There are times when getting something done involves doing it as quickly as possible. And there are times when it involves clearing off the table, and doing it from scratch.
Photo by Kajsa Wikman
The task might take more time, and even sometimes (but not often), it’s more expensive. But to do something yourself – to completely finish a task starting from scratch, embodies simplicity. After all, simplicity simply means “freedom from complexity,” and handmade pays homage to the craft and task of doing a skill well.
There are a number of skills that are a dying art. In a microwave culture, certain skills require crock pot patience, and not many home managers can afford such luxuries as time. But simple moms, home managers who yearn for simplicity in their lives, should take the time to learn a few.
I’d hate to see certain time-tested skills fade away with our grandparents’ generation. Let’s celebrate the beauty, the honor, and the tradition of managing a home and cultivating a family by learning the “tricks of the trade” the long way.
Fading Home Management Skills
1. Sewing
- Why it’s useful: You can make your families’ clothes and tailor them specifically to size, color, and style; you can also custom-make your home textile furnishings. You can make purses, baby accessories, stuffed toys – the options are near endless.
- Why it’s dying: It’s quicker, easier, and sometimes cheaper to go to your local store and buy it.
- But it’s finding a resurgence because: Sewing is the latest knitting craze. The younger generation of home managers are finding reasons to use the skill, and fashionistas see the value that it adds to their creativity.
- How I’m doing: Decently. I have a new-but-simple sewing machine, and I thoroughly enjoy sewing the basics. I just wish I had more time.
- Useful sites to learn how you can keep it alive: Sew, Mama, Sew! • J Caroline Creative • The Sewing Republic • Chickpea Sewing Studio
Photo by Zeetz Jones
2. Gardening
- Why it’s useful: You can nourish your family from your own plot of land, year after year. You’re eating locally, organically, and cheaply.
- Why it’s dying: It’s quicker, easier, and sometimes cheaper to go to your local store and buy it.
- But it’s finding a resurgence because: environmental issues no longer belong to just the minority folk, and gas prices mean a hike in groceries, too.
- How I’m doing: Horribly. I seem to have a black thumb. Still, I’m trying.
- Useful sites to learn how you can keep it alive: You Grow Girl • Backyard Gardener • Organic Gardening
3. Canning
- Why it’s useful: You can extend the life of your garden’s crops and your farmer’s market purchases, and eat your homemade concoctions year-round. And it’s usually healthier than store-bought canned goods.
- Why it’s dying: It’s quicker, easier, and sometimes cheaper to go to your local store and buy it.
- How I’m doing: Nil. I haven’t started learning yet, but I’d like to.
- Useful sites to learn how you can keep it alive: Canned Laughter • The Simple Woman’s Cannery
Photo by Luigi Anzivino
4. Cooking (from scratch)
- Why it’s useful: You’re actually cooking food, instead of chemical-ridden boxed goods. It’s cheaper, it’s way healthier, and it’s a community ritual – you can cook together as a family and bond.
- Why it’s dying: Fast food chains have large marketing budgets, and people simply aren’t aware how easy cooking from scratch really can be.
- But it’s finding a resurgence because: the pitfalls of artificial food are becoming mainstream information.
- How I’m doing: Well. I haven’t cooked boxed food in years.
- Useful sites to learn how you can keep it alive: Tammy’s Recipes • All Recipes • Cooking Light • Everybody Likes Sandwiches
5. Knitting and Crocheting
- Why it’s useful: You can keep your family snugly warm with personalized sweaters and accessories. The skill also provides great gifts.
- Why it’s dying: It’s not exactly a necessity in climates that don’t demand it, and it requires quite a bit of patience.
- But it’s finding a resurgence because: there’s simply something in people that yearns to create, and these skills provide a creative outlet while doing other things like watching tv or chatting with friends.
- How I’m doing: Nil. I haven’t learned this yet, unless you count finger crocheting, which I learned in 5th grade study hall.
- Useful sites to learn how you can keep it alive: Craftster • Mason Dixon Knitting
6. Hospitality
- Why it’s useful: You provide warm food and a safe haven for countless friends and family, and you expand your community to more than just your immediate circle. And you’re giving your kids a good environment for practicing manners and serving others before being served themselves.
- Why it’s dying: Crammed daytimers. Families don’t make the time to sit down over dinner together these days, much less with guests.
- But it’s finding a resurgence because: people are getting tired of running around like headless chickens, and they want to know their neighbors.
