Is Pinterest the home-ec class for Millennials?

However, my mother, the Baby Boomer, has many hobbies. She is a talented seamstress. She plays the piano. Her cookie decorating skills are second to none.

My grandmother, who grew up in the Deep South during the Great Depression, is a one-woman Betty Crocker. She can grow her own food and make her own ironing starch, and is widely known for making the best mayhaw jelly this side of the Mississippi. She’s also a mean cook that balks at the idea of using “convenience” foods.

Me, on the other hand—I rely on the microwave more than the stove and my few attempts at sewing look like a home-economics assignment gone awry.

But thanks to Pinterest, I’ve been shown a whole new world of homemaking. I’ve tried new recipes and do-it-yourself projects. I’ve become handy with chalkboard paint. My son’s teachers even received some lovely handmade gifts this Christmas.

Aside from the addictiveness of Pinterest and the incredible user-friendly interface, I think it’s drawing people my age—especially women—because of its ability to teach skills they never learned.