The Art of Homemaking

Homemaking is the work you do at home to create an atmosphere that allows your family to feel loved. The art of homemaking has many facets and as a homemaker, studying the different disciplines of homemaking will help you do your job better. Today I’m sharing a definitive guide to homemaking.

I’ve come to appreciate the art of homemaking so much more as I’ve grown older. It’s funny how the idea of home and homemaking held such an appeal to me as a young wife and mother but the actual work of homemaking found me wishing for something else.

There is so much profound and yet simple beauty in the art of homemaking. My mom gave me many homemaking books when I first became a wife and mother. This was back in the days before the internet and the books I read and the magazines I poured over inspired me to learn the art of homemaking.

I wanted to provide a home for my family that was warm and welcoming and pleasant. A homemaker’s jobs are versatile and many. There never seems to be a lack of work. You can always find something to do at home.

“A housewife’s work…is surely, in reality, the most important work in the world…your job is the one for which all others exist.” – C.S. Lewis, The Collected Letter of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3

The Art of Homemaking

We find in the passage of Proverbs 31 that the virtuous woman was a good homemaker. The Bible tells us that the Proverbs 31 woman “looks well to the ways of her household.” (Proverbs 31:27)

The Bible does not say that a Proverbs 31 woman does everything herself. The Proverbs 31 woman is a homemaker. Homemaking is about more than simply a list of tasks you perform each day to ensure the cleanliness of your house and the well being of your family.

Homemaking is truly about the art of making a home.

You could have a maid who comes in to clean your house once a week and still be a homemaker. You could have any amount of help – whether it be from the latest and greatest homemaking gadget (roomba anyone?) or a smart refrigerator. Or you could be enlisting your kids to do their part and help out with chores each day.

And if your homemaking is much more simple, with only the most basic tools and your own hands to do the work, you are a homemaker.

The word homemaking means: the creation and management of a home, especially as a pleasant place in which to live.

Who doesn’t love to walk in the door to pleasant aromas wafting from the kitchen or the simple pleasure of opening the linen closet door to find stacks of neatly folded towels to dry off with after a shower?

Whatever your means and whatever your financial standing, you can create a home that is a pleasant place in which to live.

Homemaking is not about the material possessions you fill your home with but rather, homemaking is about the love that pours out of your heart into every effort your hands perform.

A home is not a very pleasant place to live if the ones who live there do not have pleasant attitudes toward each other. Showing loving kindness to those who dwell inside your home is the number one thing you can do to create an atmosphere of peace and joy inside your home.

“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” Isaiah 32:18

Homemaking Basics

Homemaking, while requiring much knowledge and skill from the homemaker, is more about how we love and serve our families more than about how skilled we are in the art of time management or scrubbing the floors.

• Why is Homemaking Important? We all know that having a clean house is important – if for no other reason that germs and bacteria aren’t healthy. But why is homemaking important?
• Homemaking 101: Daily Disciplines for Every Homemaker Keeping a neat house isn’t the easiest of tasks, but having self discipline can sure make it easier.
• Housekeeping Tips for the Working Mom I receive a lot of questions from moms who work outside the home about how to balance work and homemaking and all the other demands that a wife and mother face each day.
• How to Create a House Cleaning Routine Having a neat and tidy home is a goal for most of us… however far we fall short, I imagine that most of you would love to come home everyday to a home that is warm, inviting, and tidy. 
• What to Clean and When Have you ever wondered if life is harder than it could be? Sometimes we make life harder for ourselves without even realizing it!
• How to Keep a Clean House Some women seem to naturally know how to keep a tidy space. And then there’s the rest of us.
• How to Keep Your Kitchen Clean Oh, to have a clean kitchen. Wait, even better, cook homemade meals and still have a clean kitchen.
• How to Speed Clean Your House For those days when you just need a clean sweep to freshen your home. This isn’t about deep cleaning!
• How to Get Started Spring Cleaning Spring is officially right around the corner, and that means I’m in the mood to air out the house and freshen it up! It’s time to give my home a thorough scrub to ring in the new season. 
• How to Clean When You Feel Overwhelmed I want you to know I’ve been there. You know, that place where you feel really stressed looking around your house at the mess… and you just don’t know how to even begin.
• Emergency Quick Clean Up For those days when everything is a disaster and you’re ready to get your family to work!
• Homemaking When Life is Hard My experience has been that much of the time life is just hard. Today, I felt like crawling back in bed and staying there.
• How to Get Back on Track at Home Do you ever find yourself frustrated when things go wrong and your house takes the brunt of it? You know, like you get sick or you have guests that stay for several days? 
• The Disciplined Homemaker I’m here to help you learn to be more self-disciplined at home.
• How to Be a More Effective Homemaker If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t get it all done or why homemaking seems so hard, you’re not alone!
• How to Make Your House Smell Good If you’ve ever walked into your house after a few days away and noticed an unpleasant smell, then you may be wondering what other people smell when they visit. As a homemaker, I know you want a good-smelling house!
• How to Get Motivated to Clean Your House Some days it can be hard to find the motivation you need to clean up a messy house. Learn how to get motivated to clean the house when you feel tired, discouraged, or overwhelmed.

