Arka Books · New book · Illustrated edition

Grandparents' Crafts

Old skills and household ways for life today

The garden, the pantry, bread, the animals in the yard, needle and wool, wood, the house and the forest: the skills that kept life in good order, gathered into one practical guide. Choose something to make and go step by step, as if beside the grandparents who knew how.

Flip through the first 24 pages

PDF in English · full edition + phone version · instant delivery by email

525pages

↻ Drag the book to turn it · tap to open it

8parts

87chapters

525pages

3levels: basic, intermediate, advanced

2files: full + phone

Why this book

Sourdough bread, barrel sauerkraut, a button sewn back on, a sharp knife, a fire that doesn’t smoke. Things our grandparents did without a second thought, and which we forgot in a few short years.

Every chapter opens with first steps, so you can start today, and a memory from the grandparents that shows the skill as it was lived. Then come what you need, step by step, Grandma's advice, take care notes wherever caution is needed, and practical tasks at three levels.

It is written for adults, but made to be worked through together: with children, grandchildren, neighbours. At the end, the householder's record keeps track of everything you have learned.

■ First steps · basic level■ Intermediate · doing it on your own■ Advanced · like a true householder

The household year

What to do in each season

SpringSoil and seedlingsBeds, seeds, compost, grafted fruit trees, hens starting to lay.

SummerGarden and pantryWatering and mulching, jam and preserves, teas, dried fruit, yoghurt and cheese.

AutumnJars and the cellarPassata, pickles, barrel sauerkraut, plum butter, saved seed, firewood.

WinterWork indoorsSourdough bread, soap, candles, mending, crochet, knitting, a small stool.

All yearThe daily roundThe animals in the yard, the fire in the stove, order in the house and the shed, old sayings.

Full contents

8 parts, 87 chapters

Each part has its own illustration and a list of everything you learn in it. Open any part to see its chapters, each with its idea in one sentence.

Part I · 11 chapters · 66 pages

The Garden

Preparing the soil · Compost · Seeds and seedlings · The garden calendar and more.

See the chapters

1Preparing the soilAutumn digging, spring raking and the beds that keep the garden in order.
2CompostHow we turn peelings, leaves and straw into the best soil on the homestead.
3Seeds and seedlingsHow we start plants indoors, on the windowsill, and get them ready for the garden.
4The garden calendarWhat we do in each month of the year, according to the Romanian weather.
5Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbersThe summer vegetables: how we plant, tie, side-shoot and pick them.
6Potatoes, onions and garlicThe staple food of the pantry: how they are planted, cared for and kept through winter.
7Beans, peas and squashThe plants that climb, sprawl and feed the soil.
8Watering and mulchingHow to water the garden usefully, and how to save the water the sky gives us for the dry days.
9Friends and foes of the gardenHow to protect plants without chemicals: with sharp eyes, by hand and with safe old remedies.
10Saving seedsNo more buying seed: we choose it, dry it and put it safely away for spring.
11Fruit trees: planting and simple graftingHow to plant a young tree and, by grafting, give it the fruit we want.

Part II · 11 chapters · 64 pages

The Pantry

The clean jar · Jam and fruit preserves · Sugar-free plum butter · Pickles in brine and more.

See the chapters

12The clean jarWashed, sterilised and sealed tight: every good pantry starts with a clean jar and a lid that closes properly.
13Jam and fruit preservesSummer in a jar, with sugar, patience and a cold saucer.
14Sugar-free plum butterPlums, a low fire and a whole day of stirring: that's all it takes.
15Pickles in brineCucumbers and green tomatoes in salt water: they sour by themselves and keep till spring.
16Barrel sauerkrautWhole heads, brine and juice drawn off with a hose: winter's sarmale start in November.
17Tomato passataAugust tomatoes, cooked, sieved and soured in measure, for winter soups.
18Fruit compoteWhole fruit in light syrup: a piece of summer on the winter table.
19Dried fruit and vegetablesIn the sun, in the oven or on a string: take the water out of fruit and it keeps a whole year.
20Teas from the gardenMint, chamomile, lime blossom and wild thyme, picked at the right time, dried in the shade and kept for a year.
21The cellar and the root storePotatoes, carrots in sand and apples: no jars and no fire, just cold, darkness, the right humidity and a watchful eye.
22Keeping track of the pantryLabels, rotation and the monthly round: a full pantry is good; one where you know what you have is even better.

Part III · 11 chapters · 62 pages

Bread and Grandma's Kitchen

Homemade yeast bread · Sourdough starter and sourdough bread · Griddle cakes and flatbread · Mămăligă (polenta) and more.

