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DIY Art Club · The Evening Guide

7 ways to actually switch off after work, ranked

We tried the usual advice so you don't have to. Ranked from least to most effective, based on what our customers tell us actually worked.

★★★★★4.8rated by thousands of verified painters
Under paint by numbers

You know the evening. Work ends but the head does not, so you reach for whatever is closest, and the closest thing is always the phone. We ranked the usual ways of switching off, honestly, from worst to best.

The scoreboard

Doomscrolling2/10
Watching TV4/10
A glass of wine3/10
The gym6/10
Meditation apps5/10
Slow cooking7/10
Paint by numbers9/10
7

Doomscrolling on the sofa

The default, and the worst. Your body rests while your head processes two hundred strangers' opinions. You go to bed more tired than you sat down.

6

Watching whatever is on

Better than the phone, until you realize you are watching TV while also scrolling. Passive rest rarely turns the work-brain off, it just mutes it.

5

A glass of wine

Pleasant, works for an hour, and quietly makes the sleep worse. As a nightly switch-off strategy it collects interest.

4

The gym

Genuinely effective, when you go. The problem is that after a draining day, the gym is the first thing that gets cancelled.

3

Meditation apps

The right idea with a hard entry: sitting still with a busy head is a skill that takes months. Most people quit before it starts working. Sharron gets to the same place with a brush: it "turns my mind off and I find it helps calm me."

2

Cooking something slow

Underrated. Hands busy, small decisions, a result you can eat. Loses points only because someone still has to do the dishes.

1

Painting by numbers

Everything the others promise, without their catch. Your hands are busy like cooking, your mind settles like meditation, but there is nothing to figure out and nothing to clean up except a brush. The numbers decide everything, so the work-brain has no job to do, and it finally goes quiet. Ten minutes in, your shoulders drop. And unlike every other item on this list, it leaves something behind: a painting, on your wall. Vanda's review says it plainly: "The moment I started painting I couldn't stop."

Finished painting framed on a wall
Vicky's fourth finished painting
Customer story

Vicky is on her fourth canvas

She started with one kit to see what it was like. Four paintings later it is her standing evening routine, and she has developed her own strategy for picking the next design.

"Absolutely love doing this. This painting is my 4th painting. I love the peace and calmness. I am also getting better at picking pieces that are not too fiddly so I make progress and don't get overwhelmed by a new picture."

Vicky W.
Paint by numbers kits
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From our community

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What our customers say

With the photos they shared

Jacqueline H.
★★★★★
Jacqueline H.

This one is a picture of one of the many beautiful areas in my homeland, Jamaica. It's almost finished and im very pleased. Delivery was pretty quick, as usual.

Maz E.
★★★★★
Maz E.

Fantastic kit, easy to use and a great new hobby!!

Tannaz H.
★★★★★
Tannaz H.

The colors are nice, easy to work with. Only issue is that the lighter colors dont cover the number as easily so you have to go over it twice. Really fun!

Good to know before you order

Do I need any painting experience?

No. Every canvas is printed with numbered shapes and every paint pot has a matching number. About half of our customers start with zero experience.

What comes in the box?

The pre-printed canvas, paint pots matched to your design and a set of brushes. No mixing, nothing extra to buy.

How long does one kit take?

A full size canvas fills 15 to 30 relaxed evenings. The mini paintings take an evening or two each.

What if it is not for me?

Every order comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. If painting does not relax you, you get your money back.

Does shipping cost anything?

No. Shipping is free on every order.

Try it with nothing to lose

Free shipping on every order and a 100% money-back guarantee. If painting does not relax you, send it back and pay nothing.

Find your design, up to 50% off →

Free shipping · Everything included · 100% money-back guarantee

Find your design →Free shipping · Money-back guarantee