Last Updated on July 26, 2024 by Naomi Nimu
Crotcheted flowers
Do you know the old-fashioned homemaking skills that are often overlooked but are still relevant today? I will discuss them today.
It’s fascinating how some traditional skills remain valuable even as times change. I will discuss 10 old-fashioned homemaking skills that are relevant today and discuss their importance in our modern lives in this guide.
What are Homemade Skills?
Homemaking skills are skills one needs to create and maintain a healthy, functional and comfortable home. Despite our busy modern lives, old-fashioned homemaking skills are still valuable and relevant.
My Story
I recall my mom and grandmother used to prepare and cook food with love and care. They obtained fresh, healthy food from their garden, which they grew organically without chemicals.
Also, they kept the homes clean, and one could breathe fresh air as one entered. Their homemaking skills created a nice home where every meal was made with love, and the surroundings were always clean and comfortable to live in.
They taught me the value of fresh, organic food and the importance of a clean and welcoming home, instilling in me the importance of homemaking skills.
We have forgotten or assumed these skills, but they are still useful in improving and sustaining our modern lives.
10 Homemaking Skills List
- Cooking food from scratch
- Sewing and mending clothes
- Gardening
- Home maintenance and basic repairs
- Budgeting
- Home Cleaning
- Food preservation
- Knitting, crocheting
- Woodworking
- Hospitality and Entertaining Guests
1. Cooking Food from Scratch-Important Homemaking Skill
Food steamer cooking food
If you enjoy home-cooked meals, you need to know how to prepare and cook your food from scratch. This is an important homemaking skill as you will be able to prepare your favorite meals using basic ingredients and equipment like a food processor, save money, and have better control over what you eat, leading to a healthier lifestyle.
2.Sewing and Mending Clothes
Sewing is another homemaking skill that many have forgotten, but it is still useful today. If you have a sewing machine, you don’t have to take your torn shirt or dress to repair it every time; you can repair it at the convenience of your home. You will also save money by repairing your torn clothes.
Many have also turned sewing into a hobby, expressing their creativity by creating unique and personalized clothes. Since this is one of those homemaking skills that takes time, you do not have to sew your entire wardrobe.
3. Gardening
This is a crucial homemaking skill that many people have neglected. When we keep a small garden, be it a few pots of herbs on a windowsill or a backyard vegetable patch, it enables us to reconnect with nature and provides us with fresh and nutritious produce.
One of the Important Homemaking Skills
This reduces the need to rely on food from grocery stores, which is sometimes not fresh and is grown with chemicals.
We eat healthy, fresh, and organic food when we grow it and pick it up whenever we want from the garden. This is one of my favourite hobbies. Seeing my veggies and fruits growing daily is so satisfying, and I enjoy delicious fruits from my garden.
4. Home Maintenance and Basic Repairs
Another homemaking skill that people should not forget is home maintenance and basic repairs. Just this year, I had a leaky faucet and a broken shelf. Since I knew how to repair these, there was no need to call a plumber and a carpenter for simple repairs that I could do myself.
This Basic Homemaking Skill Saves you Money in the Long Run
Being able to perform simple DIY tasks not only saves money on professional services but also gives us a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. It also minimises waste by prolonging the life of our belongings.
It is one of those basic homemaking skills that I am proud to have and that I wish every homeowner to have. With it, you will be able to save cash in the long run, especially if you live on a budget.
5. Budgeting
This skill is valuable, especially for those who love to live beyond their means. By knowing how to budget, you will avoid unnecessary debt, prioritize important things, and live a comfortable life.
Live Debt Free
When you know how to make a budget or a plan to use your money well,you will not have debt. We have debt when we misuse money by buying things that we don’t need.
This skill helps you focus on the crucial things, like paying for your home, food, and other essentials.
By using your money well or having a budget, you will live a more comfortable life without always worrying about bills and expenses. This skill will help you lead a life that is stress-free and give you more control over your future.
6. Cleaning your Home-Basic Homemaking Skill
One of the homemaking skills that makes our home feel and look like heaven is cleanliness. It’s also said that cleanliness is second to Godliness. Who would want to live in a dirty and messy house?
One of the most Valuable Basic Homemaking Skills to have
This makes cleanliness one of the most important skills to have. You should know how to use cleaning tools such as a mopper, soap, and vacuum cleaners, to name a few.
Organizing and decluttering your home to make it tidy is also part of cleaning it. When you clean your home, you will live healthy and comfortably, breathe fresh air, and even live longer.
7. Food Preservation
Though many people might call this an old-fashioned homemaking skill, we still practice it today by preserving our food in fridges and freezers.
My grandmother used to preserve the excess fish we caught by either smoking or drying them in the sun. This method removed moisture, keeping the fish longer.
In modern times, food is kept in fridges and freezers to extend its shell life. Vacuum sealing is even used, where a vacuum sealer removes all air in a preservation bag so that food can stay longer without going bad and to prevent freezer burn.
8. Knitting and Crocheting
Knitting and crocheting are valuable homemaking skills that offer many benefits. First of all, you will be able to create unique and personalised clothes which will save you money.
This is the same for clothing. You will be able to make unique and beautiful items that you can use for home decor.
As a Hobby
I know of several people who love knitting or crocheting and take it as a serious hobby, as they love to do it.
Apart from making items you love, those who practice these homemaking skills have also reported feeling relaxed. Knitting and crocheting provide a therapeutic outlet for stress and anxiety in our fast-paced lives.
9. Woodworking
Woodworking is a valuable homemaking skill that allows individuals to create functional items and decorative pieces for their homes, ultimately saving money.
Many people also earn income from woodworking by selling their creations. Others find joy in crafting wood into beautiful objects.
Woodworking adds a personal touch to one’s living space and provides an outlet for creativity and relaxation.
10. Welcoming Guests
Welcoming guests to your home, entertaining them, and making them home-cooked meals is an old-fashioned homemaking skill that promotes meaningful connections with friends, family members, and even people we don’t know.
Creating a welcoming and inviting atmosphere in our homes is an art that brings joy to both the host and the guest.
Final Thoughts
The old-fashioned homemaking skills I have discussed in this guide are relevant and essential in our modern lives. We should embrace and preserve these skills, such as cooking our own food and gardening, so we enjoy healthy and fresh food.
This will enable us to lead more self-sufficient, healthy, and fulfilling lives while contributing to a healthier and more connected modern society.
This is such a timely and insightful post! It’s refreshing to see a spotlight on old-fashioned homemaking skills that still hold so much value today. Your guide beautifully bridges the past and present, reminding us of the timeless importance of these skills in our modern lives. Looking forward to learning and incorporating these techniques!
I have appreciated your feedback, thank you
I need to learn a few of these homemaking skills. Thanks for putting this list together!
You are welcome, you can learn them anytime
My grandmother had apricot trees, and every year the extended family would pick apricots at the height of their ripeness, and she would spend two weeks canning them, making jam, and making pies, which she would freeze. OMG! Everything was so, so tasty!
I am glad to hear about that old homemaking skill of making jam that you miss and still useful today
It is an excellent list of homemaking skills. I’m not sure I’ll start sewing or gardening, but I want to cook more from scratch and spend more on our budget. Thank you for an inspirational article.
Thank you for your great feedback.