People Lived Better in the Past
Whether it’s eating healthy or working out more, or enjoying time with friends and family, life was generally more satisfying in the past. People invested in projects and skills that gave them a sense of purpose and drive. Here are a few such old-school skills that are now making a comeback.
Home Beer Brewing
While Bud Light always has a place on our shelves, with the explosion in popularity of craft beers, more and more people have taken up home brewing as a lifestyle. According to the American Homebrewing Association, at least 1.2 million Americans have taken to homebrewing using beginner-friendly starter kits.
Living Off-The-Grid
While off-the-grid living has always been appealing to a small section of society, that section is now growing larger by the day. People are cutting themselves off from local utility companies and going off social media, instead choosing to live simply, using sustainable energy and resources.
Gardening and Growing Your Own Food
Another one of grandmas skills that we’re picking up again, gardening for fresh produce has become a matter of necessity in some cases. As the price of vegetables skyrockets by the day, growing your own has become an easy way to cut down on grocery bills.
Beekeeping
Beekeeping has become a popular skill for many people, even in urban areas like Los Angeles and New York City. Some people do it to harvest their own honey, while others to contribute to the stabilization of ever-declining bee populations.
Foraging
Another skill that has now become more of a necessity, foraging (especially for produce and herbs), is making a comeback among urban Americans. With inflation making locally sourced produce more expensive, foraging is an easy way to supplement your diet with vitamin-rich foods.
Soap Making
In the past, making soap at home was something most housewives did for their families. This skill declined as commercially made soap became readily available, but today, the trend of customisation and personalisation has forced soap-making back into the limelight. As of today, there are more than 300,000 soap-making businesses in the U.S..
Pickling
Pickles aren’t just a tasty condiment; they’re a way of making your produce last longer. Pickling and canning of fruits and produce have made a comeback in recent years, thanks to ballooning grocery bills and farmers’ market costs. Considering the low entry cost, it’s no wonder that pickling has become so popular.
Jam Making
Like pickling, jam-making is another simple process that can help preserve the shelf life of fresh produce. Making your own jams also gives you control over things like sweetness and acidity, and helps avoid the preservatives found in commercial jams.
Thrifting and Deal-Hunting
There was a time when thrifting was seen as a cheap thing done more out of necessity than desire. However, nowadays, people are more open to thrifting, regardless of their tax bracket. Thrifting is seen as an economical, sustainable way of keeping up with the ever-changing fashion cycles.
Knitting and Crocheting
There is no shortage of stories of people picking up their grandmothers’ knitting needles during the pandemic to pass the time. Most of these people have continued knitting and crocheting well after the global lockdowns have settled. Not only are they calming, tangible hobbies, but they are also utilitarian.
Straight-Razor Shaving
For a long time, straight razors were the only way to shave. However, the advent of the disposable plastic razors made these tools obsolete. Now, after decades, the growing interest in sustainability has given straight razors a much-needed comeback. Eco-conscious men everywhere are now choosing to use this tool in barbershops and at home.
Film Photography
Many people are choosing retro film cameras over modern digital ones for their aesthetics and effort. Back in the day, photography involved physical labour, requiring the photographer to toil away in dark rooms to see the product of their art.
Smithing
Smithing was a trade that almost disappeared because of industrialization; however, thanks to medieval period shows and social media, it is making a modern recovery. The difference is that today’s modern blacksmiths are more concerned with novelty collector’s items than practical tools and weapons.
Walking and Cycling to Get Places
Walking and biking to places have become more popular as people grow more conscious about the environment. While before having a car (especially in big cities) was seen as a necessity, people are slowly realising that walking and cycling locally are better for you as well as the environment.
Calligraphy
When keyboards replaced pens, this art form lost its relevance, except in certain elite circles. However, with social media and celebrities like Megan Markle giving calligraphy a new stage, it has made its way back into the hearts of millions of people. In fact, ASMR calligraphy videos have found a niche even on TikTok.
Handwriting Letters
When text messages, emails, and DMs can get your message across in seconds, why even try writing a letter, right? Well, a new community of young people has now taken to handwriting letters because of their personal, sentimental, and nostalgic value, giving the habit a second wind.
Woodworking
Woodworking lessons were to men what cooking was to women, an important life skill passed from generation to generation. When buying furniture became a cheaper, easier option, woodworking as a hobby almost stopped existing. Thankfully, with the DIY craze now in full swing, people have once again picked up their saws and gotten to work.
Sewing
Fast fashion has made keeping up with fashion trends incredibly easy, but it comes at the cost of the quality of the clothes. Not to mention the fact that regularly buying from fast fashion brands has burned a hole in the pockets of millions. People have taken to sewing their own clothes in response to this situation.
Midwifery
Back in the day, midwives used to support entire communities with their services and skills. However, with the advent of modern medicine, midwives lost their place in society. Now, as the American healthcare system becomes increasingly difficult to deal with, women are preferring to go back to more traditional birthing options, including midwives.
Taxidermy
Taxidermy is another ancient (rather macabre) skill that is making a comeback now. Instead of killing animals to stuff and display, though, today’s taxidermists only work with animals that have already died of natural causes or accidents.
Butchery
Instagram and Twitter played a huge role in increasing the demand for artisanal butchers' shops in big cities, giving the trade a new life. While in the last few decades, only industrial butchers were in demand, local butcher shops are now steadily on the rise.
Cooking
Cooking isn’t just a major life skill; it’s a survival skill. While take-outs and DoorDash replaced cooking for many young adults in the 2010s, they are now realizing the toll processed junk food is taking on their bodies. This has prompted a shift to more home-cooked meals.
Embroidery
Embroidery is one of those skills that is regaining popularity less as a practical skill and more as an art form. While earlier, women embroidered the clothes meant for their own families to wear, embroidery today is more about creating Instagram-worthy art pieces.
Breastfeeding
While people never really stopped breastfeeding, with the invention of formula, more and more women preferred to switch their babies over to formula earlier. However, increasing knowledge and awareness about the downsides of baby formula has led women to switch back to breastfeeding for longer periods of time.
Chair Caning
Like woodworking, chair caning is another craft coming back in vogue, especially with the resurgence of the “mid-century modern” design aesthetic. Social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok have made it especially easy to pick up the basics of chair caning right from your living room couch.
Basket Weaving
A deceptively complex skill that requires hours of time and focus, basket weaving was once a community endeavour. It fell out of favour as it could not keep up with the volume of industrial production. Now, thanks to social media, basket weaving has a new lease on life, with small businesses propping up all over the country.
Composting
The practice of composting is believed to have its origins in ancient Mesopotamia. It’s been a part of life for a long time, but now, with the prevalence of home vegetable gardens and because of the efforts of environmental advocates, composting has become more popular than ever before.
Block Printing
Fast fashion has made clothes more accessible than ever, but it has killed originality and uniqueness. If you buy a shirt from H&M, you’re just one of a million people with the exact same, factory-produced shirt. Maybe that’s why arts like block printing, which require hours of time and patience and produce unique designs, are now on the rise.
Leatherwork
Leatherwork combines creativity and craftsmanship to give you unique, long-lasting pieces that are beautiful and functional. It is no wonder, then, that in an era of increasing personalization and self-reliance, leatherworking as a hobby is making a comeback.