See the chapters

23Homemade yeast breadFlour, water, salt, yeast and a little patience: the first loaf taken out with your own hands.
24Sourdough starter and sourdough breadThe sour dough that lives in a jar and is handed from hand to hand, like an heirloom.
25Griddle cakes and flatbreadBread in half an hour, with no oven: just a hot frying pan or a stove top.
26Mămăligă (polenta)Cornmeal, water, salt and a wooden stick: the warm bread of the Romanian village.
27Homemade noodlesEggs, flour and a rolling pin: noodles for soup, dried for the whole winter.
28Homemade yoghurtWarm milk, two spoonfuls of yoghurt and a night under a blanket.
29Fresh cheese and whey cheeseFrom pasteurised or boiled milk, with clean hands: white cheese, curd cheese and fluffy whey cheese.
30Churned butterCream, a jar and lively arms: churning gives golden butter and buttermilk to drink.
31Bran borș and sour soupBran, water and patience: the sourness of our soups, left to ferment at home.
32Soup from what you haveCooking with little: a hot meal from leftovers and the pantry, without throwing anything away.
33Prescura: bread for churchClean bread, stamped with a seal, made with prayer and taken to the Holy Liturgy.

Part IV · 10 chapters · 61 pages

The Yard and the Animals

Hens: coop, feed, water · Eggs: gathering, storing, hatching · Rabbits · The goat and her milk and more.

See the chapters

34Hens: coop, feed, waterHow to keep a few healthy, contented hens in the yard.
35Eggs: gathering, storing, hatchingFrom the nest box to the pantry and, if we like, all the way to the chick pecking through its shell.
36RabbitsGentle, timid animals that need plenty of hay, quiet and careful hands.
37The goat and her milkCaring for a goat, clean milking and boiled milk, from which we make a fresh cheese.
38BeesA first meeting with the hive, beside a beekeeper, from the right distance.
39The farm dog and catThe guard at the gate and the mouse hunter: friends who need looking after too.
40Feeding animals through winterSummer hay, grain in the loft and vegetables in the cellar: how we see the animals through to spring.
41Animal hygiene and healthWashed hands, clean drinkers, watchful eyes and knowing when to call the vet in time.
42Loving animals, and slaughterHow we talk to children, gently and truthfully, about animals raised for food.
43Manure and the gardenHow dung and straw turn into dark, crumbly soil, good for vegetables.

Part V · 11 chapters · 66 pages

Needle, Thread and Wool

Needle and thread · Sewing on a button · Mending clothes and patching · Darning a sock and more.

See the chapters

44Needle and threadHow to thread a needle, tie a knot and make your first stitches.
45Sewing on a buttonFour holes, a double thread and a little shank that does all the work.
46Mending clothes and patchingA hole in the knee isn't the end of the trousers, but the start of a story.
47Darning a sockWith the wooden mushroom: a little loom made with a needle, right on the heel.
48Hems and hand stitchingFour stitches that keep a whole household clothed.
49Crochet: the first stitchesA hook, a thread and a chain that becomes a little rug, a hat or a doll.
50Knitting with needlesTwo sticks and a ball of yarn, and winter is not so cold any more.
51Wool, from sheep to yarnWashed, teased and spun on a spindle: from a tuft of wool, a yarn that warms a whole winter.
52Simple weaving on a cardboard loomWarp, weft and a palm-sized rug, made on the kitchen table.
53The ie and Romanian embroideryMotifs, meanings and cross stitch: a whole book is written on the sleeve of an ie.
54Mended and reused clothesNothing is thrown away: from Dad’s shirt, an apron; from the apron, a patch; from the patch, a rag; from the rag, a rug.

Part VI · 11 chapters · 59 pages

Wood and Tools

Household tools and their care · Nails and screws · The pocketknife and first whittling · Sharpening knives and axes and more.

See the chapters

55Household tools and their careHammer, saw, screwdriver and pliers: four friends that must be kept in their place.
56Nails and screwsHow to drive a nail in straight, how to pull out a bent one and how to tighten a screw without ruining it.
57The pocketknife and first whittlingThe rules of the pocketknife, the first roasting stick and the first spoon: slowly, and away from the body.
58Sharpening knives and axesA good edge is a safe edge: the stone, the file and patience.
59FirewoodFelled, split, stacked, dried: firewood warms you twice, once when you prepare it and once in the stove.
60A birdhouseA plank, a few nails and a round hole: a home for blue tits by your window.
61A small stool or a simple boxFour planks, a few screws and something to sit on or keep things in: the first furniture made by your own hands.
62The willow basketFrom willow cut in winter and soaked in water, a little round basket is woven, row by row.
63The willow whistleIn spring, when the sap rises, willow bark slips off like a tube and sings; that's also when we make the elder whistle and wooden toys.
64Wood and the forestWhich woods, and what for: every tree has its own wood and purpose, one for a hoe handle, another for a spoon, another for a violin.
65Garden toolsHandles, cleaning, oiling: a clean hoe with a good handle does half the work for you.

Part VII · 11 chapters · 66 pages

The House and the Household

Fire in the stove and the range · Beeswax candles · Homemade soap · Washing clothes by hand and more.

