11 Things to do on the Homestead in the Winter
Winter is the time of year life on the homestead slows down. The garden is asleep, building projects get put on hold, and the desire to stay warm near the wood stove inside is strong.
However, sometimes the winter can feel like it drags on and we aren’t sure what to do with all that extra time. We want to get our hands dirty with homestead activities.
Well, there are plenty of things to do on the homestead in winter, it just looks a little different than the warmer months.
11 THINGS TO DO ON THE HOMESTEAD
Plan next spring’s garden
It’s nice to have a break from gardening, but it doesn’t take long before us homesteaders get the itch again. The winter is a great time to start planning what your next garden will look like. What kind of things do you want to plant? What method will you use? Where will your crops go? Grab a notebook and start brainstorming.
Start indoor seeds
You can’t do this one until the last few months of winter, but planting indoor seeds will give you a jump start on the season. I like to plant some cool weather crops indoors, along with some flowers that thrive in the spring.
Make handcrafts
Quilting, sewing, crocheting, and knitting are all handcrafts that are great for cold, dark nights when you don’t want to leave the house.
Haul firewood
I give this job to my boys to keep them busy, but we have plenty of firewood we need to haul into the house weekly to keep the wood heat going. Sometimes there’s extra to stack, too. If you have teen boys like I do, giving them ownership over keeping the fire going in the wood stove gives them some great skills and a sense of accomplishment.
Bake bread and comfort food
Winter is the best time to bake because it does double duty – gives you comfort food on a cold day and warms up the house with the stove running. Baking bread, cinnamon buns, or cookies are a great way to keep those winter blues away.
Read
Let’s be honest – when spring comes the pile of books you have been wanting to read will get pushed aside for outdoor homestead projects. This slower season is a perfect time to get some actual reading in.
Work on indoor building projects
In the spring I bought decorative wallboard for my kitchen (who knew wallboard would come back in style?) fully knowing we wouldn’t be installing it till winter when it was bitterly cold outside. The winter time is when you want to do indoor projects because as soon as spring comes you’d rather be “making hay while the sun shines!”
Make soap
While you will want to make sure you have a well-ventilated area, soap making is a fun activity to do while you are waiting for spring to…well, ….spring again.
Make Candles
Making candles is another activity that is great to do in the winter months. Enjoying the soft glow of a handmade candle in the cold and darkness has a way of helping you get through those tougher months.
Do some deep cleaning
Let’s be honest – when it’s beautiful outside the last thing we want to do is clean our houses. So, aside from airing out the house with all our windows wide open, deep cleaning sometimes get’s pushed aside for other things when the temperature rises. Taking advantage of cleaning while spending most of our time indoors is a great idea.
Get some rest
When the weather gets warmer, as homesteaders we are often on the go constantly. Sometimes our bodies need rest. I believe winter has a purpose, and part of that purpose is to allow ourselves to slow down, and give ourselves a bit of a break.
Embrace the Slow Season on the Homestead
In spring and summer, there’s never a shortage of things to do. While the winter may feel like it is lingering, there are plenty of ways we can keep busy while we wait for the days to grow longer.
