11 Pretty & Practical Spring Projects for the Homestead
Spring on the farm means baby animals, wildflowers everywhere, tons of eggs, and lots of hard work. But I hope you save some time in those long, busy days to do something fun and beautiful. These spring homesteading projects are the perfect blend of pretty and practical.
Most of them are fun for you and a little helper or two!
Make Botanical Prints
You can use a simple method to pound flowers onto paper for beautiful prints Forage what’s right outside your door and use it to make smashed flower art for cards, wall art, whatever!
Raise Baby Chicks at Home
We’ll get you all set for a happy, healthy flock. They’re fluffy and adorable, and they make the cutest sounds. They’re also messy, stinky, and require a lot of care. Raising chicks isn’t exactly hard, but it’s a lot of work. But don’t let that deter you. It’s pure magic.
Make Painted Strawberry Rocks
These are fun, cute, and easy to do with kids. But the best thing of all is when birds try to eat your precious berries in late spring, they’ll get a nasty surprise and stay away the rest of the season. Yes, it works! pesky birds from your strawberry bed!
Grow Zinnias From Seed
Whenever anyone asks me what to grow in their garden as a complete beginner, I always say the same thing: zinnias. A lot of people recommend tomatoes or zucchini or something practical, but I will never will. Some people like tomatoes. But everyone loves flowers. And zinnias and easiest and most affordable flowers of all.
Grow Crunchy Lettuce
My husband is the worlds pickiest adult eater. He does not eat any type of lettuce other than romaine or iceberg, so that is all we grow. And let me tell you, growing crunchy lettuce is not exactly easy. Â This may be something you just buy. But there are 1000 seeds in most lettuce packets,
Grow Onions To Store All Year
With a few hours of work and a narrow row in your garden, you can have a year’s supply of this super-versatile veggie. One of the most practical things to plant, these kitchen heroes are the start of so many recipes.
Make Lemon Zest Soap
A balanced bar with lemon zest and nourishing shea butter, this absolutely beautiful next to your kitchen sink. Makes a lovely gift too.
Hatch Chicken Eggs in an Incubator
Go from fertile egg to baby chick. This is not as overwhelming as you might think. It’s like starting seeds, in a way! And once you see those first little babies hatch, you’ll want to do it every year.
Grow Cosmos For Cutting
The absolute perfect flower for beginner gardeners. You’ll have armfuls of blooms by July if you plant in April. They are easy to grow, with lots of flowers per plant. Cosmos flowers are mostly simple in shape and limited to shades of pink and white.
Make Strawberry Preserves
Simple ingredients made into a delicious fruit spead. This is one of the canning classics that everyone loves. Save the recipe for that first hot day of spring when you go strawberry picking. Makes 6 half-pints.
Make Homemade Butter
This foolproof method yields clean, fresh-tasting results every time, with real buttermilk as a bonus. Makes about 1 cup of butter.
Grow Herbs in Eggshells
Planting herbs indoors is a great way to jump-start the season. And using eggshells is frugal and absolutely adorable.
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Whether you’re making preserves or pressing flowers, you’re learning skills that are both useful and beautiful. Don’t worry about getting everything perfect! Start with what interests you most and learn as you go.
By Katie Shaw
Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.
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