My Top 10 Vintage Housewife Spring Must-Haves

These are the spring must-haves for any wannabe vintage housewife. From vintage fashion to springtime entertaining to make your feel like the perfect vintage homemaker.

This winter has been a weird one. We’ve had both record heat and also a record winter storm. There is a lot I enjoy about winter but I also really love mild weather. We don’t seem to get a lot of that here in Oklahoma during spring and fall but what we get I love. I also love seeing everything come back to life.

I originally wrote this back in 2017, such a different time! I’m not promoting things on Amazon anymore and also want to encourage us all to buy less new stuff. But I’m also realistic and not perfect. Must of us are still going to buy things so when we do it’s good to try and support better companies and buy high quality items that will last.

So let’s talk about items that are helpful to have if you are trying to live more of a vintage lifestyle but also still voting with your dollars.

Vintage Housewife Spring Must-Haves

These spring must-haves will make anyone feel like a vintage homemaker in no time and help you enjoy spring even more.

A Spring Wardrobe

As someone that loves a good floral, spring dresses are some of my favorite. Before buying any new clothes for spring go through what you already own. See if anything needs mended, if there are items you no longer wear, and even consider if you can rework a piece you have to help you enjoy it more.

If there are any holes in your wardrobe or you really want new pieces consider buying thrifted first. After that look for better brands that sell higher quality items and have good values.

For some spring dress ideas you can check out my Vintage Easter Dresses post. While there are some dresses that are more Easter than just spring, most will work for spring in general.

Protection for the Outdoors

One night thing about spring is being able to spend more time outside. For a vintage homemaker this may mean a little time in your victory garden or maybe hanging out some clothes on the clothesline.

While doing these chores or spending leisure time outside you want to make sure you are protecting your body and that means you need sun and bug protection!

For bug spray, I usually choose one with picaridin but DEET is also safe. The studies that we saw claiming it wasn’t were flawed and more recent studies show it is safe and effective. Picaridin is also safe and effective and I find that it’s easier to find a picaridin bug spray that is fragrance free, which I prefer.

For sun screen, while chemical sunscreens are maybe safe (there are some concerns about them being endocrine disruptors) and 100% safer than no sunscreen, since mineral sunscreens are easy to find and also effective I prefer to err on the side of caution. I also tend to like the other ingredients in mineral sunscreen more. I like the Think brand of sunscreen.

A nice sun hat is also great for added sun protection. And I’m terrible about this one but sunglasses are also important to protect your eyes.

Fun Dishes for Outdoor Dining

If you plan to dine outside a lot when there is nice weather it’s nice to have a set of dishes that are lighter and not breakable.

You can likely find a good set at a thrift store. Just be careful to avoid vintage dishes as they can contain lead. But even buying a set new is a better option than using disposable dishes.

Another helpful item for outdoor dining is bowl and plate covers. They can help keep bugs away. You can make your own if you sew or there are a lot of cute handmade ones on Etsy.

Cleaning Supplies

Spring cleaning is a big part of being a homemaker and making sure you have the right supplies helps a lot. I like to make sure I’m well stocked before I get started with my spring cleaning.

The two places I buy cleaning supplies from are Thrive Market and Grove Collaborative. I like their store brands a lot. They are a good price, eco-friendly, and I appreciate their brand values.

A Good Book or Several

Books are good for every season but sitting outside during the spring months while reading is always nice or I like to have an audiobook on while I do my spring cleaning.

Other than your own personal library the first place to look for books is your own personal library. And of course the next best place is your local library. And for audiobooks Libby is a great option that supports your library.

If you want to buy books shopping your local bookstore is best. You can also shop online and still support local bookstores by using Bookshop.org. If you want book suggestions check out my Bookshop.org shop.

My mom also shares a lot of great book suggestions on her website if you want even more suggestions.

These are my top picks for things to make sure you have on hand for this spring. I’d love to hear your picks, feel free to share in the comments.

More Vintage Housewife Inspiration

Looking for more vintage housewife inspiration? Join the Retro Homemakers Club! It’s a great place to connect with others that love vintage things and learn to be a better homemaker.

You can also check out these vintage inspiration blog posts to help you on your journey. 

• Building a Vintage-Inspired Wardrobe
• How to Live a Vintage Life
• Vintage Homemaking Skills
• The Ultimate 1950s Housewife Guide

You’ll get even more vintage inspiration by joining my email list below.