While spending more time at home might put a damper on our travel plans and social life, it has its perks, too — namely, that our local businesses are offering an abundance of affordable at-home activities to help fight off cabin fever. Here are 11 affordable, locally found Cheap Thrills.
STAY BUSY
Paint-by-number kits
From the “notorious RBG” to Mr. Rogers to local cityscapes, these wonderfully detailed paint-by-number kits are giving us an excuse to relax, unwind, and add a little color to our lives. Created by a local art teacher, each kit comes with a canvas, paintbrush, and paint colors with quirky names to reflect the masterpiece. Ranging from $22 to $25, order your paint-by-number kit from Paint the Town by Numbers.
PinRBG paint-by-number kit, $22, from Paint the Town by Numbers | Image: Paint the Town by Numbers
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Football season jigsaw puzzle
Are you ready for some football? If it means spending an afternoon working on this 500-piece puzzle, we’re in! Thanks to a collaboration by local artists, this Nashville-founded business has a selection of jigsaw puzzles that reference the South and all its charm — the perfect way to keep us preoccupied while dreaming of the days when we can get back to sitting in the stands. This jigsaw puzzle is on sale for $15.95 (reg. $26.95) from True South Puzzle Company.
PinFootball-themed 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, on sale for $15.95 (reg. $26.95), from True South Puzzle Company | Image: True South Puzzle CompanyNashville coloring book
Coloring isn’t just for kids. Whether we’re taking a five-minute break from work or investing an hour getting lost in the details, this 60-page hand-illustrated book of drawings is a welcome distraction and the perfect way to celebrate Music City. The book is available online for $16 from artist Caleb Faires.
PinThe Nashville Coloring Book, $16, from artist Caleb Faires | Image: Caleb FairesAttend virtual concerts
Music City Bandwith, presented by Jack Daniel’s, is a free, virtual, 30-concert series you can watch from home. Grab a cocktail and snuggle up for an array of local bands performing at independent live music venues throughout the town to support our incredible Nashville talent. Make a donation, buy an official concert t-shirt, and check out the event schedule at visitmusiccity.com.
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PinFree virtual concerts are keeping our music appreciation alive and well. Image: Visitmusiccity.comRELATED: “Love Thy Neighborhoods” — It’s the Nashville Way
LET’S GET COOKIN’
Bake biscuits
Loveless Cafe biscuits legendary, and this biscuit mix lets you re-create the pillowy goodness at home. Even if you aren’t headed for The Great British Bake Off, it’s still fun to pretend you’re in the big leagues. You can find the mix for $10.95 at Made in TN.
PinLoveless Cafe Biscuit Mix, $10.95, from Made in TN | Image: Made in TNLearn to make pizza
Pizza is a favorite for all ages, so gather the whole family and make some together. Gino’s East offers take-home pizza kits that are ideal for some Friday night family fun. Choose from deep dish or thin crust pizza, and the kits include the essentials: dough, cheese, sauce, and four toppings. Get one take-home pizza kit for $15 and two for $25 from Gino’s East.
PinTake-home pizza kit, $15 to $25, from Gino’s East
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Officially document your family recipes
Are you still storing Mom’s tried-and-true recipes on dog-eared index cards stuffed in an old shoebox? Perhaps it’s time to log everything in one organized, easy-to-find location. In this logbook, there’s room for 130 recipes, from Grandma’s meatloaf to Dad’s experimental figgy pudding, and it’s divided into sections ranging from salad to dessert. Talk about a project that’s worth devoting some time to! You can find it for $22 at Amelia’s Flowers.
PinFamily recipe logbook, $22, at Amelia’s Flowers | Image: Amelia’s Flowers
GRATITUDE & REFLECTION
Learn the art of candle making
There’s an art to candle making, and now’s the ideal time to perfect it — and make your house smell divine at the same time! Paddywax offers the Wabi-Sabi candle-making kit, which includes a fun ceramic vessel, wicks, a stainless steel pitcher, soy wax, the fragrance of your choice, and more. You can order a kit for $45 from Paddywax Candle Bar.
PinWabi-Sabi candle-making kit, $45, from Paddywax Candle Bar | Image: Paddywax Candle BarFind creative reflection
A reflection a day keeps the negativity away. With 365 prompts to inspire you to draw, write and reflect, 1 Page at a Time is the perfect motivation to take a deep breath and begin a thoughtful daily journal. You can find it for $16 at Gift Horse Nashville.
Pin1 Page at a Time, $16, from Gift Horse Nashville | Image: Gift Horse
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NATURE VERSUS NURTURE
Start an indoor succulent garden
Spending so much time at home means your plants get all the attention they deserve, so why not expand your indoor garden? Even if you don’t have a green thumb, now’s a great time to start small and work your way up. Cacti and succulents require relatively stress-free maintenance, so go ahead and take the plant-owning leap. You’ll find a variety of cactus and succulent options starting at $4.99 at Bates Nursery and Garden Center.
PinCacti and succulents, starting at $4.99, at Bates Nursery and Garden Center | Image: Bates Nursery and Garden CenterRELATED: 5 Houseplants You Can’t KillSend some pretty packages
If ever there was a time for reaching out to our family and friends, this is it. From Zoom calls to handwritten notes, we’re finding ways to connect and send some socially distanced appreciation. This sticker set is the perfect card or gift embellishment, adding color and giving us some additional motivation to surprise those we love with a little dose of happiness. You can find it for $9 at The Golden Slipper.
PinPrimp Your Packages sticker set, $9, from The Golden Slipper | The Golden Slipper
Jenna von Oy Bratcher is StyleBlueprint's Editorial Operations Manager and Lead Content Editor. The East Coast native moved to Nashville almost two decades ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a lover of dogs, strong coffee, traveling, and exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.
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