Just save those skins from animals to get your Smithing to 100 if you're into it. I don't know if Bethesda meant smithing to level the way it does but basically all you need to do is craft 5 things to level up once in Smithing which means you can level all the way to 100 in one sitting in about 30 minutes just crafting leather bracers (assuming you have enough materials to do it in one shot). In any case it doesn't take long.
I like crafting, improving, and enchanting my own weapons and armor specific to my build and being able to custom name your stuff is kinda cool too. The only thing Skyrim seems to be missing so far is the ability to craft your own spells. At least I haven't found a way to do it yet. If you find a way, please let me know