Homesteading has been romanticized recently and for mostly good reason. There is something so satisfying about providing for your family using your own 2 hands.
Today we are going to talk about some skills that you can learn to start homesteading as a beginner. You do not need land or space for any of these skills so you can start exactly where you are.
There are so many ways to begin homesteading, that it can feel super overwhelming. I remember before we moved to our homestead, I was always interested in the skills that are required but I had no clue where to start.
This is the post I wish I had when I first started out and I hope it can take some of the stress away from you as you lean in to these homesteading skills. Let’s get into it!
Please note this blog is reader supported and may contain affiliate links at no extra cost to you. To learn more, click here.
This post is all about homesteading for beginners.
Table of Contents
Spices/ Seasoning Mixes
I think spices and seasoning mixes are one of the easiest places to start with homesteading because they have such a low barrier to entry.
You can pick up spices from the store and then combine them to create endless flavour combinations.
You can use the seasonings in any recipe, to marinate meat or to add flavour and body to rice. The possibilities are endless.
It is also a quick way to remove processed ingredients from your diet. Can’t pronounce an ingredient in the store bought stuff? Make your own!
Finally, I love making my own spice mixes because I get to control the ingredients. Someone is coming over for taco night but they can’t stand the taste of cumin? That’s okay! I can omit it this time.
If you are looking for a few seasoning recipes to try, I suggest you start with these…
Taco seasoning (that you can make in bulk)
BBQ seasoning (this is smoky and sweet in all the right ways)
Gardening
Gardening is one of those homestead projects that can offer both practicality and a hobby. There is nothing better than getting your hands dirty in the fresh soil and planting food that will feed your family.
Foods produced from the garden also have the best flavour and a great nutritional profile as you do not need to use chemicals to control the bugs or weeds.
If you grow your plants from seed and then save seeds, the cost of your food goes down substantially.
If you learn how to process the fruits and vegetables, the cost dips even further and you can have home grown produce all year round.
You can garden regardless of how much space you have by utilizing containers, square foot gardening and companion planting. You can even get started with growing herbs on your counter top. This adds so much flavour and freshness to your dishes. Huge bang for your buck!
Finally, if you struggle to get your kids to eat their veggies, allowing them to grow some food on their own or harvest with you in the garden can entice them to try new foods!
Here are a few other posts to get you started on gardening…
9 easy vegetables to grow as a beginner
Want to keep your garden season organized? Check out this guide!
Skin Care
Skin care is another thing that can completely change the game when you start making it yourself. Not only can it save you money, skin care usually contains fragrances that can be endocrine disruptors or worse.
Once I started using tallow on our skin, almost all of our skin problems decreased. My kiddos eczema nearly went away and the tallow never burns which is a huge win!
By making your own skincare, you can also save quite a bit of money. One loaf of soap is enough for at least 6 months and rendering a full crockpot of tallow gives us enough for months of eating and skincare. I highly encourage you make your own skincare!
Once you have a few basic recipes down (I am very pro tallow!) you can play around with the ingredients and create new recipes.
Once you learn how to render your own tallow, skincare options open up as you are able to make a variety of soaps, lotions and scrubs. If you want a place to start, I would check out these recipes…
The best tallow deodorant that actually works
The fluffiest whipped tallow ever!
Cleaning Products
Did you know that store bought cleaners are one of the most toxic things you have in your home? I didn’t either until I did some research and found that out.
I immediately switched to making my own products (with the exception of laundry detergent and dishwasher tabs as I don’t want to wreck my machines.)
These cleaning products work extremely well, smell great and most of all, they are good for your health!
I would recommend starting with a good all purpose cleaning spray and then moving on to a DIY linen spray.
After you have those recipes down pat, you can make your own liquid soap which requires a bit more of a learning curve. Once you start making your own soap, you will never go back! It is low waste and so much cheaper than buying from the store!
To get you started on your natural cleaning supplies journey, check out these recipes…
Baked Goods
Baked goods are one the final way you can start homestead skills without having a homestead and that is because it is part of a bigger conversation of cooking from scratch.
Baked goods are quick and easy and can replace packaged snacks. I recommend you start with baked good snacks and then move on to breads as they can take more practice.
Over time, you can make tortillas, pita bread, biscuits, bread, buns and any other bread product you enjoy from scratch.
I can’t begin to tell you how fulfilling it is to be able to whip up buns when your family decides they want burgers last minute or to make pizza dough when it is pizza night.
It also feels pretty dang good when you have company over and they compliment you on your completely from scratch meal.
If you are ready to start making your own baked goods, this is where I would start…
Apple Bread (using a homemade dry mix!)
Finally... if you want to start homesteading from scratch...
I would highly encourage you to check out my baking mixes ebook. It is a collection of over 70 recipes for baking mixes, seasoning mixes, extracts, drink mixes and more. I pull my baking mix cookbook out every. single. day so I hope you love it too.
It is 50% off for you today so you can check it out below!
There you have it!! I hope you are able to start homesteading with these suggestions, regardless of where you are. If you have any other suggestions for where you might start with learning homestead skills, leave a comment below! I love to hear from you 🙂
This post was all about homesteading for beginners