Why I Like Making Things By Hand (The Old-Fashioned Way)

I like making things by hand (shocking, based on the title of this post, I know).

Over the last few years, I've found myself drawn more and more to doing things the old-fashioned way. I've learned to make cake, cupcakes, and frosting by hand. I've gotten back into sewing- both cross stitch and making clothes. Not only that, but I've started learning to sew things by hand.

So today I wanted to talk about why I like making things by hand and make the argument that you should give it a try yourself.

As a disclaimer, this post isn't meant to shame anyone or say things like "don't use box cake mix". I have nothing against slapping together a box cake mix with some store-bought frosting.

1) It makes you slow down

Our world is so fast these days. If things aren't shipped in two days, we don't want it. We prefer to watch an hour of 30 second TikToks rather than an hour long video. Everything, from cars to planes, are optimized to go as fast as possible.

There's nothing wrong with speed. But sometimes it's nice to slow down. And making things yourself is a great way to do that. It might take longer, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Life goes by fast enough as it is. Taking the time to make a cake from scratch gives you a chance to breath and appreciate the world God put you in.

2) It's more fulfilling

Which are you going to value more- a skirt you bought on Amazon for $20 or a skirt you sewed for yourself over the course of an afternoon? The latter, right?

It's such a rewarding feeling to look at something and know you made it. You spent your time on making something and bringing it to life. You'll value it far more and you'll remember that feeling of accomplishment every time you use the thing you made.

3) It's more personalized

Our world likes to try to standardize everything. But as anyone who's ever shopped for anything, but especially clothes, you'll know it's impossible. Creating something yourself allows you to customize it to exactly what you want.

When I make a skirt, it fits my body perfectly. I don't have to feel bad because of the size on the tag, because there isn't one. Same goes for food. You don't want so much salt in a dish? Or need to substitute an ingredient? You can do it easily and make it exactly what you want.

4) It keeps dying art forms alive

I've talked about this before, but certain skills are dying out in this world, especially skills associate with being a woman. Continuing to do those skills is both a way to keep them alive and be counter-cultural at the same time (a win in my book).

You don't have to go dedicate your life to learning to darn socks, but there's nothing wrong with exploring hobbies. Are you interested in spinning wool? Churning butter? Making bread? Sewing clothes? Give them a try. You might just find your new favorite thing.

5) It's a useful skill to have

We aren't taught to do things for ourselves anymore. We're told to just go buy whatever we need, even though we could make it ourselves, and in many cases, have it be better for you and better made.

I'm not one of those people that's like "what will you do if the world goes to hell tomorrow?", but I do think it's important to not have to rely on stores and brands for everything. You never know what the future will hold and having good practical skills is always a good plan.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you enjoy making anything by hand? Tell me in the comments.