Description

The Homemade Year: Things to Make, Do and Eat at Home to Welcome Every Season by Lilly Higgins is a beautifully presented seasonal lifestyle book published by Gill Books in 2022.

The book brings together over 70 creative home-based projects, encouraging readers to slow down and reconnect with seasonal rhythms through food, craft, and family activities. It reflects the Irish calendar year, offering ideas that move naturally from winter to autumn, rooted in tradition, sustainability, and everyday creativity.

Lilly Higgins combines her background as a chef, food writer, and designer to deliver a book that blends practical instruction with aesthetic inspiration. Each section focuses on simple, accessible ways to create meaningful experiences at home using everyday materials.

The projects include baking, DIY crafts, children’s activities, natural decorations, and seasonal food ideas designed to bring warmth and creativity into daily life. Many activities are family-friendly and suitable for shared participation across generations.

Key themes include:

• Seasonal living and the Irish calendar year
• Home baking, cooking, and traditional recipes
• DIY crafts and handmade home projects
• Family activities and children’s creative learning
• Sustainable living and mindful consumption
• Seasonal celebrations (St Brigid’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas)
• Slow living and wellbeing at home
• Creative reuse of everyday materials

The book reflects a growing interest in slow living, sustainability, mindfulness, and handmade culture, making it especially relevant for modern readers seeking to reduce reliance on mass-produced goods and reconnect with traditional skills.

Each idea is designed to be achievable in a home environment, often using inexpensive or natural materials, making it accessible for families, beginners, and craft enthusiasts alike. The tone is warm and encouraging, focusing on enjoyment rather than perfection.

The Homemade Year serves as both a practical guide and an inspirational companion for anyone looking to bring creativity into everyday life, celebrate the seasons, and build meaningful home traditions rooted in simplicity and nature.