Homemaking 101

These simple homemaking lessons will help you get your housework done efficiently and effectively.

• How to Hand Wash Dishes
• How to Clean the Kitchen Appliances
• How to Clean the Bathroom
• How to Care for Your Carpets
• How to Clean the Stove
• The Daily Order

Old Fashioned Homemaking

• Old Fashioned Homemaking Routines Do you dream of having a clean and cozy home? If the lack of organization and tidiness is driving you insane, having a weekly routine will help you get your home in order.
• Old Fashioned Homemaking Skills Who doesn’t love to walk into a home that smells like fresh baked bread, clean laundry, or warm cookies? The truth is, everyone loves a space that feels cozy and welcoming.
• Old Fashioned Life Skills Kids Need to Know Your goal as a parent is to prepare your children to be independent adults one day. Sometimes we get so caught up in all the busyness of daily living and forget there some really important skills they should be learning.
• Homemaking Quotes | The Best Homemaker Quotes Whether you work outside the home or stay home full time, you are a homemaker. That’s why I’m sharing some of my favorite happy homemaking quotes. I think you’ll find these quotes and Bible verses for the homemaker to be an encouragement for your soul.

The Homemaking Notebook

• The Household Notebook
• A Look Inside My Life Planner
• Basic Household Notebook
• How Using a Planner Reduces Stress
• How I Use my 52 Week Planner
• The Printable Purpose 31 Planner for Christian Women
• My File Crate System

Homemaking Planners

Every homemaker should have a homemaking plan. My simple to use homemaking planning pages are perfect for you to add to your household notebook, home management binder, brain dump notebook, life management binder, or homemaking planner.

Each of my printable homemaking planners will help you organize your days – not only at home but when you are out running errands or at work. There’s a planner for every type of homemaker in my collection of homemaking planners.

• Purpose 31 Weekly Checklist Binder
• The Mary Homemaking Planner
• The Martha Homemaking Planner
• Purpose 31 Simple Homemaking Planner
• The Disciplined Homemaker Planner
• The Disciplined Homemaker Menu + Shopping List
• The Purpose 31 Holiday Planner
• Purpose 31 Daily Planner
• “This is the Day” Purpose 31 Daily Docket
• Spiral Bound Purpose 31 Homemaking Planners

Homemaking Classes

Here’s a list of homemaking classes I offer here at A Virtuous Woman. I want you to know you aren’t alone. You can learn to be a good homemaker!

A Time to Clean: 30 Day Challenge

A Time to Clean: 30 Day Challenge and Course Does material clutter find it’s beginnings in the recesses of my heart? A messy house just might be symptomatic of a much deeper sickness.

One Week to a More Organized Home

One Week to a More Organized Home Do you long for a space that offers a respite from the world? Are you longing for a space that feels uncluttered and peaceful? What if you could start making a change today? Would you do it?

Spring Cleaning for the Heart and Home

Spring Cleaning for the Heart and Home This 30 day challenge helps you tackle one project a day for 30 days to get your home fresh, clean and organized!

