Little House on the Prairie Lifestyle

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories are particularly resonant today with their themes of enjoying simple, home-made pleasures, respecting the natural world, and cultivating community bonds. This Lifestyle section brings you recipes, DIYs, crafts, and more inspired by Little House on the Prairie. Browse the articles below or click here for a complete index.

DIY Maple Sugar Candy

“At last, as Grandma stirred, the syrup in the saucer turned into little grains like sand, and Grandma called: ‘Quick girls! It’s graining!’ Aunt Ruby and Aunt Docia and Ma left the dance and came running. They set out pans, big pans, and little pans, and as fast as Grandma filled them with the syrup,…

Quilting with Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Little House books tell of the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder as she grew up in the Midwest during a time of pioneering expansion and exploration. These beloved children’s books were made even more popular by the “Little House on the Prairie” television series. Quilts and Their Role in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Life Children…

Plants that Laura Knew and Grew

My garden is as crowded as my bookshelves, and Laura Ingalls Wilder is a good part of the reason why. I sit down to read, come across a plant, and then want to grow it. Here’s how it happens. Start, let’s say, with On the Banks of Plum Creek. By Chapter 2, the family is…

Fall Popcorn Balls

“Laura kept popping corn and Ma made it into balls until the large dishpan was heaped with their sweet crispness.” These Happy Golden Years Popcorn has been an irresistible snack for kids since the 19th century, and a food the Ingalls family could grow in their home garden. While there are many kinds of feed…

Vanity Cakes Recipe

“Laura and Mary made new starry papers for the shelves, and Ma made vanity cakes.” On the Banks of Plum Creek Vanity cakes were a special party treat for Laura that she remembered fondly even in later years. In a letter now available in the Detroit Public Library, she writes about how the cakes bubbled…

Homemade Dipped Beeswax Candles

“Laura felt a warmth inside her. It was very small, but it was strong. It was steady, like a tiny light in the dark, and it burned very low but no winds could make it flicker because it would not give up.” The Long Winter Nothing says “pioneer living” quite like making your own beeswax…