The two places where people are most likely to feel bored are at home and at work. Next time boredom strikes, skip the nap or coffee break and try tapping into your creativity instead.
According to Time magazine, studies have shown that boredom can actually boost creativity by encouraging daydreaming, which often leads to original ideas.
Here are examples of just how inventive people can be when boredom kicks in—maybe they’ll even inspire your own creative spark.
Chips of the World
This bored chip break turned into an unexpected journey into a whole new chip universe.
Well, maybe not an entirely new world—but definitely a miniature version of our world made entirely from chips.
The creator managed to sculpt each piece by carefully nibbling the chips into just the right shapes.
Hot Potato
This puts a whole new spin on the phrase “hot potato.”
The mastermind behind this creation even gave the outfit a name: the “peelkini.”
All that’s left now is a little oil—so it doesn’t burn… in the fryer.
Warm Water
All they wanted was warm water, but with only hot and cold faucets, it wasn’t so simple.
That is, until a bored house guest got inventive and crafted this clever warm water contraption.
Pure genius.
Save the Toilet Paper
One employee took a longer-than-usual bathroom break—but at least they used their time wisely.
They left behind a tiny piece of hilarious art for the next visitor.
How they managed to draw something so funny on such delicate paper remains a mystery.
Scorpion War
Next time boredom strikes and there’s some copper wire nearby, why not see what kind of art you can create?
One creative soul crafted three scorpions, complete with detailed pinchers and stingers, ready to strike.
It’s all in the details!
Paper Clip Tree
All it took was a few paper clips and a bout of boredom for this employee to get creative.
The result? An artistic little “plant” that now lives on his desk.
His coworkers even joke about how often it needs to be watered.
Tiny Soldier
This miniature soldier may be small, but he’s waging a full-scale battle against boredom.
How many parts can you spot?
I count at least nine pieces cleverly assembled to bring him to life.
Excel Worksheets
Who knew Microsoft Excel could be an art studio?
Definitely not what the boss had in mind when she asked for that spreadsheet.
Mike Tyson might be impressed, but let’s hope this masterpiece doesn’t get attached to the next company-wide email.
Gummy Bear Fights
Gummy bears aren’t just tasty—they’re the perfect boredom muse.
With a little creativity, they’ve gone from snack to smackdown, starring in a gummy bear showdown.
Makes you wonder if one of those gummy warriors is secretly representing the boss!
Seedless Strawberry
Ever wondered what a strawberry would look like without its seeds?
Well, wonder no more!
This person took the time to carefully remove each one.
It’s hard not to wonder how long it took and whether she used her hands or a tiny tool for the job.
Window Art
This creative Post-It art brings out everyone’s inner child.
As people walk by, they get to find Waldo one more time—no book required!
It’s a fun, interactive piece that’s sure to bring joy to anyone who sees it.
Zombie Apocalypse
Only the toughest chicken nuggets will make it through their own zombie apocalypse.
It’s a race for survival, with each nugget running for its life—straight into the hands of one very bored person.
Looks like there’s no escape for the nuggets in this scenario!
White Out
When work slowed down, this person decided to white out an entire banana.
Now, it’s the prized possession of the office and should be treated like gold.
The only issue is, the office might struggle to tell when it’s gone bad!
BBQ Star Wars
The bored employee came up with the perfect creative caption to match his unique creation.
“Bored at-at work?”
Skittles Art
A bag of Skittles and a little boredom were all it took to spark his creativity at work.
With Super Mario Kart on the mind, he crafted a masterpiece—let’s just hope no one shook the table before he was ready to eat his creation.
Tennis Match
It takes a morbid sense of humor to create a tennis match like this while bored at work.
Luckily, there’s always an audience for this type of art.
The only question left is—who was declared the winner?
Need a Seat?
When you’re living on a budget, creativity becomes a necessity.
This student crafted their own bench without spending much, if anything at all.
Would you trust it to hold you up, though?
Work Out
When mechanics get bored at work, they have the perfect materials to get creative.
These mechanics welded together a little workout figure to pass the time, even adding eyes that show just how hard he’s working out.
Hilarious!
Super Mario Fan
Is Mario or Luigi going to get the mushroom first?
This bored employee brightened up the break room for everyone with some awesome Post-It Note art.
It’s a project that everyone gets to enjoy—let’s just hope they’re all Super Mario fans!
Be Careful
This is a project only the brave with steady hands should attempt.
What looks like an art installation is actually a stack of plates created by an employee bored at work.