- How I’m doing: Fairly well. Then again, it’s a bit easier to make time for this in the non-American culture in which I live.
- Useful sites to learn how you can keep it alive: Epicurious • That’s the Spirit • DIY
There’s plenty of other skills – composting, making household cleaners, felting, woodworking, making yogurt, various forms of artistry. What would you add to this list? Is there something you’re proud to know and do well? Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn how to do? I’d love to find more resources for learning important skills, so please share them if you know them!
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Great post thanks!
Kelseys last blog post..::Because a Housecall Is Way Too Simple For Us::
I love this post! I’ll admit that I can’t sew anything except curtains. I’d love to learn though. I taught myself how to knit, but it was hurting my fingers. I think I’m getting carpal tunnel from too much computer time.
So this year I’m focusing on food. Gardening, canning, and cooking from scratch.
I’m glad to see all of these skills making a comeback. They’re important!
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I know, I love they’re making a comeback, too. They really are so important.
I remember my mom making detergent, and I don’t remember the last time I heard of someone else in my circle who actually made their own detergent. I am all for cooking from scratch, and I am doing great in that department.
The others are all pitifully low on my list. Although I don’t see myself with a pair of crocheting needles any time s0oon, I am definitely going to increase my hospitality skills this year. Lovely list!
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I’ve found it interesting, especially lately, that all this is making a comeback again.
Just like it did 20 years ago. Well, back then *ahem I sound old* a lot fo this we were taught at school and in enforced what was going on at home. Not anymore.
I did start out my married life heavy into the back-to-the-land movement, drifted away form it as the kids got bigger, and we’ve recently got back to it. Having frugal family member,s especially ones who remembered rationing, was a big help.
Some other things people can do, and that we’ve taught our own kids:
- plumbing repairs. even know how your toilet works and being able to fiddle can save you $$$
- electrical, if you really want. I’m not talking huge things, but simple how to turn off the breakers, change a fuse, fix a light or plug socket, install a light.
- house painting, minor repairs, tool usage
- car maintenance. People can’t even change their oil these days.
And just general creativity exercises and opportunities give you the skills needed to make old things over for new purposes, instead of buying new.
Bartering is another skill. Too many people expect to get paid with cash.
Or even sharing. Everything is “mine mine”. Way back when. My neighbor and I used to take turns buying the latest movies for our kids because they were together so often, there was no point in having two copies of each new animated feature.
Or even just passing things on, in the spirit of freecycling (which didn’t have a fancy name back when everyone did it).
What a great post! So much is making a comeback now because of the economic situation. I do all of the above except canning, and it’s because our garden is small so we don’t have a surplus. As another commenter remarked, home maintenance is something to learn and pass along to our children. How many hundreds of dollars could be saved if all of us could make our own home repairs without calling someone in except in case of major repairs?
I love that the young women are embracing sewing again. There’s a trend among teenagers to comb thrift shops for vintage clothing and then embellish or alter it to suit their sense of fashion. Bravo!!
Amy G.s last blog post..Good morning!
Like Amy G. above, I do all of that except for canning, also because we have no surplus. That’s something I would really love to learn once we have a bigger garden. I also need to improve my sewing skills – I can sew things like curtains and bed covers and throw pillows – even made a patchwork blanket for my babe – but have no idea how to attempt clothing, which I would really love to do. I think some lessons would be helpful.
One thing I would add to your list is making your own breads – not the way people usually do now with yeast, but the old-fashioned way, using a starter. This takes longer, and can be a bit trickier, but actually results in much more healthful, easily digested bread. I am about to delve into this arena – we’ll see how it goes!
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I really enjoyed this post. I am slowly (very slowly) teaching myself how to sew. It’s such a rush to finish a project, but it’s hard to carve the time to actually work on anything. Really, I should try and make more time for it because I do enjoy it quite a bit, but it always seems to take a back seat to everything else going on in life! I’m also learning more and more about cooking and hope to one day be able to whip stuff up completely from scratch – and have it come out tasting good!
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Do It Yourself!
Great tips! Your points on hospitality are so true. We all need to meet more of our neighbors.
It is very interesting that you mention these things. I’ve been making similar observations to my friends and family for years. I do think that many of these types of skills are dying. It is really sad to me.
We are a consumer society. What really concerns me is that this seems to lead to helplessness. People seem to think that when they can’t go buy it at the store, they need to be taken care of by the government. It seems we are losing our “can do” attitude in America. It is being replaced by “can buy” consumerism.