The Disciplined Homemaker: 30 Day Course

The Disciplined Homemaker: 30 Day Course It’s easy when you feel overwhelmed to just ignore the problem – indefinitely.

Cultivating a Heart of Self Discipline: Mini Course

Cultivating a Heart of Self Discipline: Mini Course Being disciplined as a homemaker is one thing that will make the most difference in your life and home.

Biblical Homemaking

Homemaking is a ministry in every sense of the word. God has called each of us as homemakers to the ministry of homemaking. Whether you work outside the home or stay at home full time, you are a homemaker.

God created each of us with a spirit that delights in the simple beauty of a cozy home. A home that radiates love, warmth, and beauty, however simple, nurtures the wounded soul like nothing else can.

“If you have been afraid that your love of beautiful flowers and the flickering flame of the candle is somehow less spiritual than living in starkness and ugliness, remember that He who created you to be creative gave you the things with which to make beauty and the sensitivity to appreciate and respond to His creation.” – Edith Schaeffer, The Hidden Art of Homemaking

• My Favorite Christian Homemaking Blogs
• The Ministry of Homemaking: Email Challenge
• Homemaking Demonstrates Love Through Action
• Homemaking Matters
• Are You a Home Maker?
• Perfection is Not Required
• How to Be a Good Homemaker
• A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
• What Does It Mean to Make a Home?
• Finding Contentment at Home

The homemaker’s duties are noble and worthy of praise. A homemaker’s job is to manage the resources of the home and the people who live there in a way that provides comfort and care for each one. Home is where life happens. It’s the base of operations for the family so that they may go out into the world and serve Christ well.

Remember, whether anyone acknowledges your faithful service at home in this life, God sees the unseen work of your hands. And you can look forward to the day when you hear Him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

Homemaking Routines

• Routines vs. Schedules Routines give your day a sense of rhythm and help you and your children to feel secure. 
• 7 Routines to Clear Mental Clutter Decluttering your home creates a more peaceful space for you to exist, but the key to truly decluttering is changing your mindset.
• Why You Need a Routine The reason routines work so well is because routines make your life easier.
• How to Have a Good Morning Over the years, I have found that when I wake up early, most days will be fruitful and I’ll feel good about what I accomplished at the end of the day.
• How to Create a Morning Routine that Works for You While I believe that early mornings offer the best time for moms to get a jump start on the day, waking up early isn’t an option for everyone.
• Creating a Morning Routine and Why You Should Whether you are a morning person or a night owl, creating a morning routine will help you get your heart and home in order.
• Morning Rituals for Busy Households The morning can also be a great time to get a jumpstart on the day.
• How to Create s Successful Back to School Schedule It’s that time of year when the relaxed days of summer are coming to an end and it’s time to transition our families into a tighter routine.
• Our Summer Schedule In my book, summer is all about having fun and making memories.
• Creating a Soothing Rhythm to Your Day Your routine should carry you through each day and help you reach your goals for your household.
• Creating a New Daily Schedule  Over the last few months we had fallen into a pretty laid back routine around our house and I was feeling like it was time to take things more seriously.
• Morning Rituals when Life isn’t Ideal Sometimes what we think would be ideal isn’t possible in our current situation.
• Housekeeping Routines when Life is Hard Being able to maintain a relatively neat household is important – especially when life is hard. Here are five ways to pare down your housekeeping routines when life is hard.
• Prepare Your Home for Fall Preparing your home for fall is an important part of homemaking. Here are several ways you can prepare your home for fall just in time for pumpkin displays and cups pf hot apple cider.

Cozy Homemaking | Home Decor Ideas

Fall Decorating

• Buffalo Plaid Home Decor for Fall

More Homemaking Resources

• Free Homemaking Printables
• The Proverbs 31 Woman at Home
• From Chaos to Calm Series
• Creating a Morning Ritual
• Making Time for God
• Resources for Your Home and Family
• My Favorite Cleaning Supplies for Homemaking

Free Homemaking Printables

Just fill out the form below and you’ll get instant access to my subscriber exclusive resource library which features hundreds of helpful printables for the homemaker.

Each of my free homemaking printables is designed to help you pursue the art of homemaking to it’s fullest potential.