It all started with my niece’s wedding. I decided it would be nice for my son to wear a bow tie for the occasion, until I went shopping for one and saw how ugly and expensive they were. I thought, how hard can it be to make a bow tie? Turns out, not that hard at all!
I didn’t take the time to document the making of the tie my son wears above. For this tutorial, dear readers, I made a brand new tie to show the process. I also made it as a gift and I hope the person who will receive it doesn’t spoil their Christmas morning by reading this post.
1. Cut out 2 pieces of fabric 2 1/2″ x 11″, one piece of white felt 2 1/2″ x 11, and one piece of fabric 2 1/2″ x 4″.
2. Take the two long strips, with the right sides facing, and place them on top of the felt.
3. Sew a 1/4″ seam around three sides, and snip off the corners. Fold the smaller piece of fabric in half lengthwise and sew up the side, using a 1/4″ seam.
4. Turn both pieces right side out. Press the small piece flat, making sure the seam is centered in back. Use a chopstick or a knitting needle to push out the corners of the larger piece of fabric.
5. Tuck in the ends of the 2.5″ x 11″ strip and sew. Join the ends and sew together by hand or machine, so it looks like a fabric bracelet.
6. Fold in half, with the sewn seam on the outside. Sew a one inch seam in the center, a little less than a 1/2″ from the edge, make sure it goes through all of the layers.
7. It should look like this.
8. Open the tie clip and center the arms on the back of the tie and mark with a pen. Carefully cut two vertical slits large enough to accommodate the arms. Insert arms through the fabric.
9. Fold the top and bottom of the bow tie toward the back, take the 2 1/2″ x 4″ piece of fabric and wrap it tightly around the center and hand stitch. This will also hide the cuts and keep the clip in place.
10. Voila a new bow tie! That wasn’t so hard was it?