See the chapters

66Fire in the stove and the rangeHow to light, tend and put out a fire safely.
67Beeswax candlesLight from the bees’ work: rolled, poured and dipped in wax.
68Homemade soapCold-process soap, with weighed proportions and the lye only in an adult’s hands.
69Washing clothes by handSoaked, scrubbed, rinsed, wrung and hung out: clean laundry without a machine.
70Cleaning with what you haveVinegar, bicarbonate, ash, salt and hot water — and what must never be mixed.
71LimewashingLimewash, a broad brush and patience: white walls that breathe.
72The tap and the sinkThe dripping tap, the worn washer and the blocked sink, fixed without a plumber.
73Fuses and light bulbsWhat the adult does at the fuse box, and what the child never touches.
74Good drinking waterThe well, clearing, boiling and storing: how to make water safe and how to keep it.
75Order in the house and the shedA place for everything, and everything in its place.
76The daily round of the householdHousehold jobs shared out by age, so everyone has their part.

Part VIII · 11 chapters · 65 pages

Fields, Forests and the Wisdom of the Old

Herbs for tea · Wild berries · Mushrooms: the golden rule · Nettles and wild garlic and more.

See the chapters

77Herbs for teaCamomile, lime blossom, mint and St John’s wort: how to pick, dry and store them, and when not to give them.
78Wild berriesRaspberries, blackberries, wild strawberries and rosehips, and the berries you never touch.
79Mushrooms: the golden ruleWe look at them, draw them, admire them — and pick them only with a mycologist.
80Nettles and wild garlicSpring greens, the first green food of the year — with gloves, with patience and with someone who knows.
81Walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnutsAutumn harvests that keep all winter — and the chestnut you mustn’t eat.
82Reading the weatherWhat clouds, wind and swallows tell us — and where the signs stop.
83The fire and the cauldronFire in the open: how to light it sensibly, how to make mămăligă (polenta) in a cauldron and how to put it out completely.
84Hiking in the mountains with GrandpaA well-packed rucksack, waymarks, the sun as a compass and how to get home again.
85Feast days and workThe folk calendar of the year: how fieldwork and feast days were woven together, month by month.
86Old sayings about workSayings that fit in your pocket and last a lifetime, with their meaning.
87Passing on a craftAdvice on patience, practice, guidance and safety.

Look inside

What the pages look like

Real pages from the book. Tap a page to see it large.

Free, no email needed

The first 24 pages

The note to the reader, the contents, the opening of the garden part and two whole chapters: ‘Preparing the soil’ and ‘Compost’. Enough to dig your first bed this very season. Download them, print them, pass them on.

↓ Download the sample (PDF)

Who it is for

For the house in the country and the balcony in town

For anyone with a garden who wants it to bear fruit, for anyone with just a balcony and a few jars, for parents and grandparents who want to leave their children skilful hands.

You don’t need a farm. Many chapters start with a pot, a jar and a free afternoon.

Take care

Fire, knives, lye, electricity, mushrooms and wild plants call for caution. The book says so clearly wherever it matters and sends you to someone who knows when needed.

What you get

Two files, one book

The full editionA 525-page PDF with photographs and drawings at print quality (about 60 MB). For tablet, computer or printer.

The phone versionThe same text with lighter images (about 12 MB). Quick to download and always at hand in the garden or the kitchen.

Clickable contents and the recordAll 8 parts and 87 chapters in the PDF bookmarks, plus ‘The householder's record’ to tick off what you have learned and blank pages for your own family recipes and tips.

Grandparents' Crafts · PDF

€7.90one-off payment · instant delivery by email · no subscription

Questions

A few things to know

What kind of book is it?

A practical guide, illustrated and with photographs, to the skills that kept a household in good order: the garden, the pantry, bread and the kitchen, the animals in the yard, needle and wool, wood and tools, the house, the fields and the forest. Every chapter is written to be done, not just read: what you need, the steps, Grandma's advice and what to watch out for.

What format is it in?

A 525-page PDF in English. You get two files: the full edition (about 60 MB, for tablet, computer or printing) and a light version for phones (about 12 MB). The links arrive by email right after payment and stay in My library.

Is it a translation?

Yes. It is the complete English edition of the Romanian book „Meșteșugurile bunicilor”, with the same photographs, drawings and page numbers. A few Romanian words are kept, with a short explanation: mămăligă, borș, the ie blouse.

Is it a children's book?

This edition is written for adults, as a reference guide. It keeps the warm voice of the grandparents and is made to be worked through together: chapters have steps at three levels (basic, intermediate, advanced) and ideas for what children can do alongside you.

Do I need a house in the country?

No. Many chapters work in a flat: sourdough bread, yoghurt, jam, pickles, mending, sewing on a button, crochet, sharpening a knife, cleaning with what you have. Others need a garden or a yard, and the book tells you where to start.

Is the advice safe?

Where care is needed (fire, knives, lye for soap, electricity, mushrooms and wild plants), the book says so clearly under ‘Take care’ and sends you to someone who knows. Wild mushrooms, for example, are never eaten without being checked by an expert.

Can I print it?

Yes, for yourself and your family. Many people like the kitchen and pantry chapters on paper, next to the stove. The full edition is print quality.

How do I pay? Can I get an invoice?

By card, through Stripe (your card details never reach us). Prices are shown in euros, US dollars or Romanian lei. For a company invoice, email books@arkabooks.org after your order.

What if the file will not open?

Write to books@arkabooks.org and we will send you a good copy straight away or refund you.

“Work done with love and purpose keeps a home alive.”

Grandparents' Crafts