you’re talents? It’s fun to learn new things and some self-improvement never hurt anyone. One of the most productive things to do during a night in is bettering yourself. Take time to figure out a new song on your favorite instrument or practice doing handstands against a wall. Whatever fits your interests, there are tons of new things to try and get the hang of during your night at home.
If there’s not something new you’re looking to learn, you can work on bettering yourself mentally by learning about something new. While documentaries may sound like a snore, there’s a ton out there that will definitely catch your interest once you take the time to start watching. Scroll through the options on Netflix and read reviews to land on something really cool and worth dedicating your night to.
Maybe your walls are covered, but you still want cool ways to dress up your room. There are tons of other crafts to try out that can make a night in fun and bring your room decor to the next level. You can make and decorate your own candles. You can paint frames for pictures or bowls for storing your jewelry in. The ideas are endless. Check out Pinterest to find something that fits exactly what your room is missing. My favorite craft I’ve ever done was combining photos of celebrities I love with pictures of saints and then pasting them over the saint candles you can buy for cheap at the grocery store, plus added decoration. (These are not mine. Mine were not as cool.)
If you want to turn cooking into a more exciting activity and upgrade your kitchen-based things to do during a night in, pick a recipe off of Pinterest that comes with a picture-perfect outcome. Apple roses. Mini red velvet cakes. Lemon tarts that look like daisies! Everything looks so cute and will taste delicious too. You’ll finish off the night with a gorgeous product ready to debut on your Instagram.
This is a project I’m super excited to try out, so I’m plugging it here as a suggestion for others the next time you’re bored, alone, at home for a night. Rather than soak in a tub with expensive bath bombs you had to buy at a store, make your own! It’ll be a fun way to spend your time and you can take a soak in the tub afterward with your finished product, something cool and super useful.
Two things I love: doodling something pretty and getting myself organized. It makes you feel good on the inside and you have something nice to look at on the outside. Because of this, spending your night customizing your own calendar is the perfect use of time. It’s relaxing and enjoyable to doodle and make your schedule super aesthetically appealing, but at the same time you’re secretly being productive, which will keep those good vibes going even after your night to yourself.
So yeah, clearly I think being productive can be fun and make for a satisfying night, and for some people being productive with your time means working out. It’s not how I’m gonna spend my free night per se, but if you’re into that kind of thing, crafting a challenging workout at home during your night alone is a great way to enjoy your time. And afterward you can shamelessly veg out in front of the TV with some snacks as a reward.
And then there’s always this. It may sound boring, but there’s nothing bad about being well-rested. We’re constantly depriving our bodies of the sleep they need to be healthy and fully function. Since you have a night of free time on your hands, why not get in bed early and finally get a full night of sleep. You’ll still be putting the time to good use.
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