I hope more people take the time to learn how to do things for themselves as you suggest here.
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@Preschool Mama – Thanks for the Stumble!
@Andrea R – All good ones! I actually thought of home repairs, so thanks for mentioning it.
@Amy G – I love that teenagers are into sewing these days. I hope it stays for when mine are that age – of course, that’s about 10-15 years from now!
@Jeff – Excellent point. We really do rely on others to do so much for us. Just more of a reason to pass this stuff on to our kids – how sad would it be if these skills become the stuff of history books?
I love using my handmade soap. It required some reading and studying to learn how to do it, but the actual soapmaking process is pretty quick and simple. I’d like to learn how to bind books.
Oh this is so good. I do so well with the gardening, canning, and cooking from scratch- they feel more like hobbies because I enjoy them so much. I want to get better at the hospitality and sewing aspects- just need the time! Great post!!!
No prob, simple mom. We’re so much into home repairs, we’re rescuing our second house and doing heavy renos.
Why yes, I *can* install a toilet.
Oh, and I should mention that my now-grown son was able to get his apartment deposit back because he knew how to repair a hole in the drywall he made. (which was dumb, but at least he could fix it)
I have an appreciation for all these things but cooking and hospitality are what I do most. I would love to learn how to sew. I have the sewing machine now I just have learn. Thanks for being honest and not pretending that you were an expert at all these things!
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Hi, I happened upon your site from FrugalDad. I just wanted to say thanks for the great post. I’m gardening, cooking from scratch and do the hospitality thing when the time calls, but the others (namely sewing and canning) are definitely a work in progress for me. Your links are a wonderful help! I’ve been working towards a frugal and more simplistic life for my family for about the last year and a half – I think your blog can help me be just that much more creative! I’ll be adding you to my blogroll today.
Nicoles last blog post..Great Summertime Activities for the Kids
@Rachel – I thought of you and your handmade soap.
@Kristen – You’re welcome. I’m most definitely a work in progress, but I find all these things really fascinating. Still learning.
Nicole – Thanks for your kind words!
Sewing…half check (unfinished projects notwithstanding)
Gardening…check
Canning…not yet (though I have a canner taking up space in my pantry…does that count?)
Cooking from scratch…check
Knitting…half-check (there are those unfinished projects again)
Hospitality…trying to get back into it by re-prioritizing
Fabulous post, as usual!
Tried my hand at sewing; it just doesn’t seem to come to me, but I can get a button on a shirt or pair of pants and that will have to be sufficient for this chic.
Otherwise, I have made it a personal goal of mine to learn to can this summer. I grew up on nothing but canned goods and loved it! I so want my children to grow up with the same goodness.
And, this summer I took a stab at growing some things…lettuce, radishes and a tomato plant (that died the first night we had it b/c I bought it too early in the season). It doesnt’ seem to be intuitive for me, but I’m willing to learn.
I think I learn best from other people rather than websites but will check the ones out that you mentioned.
Hospitality is something of a priority for both my husband and me. That said, it doesn’t happen as much as we’d like. However, I think broadening the definition of hospitality to include simply a welcoming heir about you wherever you are (at church, inviting friends out for icecream, etc.) helps.
And, making food from scratch is something I’ve grown in considerably.
I think the main difference for me has been growing up with a mom and in a family where these things were NOT a dying art. So, I have good examples. Yet, I somehow remain inept at these things. Now that I’m a mom, however, I am making it a priority to learn these dying arts from my mom, sister and other fabulous women in my life who are a bit more able than me.
Brianas last blog post..HGH Therapies
these same things have been on my heart as well. i made frozen strawberry jam with my girls last week. not only did we make jam for future peanut butter sandwiches, but we made something together to give as gifts to those who come into our home, AND we made memories doing it.
i pray these are things that my girls can take with them into their homes.
karis last blog post..on or off?
I think there’s a skill set that I’d like to read more about, but I’m not sure what it’s called. I’d like to develop more of my ability to keep memories and build a sense of identity for my family. I’m not a scrapbooker, though that could be part of it for some people. I like photography and blogging or journaling. I think using highly personal items to decorate a home contributes a lot in this arena. Finding a way to interview/commemorate/remember older family members would be part of it, too. I think the resurgence of making family trees and the popularity of family blogs speaks to folks’ need to do this.
