The analog trend is having a moment. You’ve probably seen it mentioned by your favorite YouTube and/or TikTok creator, and maybe you’ve decided to hop on the trend and build your own analog bag or just find some new analog hobbies.
Craving more analog experiences in a world dominated by screens is definitely something I’ve felt before. I actually made an analog bag before it was even called an analog bag…I just needed a way to keep my hobbies organized and not all over the coffee table.
Also I have ADHD, so my hobbies tend to change and expand and need editing fairly often (I’d put a sweat smile emoji here if my site didn’t hate emojis so much).
Anyway, I have a lot of ideas for books that are either currently in my analog bag or would be awesome for one.
Of course, whatever book you’re currently reading should be in your bag. That’s a given! This list will be more about puzzle, hobby, and craft books you can use to develop your analog hobbies.
But first, in case you’re still looking for that perfect bag or tote for your analog life, here’s the one I use:
I like it because it has tons of pockets for pens, highlighters, pencils, and whatever else I’m into at the moment. It’s also big enough to hold multiple puzzle books, crafty things, supplies, and headphones. Oh, and one of the pockets is the exact perfect size for my Kindle Paperwhite.
JJRING Craft Organizer Tote Bag, Art Storage Caddy with Multiple Pockets
Ok, let’s dive in to the list! Please let me know in the comments if you have suggestions for other types of books I should add here.
Analog Hobby Books to Kill Your Doomscrolling Habit
A Book That Takes Its Time
If you like pretty paper, sending snail mail, collaging, and stickers, A Book That Takes Its Time is a great book option for your analog bag. It’s full of tear-out activities and papers, embedded mini journals, and more. This is currently in my analog bag and I’m loving spending mindful moments with it! Highly recommend this one.
Murdle
You’ve probably seen these logic puzzle books pretty much everywhere at this point. There are multiple different Murdle volumes now, including a Christmas themed one and even Murdle Jr. puzzles for younger solvers. This is another one that I currently have in my analog bag—I’ve been working through it for months now and I’m on the hardest puzzles in the back of the book. I love that there’s a story running through these puzzles, although you could do them out of order and still enjoy the story, too. Another one I highly recommend!
Friendship Bracelet Kit
Friendship bracelets are not just for kids and Swifties. They’re fun to make, gift, and wear at any age! I actually wear one that I strung beads on with my word of the year (it’s “tiny”). This kit comes with the instruction book and enough embroidery floss to make 20+ bracelets. You could even pretend you’re a preteen again and use a safety pin to attach the bracelet to your jeans while you make it. Ah, sweet nostalgia.
Puzzle Mania!
Whether you’re a Wordle fan or not, Puzzle Mania! from the New York Times is an awesome puzzle book filled with puzzles of all different kinds, including a gigantic fold-out crossword puzzle. I got this one for Christmas and I absolutely love opening it up and using a freshly sharpened pencil to solve a few puzzles. It’s a little on the expensive side, but it’s a really big book with a lot of puzzles!
Jade Summer Coloring Books
Cozy coloring books are all the rage right now, and Jade Summer is a hugely popular brand. It’s one that I recommend, too, because the website explicitly states that they don’t use AI to create their coloring pages. They’re all drawn by real artists! They also offer coloring books on tons of different subjects, like animals, flowers, holiday and seasonal, romantasy, and more.
Learn to Watercolor – Watercolor Workbook
Watercolor painting just looks so relaxing. It’s on my “try this next” hobby list, but I haven’t yet because…well, I have too many hobbies at the moment. But it would make a fabulous addition to any analog hobby bag! This particular tutorial book is by the woman behind Rebel Unicorn Crafts, and she’s super fun to follow on social media. This one does not come with watercolor paints, though, so make sure to grab some of those along with it.
Origami Extravaganza!
Origami takes a lot of focus and careful following of directions, making it an awesome analog hobby to engage your brain. This set comes with an instruction book, a whole pile of origami paper, and more.
Cat’s Cradle
Nostalgia, anyone? I had a Cat’s Cradle book when I was a kid, and I’d sit down with it and follow the instructions to make the different string figures like the witch’s broom, jacob’s ladder, and eiffel tower. It’s not just for kids! Use your brain and you hands with this tactile hobby.
Start Where You Are – Guided Journal
I bought Start Where You Are at a time in my life when I really needed to figure out who I was and what I wanted out of life. I loved it so much! It includes a lot of prompts to help you open yourself up to new possibilities. It’s also just super pretty, with illustrated quotes throughout. Highly recommend this one!
Doodle Everything
Confession: I can’t draw even a stick person to save my life. I’d love to be able to just create little doodles like the ones in this book while journaling or writing in my planner, but alas, I cannot. If I had a book like Doodle Everything, though, maybe I’d be able to learn. And if you’re not exactly the best drawer either, maybe you’d like a book like this one in your analog bag, too!
Botanical Escape – Ink Tracing
Have you heard of ink tracing? It’s a newer analog hobby to pop up. It’s similar to learning watercolor on pages where the image is already drawn for you, and you’re just adding the color. In this case, though, there are already some light lines drawn and you’re using black ink to trace them and add shading or other bits. This one has great ratings and should be an awesome hobby for your analog bag!
Crochet for Beginners
I couldn’t finish this list without mentioning knitting or crochet, could I? It’s one of the most popular analog hobbies, after all! This book, Crochet for Beginners, has thousands of positive ratings and reviews and the projects like really cute. I tried knitting a few years back and got into it some, but if I were to try again, I’d go with crochet.
That’s it! What hobbies did I miss in my analog bag list? Let me know what I should add!
More About Me
- 12 Best Books to Stash in Your Analog Bag - March 29, 2026
- What We Read in February 2026 - March 15, 2026
- What We Read in January 2026 - February 14, 2026