It’s impressive enough to belong in an art museum—well done!
New Beard, New Me
There’s no reason why you can’t include yourself in your bored ideas.
This co-worker created a new beard for himself, made entirely of paper clips.
He’s truly become one with the office!
Gummy Bear Warfare
All is fair in love and war, but this one just got intense.
This bored employee crafted a full guillotine scene with gummy bears.
Those poor little guys are about to lose their heads!
Knight in Cardboard Armor
There’s always one who stands above the rest to be knighted.
This gentleman was the chosen one at his workplace.
Will he be chivalrous or turn to the dark side?
Either way, he must defend the sodas at all costs!
Throne of Motherboards
This employee must have Game of Thrones on the brain, as they’ve crafted their own version of the Iron Throne.
But instead of swords, they’ve used what they had on hand—motherboards.
Only the most tech-savvy can claim the throne.
May the best person win!
Time for Vacation
He must have been daydreaming about walking a dog to come up with such a fun creation.
If he can’t walk a dog during work hours, at least President Lincoln can.
Though, we should probably mention that President Lincoln’s dog doesn’t look too thrilled about the walk.
Arch of Cups
This Jamba Juice has clearly set the boundaries with an arch made of cups, making it employees-only past that point.
That design is going to be a real challenge to take down—it looks like it’ll take at least two people to make sure all those cups don’t come crashing down to the floor.
Ultimate Oreo
This Oreo creator is surely a fan of the filling instead of the cookie itself. As he put it,
“Sweet satisfaction (and far too much free time).”
Braids
Rapunzel, let down your hair… or in this case, your toilet paper.
During a particularly boring bathroom break, someone decided to get creative with some toilet paper and gave it a stylish twist.
The next person to use the restroom was amused enough to snap a picture, so the work didn’t go unnoticed!
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
It looks like Ferris Bueller isn’t the only one with a knack for sneaking out of work.
One clever employee tried to pull off a disguise, hoping it would help him slip out early.
However, we have a feeling it won’t take long for his coworkers to realize it’s not really him.
Nice try, though!
Never Grow Up
Sometimes, you just have to tap into your childhood to take a break.
These workers managed to create their own version of Tic-Tac-Toe using machinery.
It’s what kids dream of doing when they grow up, but these guys actually made it happen.
New Car
When boredom strikes, sometimes the best ideas come in the form of pranks.
This one might have taken a lot of time, but it was definitely worth it in the end.
Plus, it gave them something productive to do instead of just sitting around.
Stuck
If he claims he got stuck in the chairs, do you think they’ll still make him work?
This could be his attempt to avoid the grind for a little longer, but it definitely doesn’t look like the most comfortable escape plan.
House of Cigarettes
Instead of building a house of cards, this employee crafted a house out of cigarette packs.
When boredom strikes, you make do with what’s around, and in this case, cigarette packs were his materials of choice.
This might just be the healthiest use of cigarettes I’ve ever seen!
Subway Only
If you’re thinking about anything other than Subway sandwiches, you’re getting tossed off the cliff—well, the imaginary one.
With some extra time on their hands, these sandwich artists took their creativity to new heights, crafting not only sandwich art but vegetable masterpieces too.
Perfection
This grocery store employee had plenty of time before opening, so they decided to make the vegetable section look perfect.
They even crafted a letter “Z” with the green onions.
It’s so beautifully arranged that it almost seems too perfect to touch—though it’s bound to be messed up as soon as the doors open.
Paper Clip Art
Paper clips are the ultimate office boredom busters.
Not only do they keep papers neat, but they can also be molded into creative shapes.
This scorpion paper clip definitely won the battle against boredom.
Bob Marley
This employee must have spent some time staring at those cords before they turned into dreadlocks in his mind.
After printing a picture of Bob Marley, all he had to do was tape it up.
Now, his bored thoughts are on display for everyone in the workplace to enjoy.
Penny for your Thoughts?
This bored employee must have received a lot of pennies for his daydreams because he turned them into a sculpture.
The steady hands required for that creation are impressive.
I see a bridge—what do you see?
Complaint Department
This office takes complaints very seriously, so seriously that they’ve created an entire position for them.
The only issue is that the employee, Mr. Milton, who’s been hired for the job, is actually a cockroach.
Those complaints aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Advisors
When in need of solid advice, it’s wise to gather input from multiple sources instead of relying on just one.
This bored employee now has a whole spoon family to turn to for guidance.
The Belcher family, made of spoons, is always ready to lend some pretend wisdom whenever she needs it.
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