Along those lines, I love when people give ideas for “kin keeping”, like personal presents for grandparents, ways to remain close despite miles of separation, and ways for kids to connect with their extended family and family friends.
I’m really enjoying what you’ve made here. Thanks for the links!
Miriams last blog post..Grumpy
This was a fun post! I liked how each skill was a lost art because of time, convenience, etc. That’s most of the reason I take short cuts a lot of time but I’ve been enjoying either revisiting or learning these great skills you’ve listed. I am NOT a gardener I’ve decided. I have an unfounded, ridiculous but very real fear of bees and wasps.
I am learning to sew and I’m LOVING that. I’ve been working on the cooking from scratch skill for a few years and I’m anxiously waiting for your posts about cooking on a budget. My grocery bill is really eating away at our money!
Lauras last blog post..Pieces and Parts
This post is like a list of my life goals for the next 5 years…I dislike the fact so much that I don’t have much time to do any of these things at the moment, however I am working in it
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Forgot to say..lovely post
Lauras last blog post..My emergency fund
@Briana – Sounds like you’ve got great first-hand examples in your life! Consider yourself blessed.
@Laura – Those posts are definitely in the works!
@Laura – Life goals… I like it! I’m with you there.
So, this is another wonderful post. So glad I found your blog. I bought a sewing matching — refurbished — online last month and broke it within an hour of trying to use it. I then had to pay roughly $50 to get it fixed. I need very basic how-to because I’m afraid of breaking it again and having to pay again. I thought it would be more resilient. lol
Anyway, thanks for the links. How about some ideas for men to do? My hubby is interested in learning a skill/hobby but hasn’t honed in on anything yet. I think gardening — veggies and herbs — would be good for him. He has a green thumb. Other ideas?
Shawns last blog post..One day at a time
Great post! These are homemaking skills and arts that really can improve our lives, and our families.
I started canning many years ago when a large garden plot produced lots of surplus. I’ve done it ever since, and I enjoy it greatly. We don’t have a garden plot anymore, just some herbs and a few veggies we coax through the summer heat in a pot on the deck. But I live very near a fresh produce market. I go in the early afternoon when the vendors begin lowering their prices so that they can empty their stock before the Sunday/Monday days off. I often end up with very ripe fruit or veggies needing creative preservation. Freezing is a great alternative – quite often we assemble “treat” smoothies with some frozen fruit, orange juice, and yogurt. I use this produce market for all my surplus supplies, so the items that I can change from year to year. We have two constants, however: applesauce and marinara sauce. Both of them taste so much better than the store bought options and are much cheaper, too. It’s wonderful to just grab the jar from the shelf. We often give canned goods away as small but personal gifts.
In the last few years, I’ve found that there are more and more people interested in learning how preserve by canning. The last two years I began to mention to people that canning time was coming up and I had folks ask if they could come and help so that they could learn how to do it for themselves. They all took a jar or two home with them and we had a great time. It cut my work load significantly and added a strong sense of community to the project. It was so much fun people want to come back again! Hot, messy, hard-working fun. But worthwhile, year after year.
Thanks for all the links and thoughts!
I’m in total agreement with you. I love your honesty about the areas that you haven’t tried or are struggling in. Thanks. I think that helps the rest of us feel more confident in the “trying” too. One thing to keep in mind is these things all take practice. Not many of us will wake up one morning, decide to try one out and “voila!” have a perfect product by the end of the day. I think that’s why a lot of us don’t do much in these areas. Either we are too “scared” to try or we tried once, failed (in our eyes) and dropped it like a hot potato.
Gardening I do. And love it! Canning I hope to try out this year. We should at least have an abundance of tomatoes to “play” with. I can sew basics like curtains, valances, pj shorts/pants. Still working on expanding that area. Same with the knitting. Cooking from scratch is not only very rewarding for me but a neccesity with my budget. Hospitality I enjoy some days and other days don’t want to touch with a 10-foot pole! One thing I found that works well for us and is along the lines of hospitality AND cooking from scratch, is that the kids and I bake goodies (cookies, breads, etc.) and take them to our neighbors (especially the elderly ones). That way you can show the neighbors you care and are thinking about them without needing to deep clean the house.
Great post! And thanks for the links to all the points. THAT is a huge help!
Runningamucks last blog post..Garden Update 6/28/08
Great post. Our little family is enjoying gardening for the first time this summer and it’s been such a lovely family activity. We try to do things ourselves, too, to save money. In the last few years my husband has become quite good at car repair – Most of the information that he needs is readily available on the internet with step by step instructions and people available on chat boards to kindly answer questions.
