If you’ve ever tried on a pair of pants and thought, “These would be perfect if only they weren’t so long,” it may be time for you to learn how to hem. Hemming is a fairly simple sewing technique that just about anyone can learn, and it can save you a great deal of money on tailoring. Check out these smart tutorials for hemming at home.

How to Hem Pants [about.com]
This accessible tutorial offers both high quality images and an instructional video to help beginning sewers learn how to hem. It also describes the types of tools that you’ll need and what to do every step of the way.

How to Hem Dress Pants Like a Pro [manmadediy.com]
The DIY Tailor offers a wide variety of genius tips for mending and altering clothes at home, but the site’s tutorial about hemming dress pants is one of its most brilliant. This tutorial is designed specifically for business professional pants.

How to Hem a Pair of Pants [wikihow.com]
WikiHow is beloved for its straightforward, photo-heavy tutorials for how to do just about anything, and this hemming lesson is just as simple. It even describes how to rip out the old hem before beginning.

How to Hem Jeans (And Keep the Original Hem) [sewmuchado.com]
By keeping the original hem in a pair of jeans that need hemmed, this tutorial will make your hemming much easier and more professional looking.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/tschiae

The eight-mile-long San Antonio Missions Hike and Bike Trail is a great way to spend an afternoon, locals say. Even longtime San Antonio residents say the trail has given them access to some parts of the city they didn’t even know existed. The trail connects San Antonio’s four historic missions: Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. You can learn more about Texas history and take in the scenery along the San Antonio River.

The trail isn’t a loop, so a round trip along the length of the trail will consist of 16 miles. Many locals rent bikes for a trip along the San Antonio Missions Hike and Bike Trail. Grab water at any of the missions or get something to eat near Missions Concepcion or San Jose.

The San Antonio Missions Hike and Bike Trail is open from dawn to dusk every day.

San Antonio Missions Hike and Bike Trail
Between 807 Mission Road & 10040 Espada Road
San Antonio, TX 78257
(210) 932-1001
www.nps.gov/saan/planyourvisit/hikebike.htm
www.yelp.com/biz/san-antonio-missions-hike-and-bike-trail-san-antonio

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/infinitExplorer

Did you know Hydrogen peroxide ranks up there as one of the best household remedies. Besides the obvious (cleansing wounds & ear wax), hydrogen peroxide really is a “miracle substance”! It’s safe, it’s readily available, it’s cheap, and best of all, it WORKS! The list goes on and on… Take a look at just some of the ideas on here:

• Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2 to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water.
• In the dishwasher, add 2 oz. to your regular detergent for a sanitizing boost. Also, beef up your regular dish soap by adding roughly 2 ounces of 3% H2O2 to the bottle.
• Wipe out your refrigerator and dishwasher. Because it’s non-toxic, it’s great for cleaning places that store food and dishes.
• Use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash to freshen breath. It kills the bacteria that causes halitosis. Use a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water.
• Use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to make a paste for brushing teeth. Helps with early stages of gingivitis as it kills bacteria. Mixed with salt and baking soda, hydrogen peroxide works as a whitening toothpaste.
• Soak your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide between uses to keep it clean and prevent the transfer of germs. This is particularly helpful when you or someone in your family has a cold or the flu.
• Clean your sponges. Soak them for 10 minutes in a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and warm water in a shallow dish. Rinse the sponges thoroughly afterward.
• Remove baked-on crud from pots and pans. Combine hydrogen peroxide with enough baking soda to make a paste, then rub onto the dirty pan and let it sit for a while. Come back later with a scrubby sponge and some warm water, and the baked-on stains will lift right off.
• Whiten bathtub grout. First dry the tub thoroughly, then spray it liberally with hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit — it may bubble slightly — for a little while, then come back and scrub the grout with an old toothbrush. You may have to repeat the process a few times.
• Clean the toilet bowl. Pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet bowl, let stand for 20 minutes, then scrub clean.
• Remove stains from clothing, curtains, and tablecloths. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a pretreater for stains — just soak the stain for a little while in 3% hydrogen peroxide before tossing into the laundry. You can also add a cup of peroxide to a regular load of whites to boost brightness. It’s a green alternative to bleach, and works just as well.
• Brighten dingy floors. Combine half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with one gallon of hot water, then go to town on your flooring. Because it’s so mild, it’s safe for any floor type, and there’s no need to rinse.
• Clean kids’ toys and play areas. Hydrogen peroxide is a safe cleaner to use around kids, or anyone with respiratory problems, because it’s not a lung irritant. Spray toys, toy boxes, doorknobs, and anything else your kids touch on a regular basis.
• Help out your plants. To ward off fungus, add a little hydrogen peroxide to your spray bottle the next time you’re spritzing plants.
• Add natural highlights to your hair. Dilute the hydrogen peroxide so the solution is 50% peroxide and 50% water. Spray the solution on wet hair to create subtle, natural highlights.
• According to alternative therapy practitioners, adding half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to a warm bath can help detoxify the body. Some are skeptical of this claim, but a bath is always a nice way to relax and the addition of hydrogen peroxide will leave you – and the tub – squeaky clean!
• Dab hydrogen peroxide on pimples or acne to help clear skin.
• Hydrogen peroxide helps to sprout seeds for new plantings. Use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution once a day and spritz the seed every time you re-moisten. You can also use a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water to improve your plants’ root system.
• Helps with foot fungus. Spray a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry. Or try soaking your feet in a peroxide solution to help soften calluses and corns, and disinfect minor cuts.
• Wash shower curtains with hydrogen peroxide to remove mildew and soap scum. Place curtains in machine with a bath towel and your regular detergent. Add 1 cup full strength 3% hydrogen peroxide to the rinse cycle.
• Use hydrogen peroxide to control fungi present in aquariums. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt your fish. Use sparingly for this purpose.