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The FT guide to hands-on hobbies to boost your mental health

When life gets you down, give it the fingers - from flower arranging to scything

© Alexander Coggin | florist Wagner Kreusch

Open your mind to meditative art
Painting mindfully has become increasingly credible, for artists and amateurs alike
TV petrolhead James May on the slow joys of woodworking
The presenter and car fanatic on finding an emotional outlet in carpentry, and why he is more modern than his on-screen caricature
The knit crowd
Hand-knitting isn’t just a “self-soothing tool” – it’s the best way to get the look of the season
My quest to become the next Constance Spry
Fancy yourself a florist? Or an Ikebana master? We try four different ways of finding your arranging ‘flow’
The scyther of suburbia: in the footsteps of Poldark and Tolstoy
The tool from our romantic agrarian past is quiet, satisfying and good exercise, if you learn to use it properly
The curious appeal of marmalade-making
As home cooks discover the joys of the orange stuff, secrets and tips from two longtime fans