Julie Clarks last blog post..A big day with Daddy
For knit and crochet, may I also suggest knittinghelp.com for free videos, knitty.com for free patterns and inspiration, your local yarn store for lessons and crochetme.com for crocheting information. (Also, my blog may help too
Sally Villarreals last blog post..Amigurumi Sighting
What a wonderful post! I am a teacher and before summer some colleagues and I were talking about how many of these arts are making a comeback. I am growing a garden and picked up a copy of The Farm Journal’s Guide to Canning and Freezing which has a wealth of information and was only $2 (Amazon). This will be the first year I’ve tried canning or freezing.
One tradition in my family that I miss is making applebutter. If I ever find a giant cast iron kettle that I can afford, we will definitely bring that tradition back. I know there are other ways of making it, but you can’t beat the outside kettle that brings folks around for miles.
Great post!! I was lucky to have a mom who has taught me all these homemaking skills and I’m thankful every day for it. I do notice sometimes I start to lose my motivation and I have to remind myself what a dying art these skills are.
Mrs Bs last blog post..Busy weekend
These are wonderful skills! I cook fairly well and am OK at the hospitality. I need to get my crocheting back out. I would love to garden, but only seem to kill plants.
I think I’ll focus on doing better at these things right now and try to add on the others later. My husband really wants me to learn how to sew!
Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolatess last blog post..Would You Like Chocolate With That? ~ Double Delicious Cookie Bars
Great post. I had a black thumb as well, until my 5 year old daughter showed interest in growing things. With the help of knowledgeable people at a local nursery (not a big box chain) we have grown strawberries, carrots, corn and cucumbers.
I have also learned a lot from the website http://www.squarefootgardening.com. This also an awesome resource. Mr. Bartholomew wrote an excellent book enabling the common person to have a successful garden. We didn’t have a lot of extra space, but are growing a lot of food.
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@Sally – Thanks for the great knitting links!
@Tucson Conservative – Thanks for the gardening link! That will be helpful for me personally, as I try and convert my thumb from black to green (or at least brown
).
Great post. I’m noticing the real upswing in sewing now. I quilt, and I see how sewing machines have really evolved to be much more powerful and user-friendly, which I think helps a lot. Not just clothing, but home dec sewing is getting more popular as more gorgeous fabrics are available to consumers.
I haven’t tried canning, but my mother-in-law is inspiring me by the way she gets strawberries at the farmer’s market and makes jam. I might start with that.
I do knit and crochet but I’m having trouble interesting my daughters in it. Time will tell. I also think cooking from scratch in immensely rewarding.
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ohhh – I am not doing so well on some of those!!! My sewing machine sits in my storage machine calling out to me. but I shut the door and pretend not to hear.
Janice (5 Minutes for Mom)s last blog post..Mommy – you need to keep up!
oops – I meant storage ROOM not machine. I wonder what a storage machine would be like… something that I just threw all unused things in and it sorted and stored appropriately…. hmmm… I think I might be on to something…
Janice (5 Minutes for Mom)s last blog post..Mommy – you need to keep up!
@Janice – I think you should invent one of those in your spare time.
I don’t make my own clothes, but I do hem pants and fix holes when they need it. It is cheaper and quicker to patch up a seem than to go shopping for a new shirt/pants/etc. It is also not wasteful which is probably my favourite part.
Great post! I have to admit the only one I’m really doing religiously is cooking from scratch — or at least cooking all of our meals at home. Much easier to control the diet when you’re the only one preparing the meals.
I’d like to start gardening, however, for the green effect. I tend to have a black thumb, so this will be an adventure.
Some Law Students last blog post..Thursday Thirteen
wonderful simple post! we are on to most of those things in our home, and have recently added dairy to the list- as in butter, sour cream, and cheesemaking! we purchased a raw milk share from a local Amish farm, and at the moment there is a huge surplus of milk. since we cannot drink it all, we have learned very quickly to make: butter, mozzarella (and then ricotta always from the leftover whey) creme fraiche, sour cream, kefir, and yogurt. the first batch or two of many of these things were disasters, but we used the mistakes in bread and pancakes! now we have learned a bit more, and will have this training for a lifetime. nothing can possibly be as good as homemade biscuits with FRESH REAL buttermilk and fresh real butter that you’ve painstakingly churned yourself! its been fun and easier than we thought.
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