Since the infamous March 13th, the lives of all Californians have changed completely. Parents and students have begun to work at home, mask mandates have been implemented and 6-foot social distancing ordinances are common. Sure, these have made us believe that no good has come out of the coronavirus pandemic, but for a few students at Carlsbad High, that is really not the case!

Through the popularity of TikTok, a Chinese social media app where users receive short videos tailored to their interests, many do-it-yourself trends have arisen. From healthy food recipes to sewing tutorials, creative viewers on the app have a limitless supply of ways to kill the quarantine boredom.

“Everyone started sewing during quarantine, I would see on TikTok and I wanted to make bags because they were getting popular and they’re cute,” junior Mia Handojo said. “I’d been wanting to sew for a while, but I didn’t have the time, so quarantine was a good time to do it.”

In the months of March and April where quarantine restrictions were heavily enforced, quarantine boredom reached its peak. While many of us were spending a whole lot of time binging Netflix‘s Tiger King, some fellow classmates were using the abundant selection within the streaming platform to pick up new interests and hone in on a new set of skills.

“At the beginning of quarantine, me and my sisters binge-watched the Great British Baking Show on Netflix,” junior Maeve Estrada said. “We binge-watched, like three seasons and we got so inspired to do it ourselves. [We] have been crazy baking, definitely not healthy food. It’s more of comfort food, like cookies and cakes and bread, all that stuff.”

The uncertainty of these past few months has most definitely encouraged a whole lot of spontaneity. Why not use the long and lazy days to improve your character and learn something cool, right?

“I have picked up embroidery… I probably started it like mid-April or something,” junior Elissa Otto said. “I was really bored one day and I asked my Mom, “What should I do?”, and she was like, ‘Embroider!’ So, I just got up and did!”

Not only has quarantine inspired these creative students, alongside many others, it has also brought them closer to the ones that they love. Crafting doesn’t always have to be a solo act! In fact, doing exciting things with friends and family can really strengthen relationships and benefit your mental health in these trying moments.

“Baking just gives me and my sisters an excuse to get along and do something together,” junior Maeve Estrada said. “My older sister is in college, so I never see her. Just being able to do stuff with my sisters, for the first time in a long has to be my favorite part.”