TikTok Swears By “Analog Bags” For Logging Off & Sticking To Hobbies

After years of doom-scrolling and living life online, many people are more than ready to log off. That often means crafting, reading, and journaling — all hobbies that are likely strewn around your house as we speak. To keep all these materials organized, TikTok recommends storing them in an “analog bag.”

In general, all things analog are big for 2026. Instead of always reaching for tech like your phone, laptop, TV, streaming music, etc. — it feels grounding to dabble in all things non-digital, like books, crafts, and even your dusty old CD collection. No screens. Just vibes.

TikTok’s analog bag trend encourages you to find the tangible items you enjoy and toss them in a designated bag. That way, the next time you’re tempted to scroll or watch the same show for five hours straight, you can reach for the bag and pull out different forms of entertainment, as well as all the non-techy items that make life feel real again.

Creator @siececampbell, who originally started the trend in 2025, said a true analog bag is meant to replace your phone in an effort to reduce screen time. Here’s why these bags are trending, plus how to create one of your own.

You Need An Analog Bag

In an analog bag she packed for January, Siece included a copy of The New Yorker that she likes to thumb through instead of getting sucked into online rabbit holes, as well as a paper planner and journal to replace her Notes and Calendar apps. She also added a Polaroid camera so she can occasionally leave her phone at home and capture memories on film instead, as well as a knitting project that keeps her hands busy.

By having all these things in analog form, she was less likely to reach for her phone. The less you reach for your device, the less likely you are to increase your screen time or get sucked into a scroll. With an analog bag hanging on your arm, it also serves as a physical reminder to curb your scrolling habit, Siece says in her video, so you can potentially kick the unending draw to all things digital.

If you tend to collect hobbies, then this hack is for you, too. Many people use their analog bag to keep their projects in one spot, and they say it inspires them to enjoy their hobbies more often.

In a thrifted tote, creator @jennnoire added books, a needle kit, a notebook where she plans to practice cursive handwriting every day, and a set of adult coloring books. Instead of forgetting about the things she’d like to learn and do, she just pulls something out of her analog bag and voilà, she’s expanding her mind and enjoying her time.

On Jan. 19, creator @thedianele said the trend seemed like a great way to organize her hobbies and lower her screen time, so she put together a version of her own. Inside, she keeps a film camera, a paper planner for organizing her thoughts, a doodle journal to fill with relaxing scribbles, Korean language workbooks, and a watercolor pad with paints so she can practice a new hobby.

In her comments, someone said, “ok wait I LOVE this I’m absolutely gonna need to make an analog bag for myself!!” Another wrote, “Your bag inspired me to have my own analog bag.” And across the app, many users are feeling the same. Creators are sharing their own analog bags and also talking about all the ways they bring a little more joy to their lives.

How To Make An Analog Bag

Think about all the reasons why you reach for your phone in a given day — to take photos, jot notes, read, check the headlines — and try to find an analog version for each of those things. Then, add it all to your bag.

If you want to go the Siece route, keep yours small enough so you can easily throw it over your shoulder and bring it with you on the go. If you want to lean more into analog basket territory, that works, too. Find a big woven basket or hefty tote and fill it to the top with puzzles and projects.

To collect items for your bag, there’s no need to go shopping. Simply walk around your home and gather all the crafts and hobbies you already have lying around — that ongoing knitting project, a watercolor set, crossword puzzles, your Spanish workbook — and put them in your bag.

Reach for your analog bag regularly instead of grabbing your phone out of habit or scrolling without realizing. Instead, do a puzzle, organize your planner, flip through a magazine, and enjoy how it makes you feel.