Make a Bow Tie

Making a bow tie at home can save you money and give you a wider variety of color and pattern options. Whether for a stage production, a Halloween costume, a Dr. Who party, or for everyday wear, bow ties can be a stylish and unique accessory. To make your own bow tie, follow these instructions.

Note: For instructions on tying a bow tie, read How to Tie a Bow Tie.

Steps

Sewing an Adult Bow Tie

1. Choose a fabric for your bow tie. You might wish to purchase fabric from an online fabric store or a local craft store, but you can also upcycle unwanted clothing from your own closet!
   • You will need about ¼ of a yard of fabric and ¼ of a yard of iron-on interfacing.
2. Find a simple bow tie pattern. You can purchase a pattern from a craft store or download and print a free pattern from the internet. You may want to read any reviews that are present to assess the quality of the pattern and be sure the pattern is matched appropriately to your skill level.
3. Cut the fabric and interfacing for your bow tie shape. Use the pattern to cut the fabric and interfacing pieces into the appropriate size and shape. You will likely have 4 pieces of fabric that are the same size and shape.
4. Iron the interfacing onto the fabric. The interfacing should be ironed on to the “wrong” side (the back side that won’t show) of two of the pieces of fabric.
   • Most interfacing requires being covered with a damp cloth then ironed on with the bumpy side facing the fabric.
   • Read the directions on the interfacing to ensure proper ironing.
5. Using a sewing machine or with needle and thread, sew the skinny ends of two interfaced fabric pieces together.
   • Place the “right” (non-interfaced) sides of the fabric facing each other and sew a straight stitch across the narrow end. (You should be able to see the interfacing while you are sewing).
   • Open the two pieces and iron the seam flat on the inside.
6. Using a machine or with needle and thread, sew the skinny ends of two remaining fabric pieces together.
   • Place the “right” sides of the fabric facing each other and sew a straight stitch across the narrow end.
   • Open the two pieces and iron the seam flat on the inside.
7. Sew the two long pieces of fabric together using a sewing machine.
   • Place the “right” sides of the fabric together on the inside.
   • Use a straight stitch and maintain an even distance (1/8 to ¼ of an inch) from the edge of the fabric. Leave one end of the tie unsewn.
   • Clip the corners of your bow tie, being sure to only cut on the outside of your stitches.
8. Flip the inside of the bow tie out. This can take a little patience, as it can be difficult to pull the whole tie through the small hole.
9. Sew the remaining edge.
   • Flip the ends inside and sew a straight stitch, closing the tie into a long tube.
   • Sew a straight stitch across the other end so that the ends of the tie match each other.
10. Iron your bow tie. Ironing will ensure that the bow tie will tie more easily and will create a crisper look once it has been tied.
11. Tie your bow tie using this WikiHow article: How to Tie a Bow Tie.

Making an Easy Baby Bow Tie

1. Choose a thin fabric. Scraps or quarters from the fabric store would work great. You will need about 1/4 of a yard.
2. Using scissors, cut the fabric into two pieces.
   • The first piece should be cut into a 5”x7” rectangle. Altering this measurement will change the size of the bow tie, so adjust accordingly if you want the bow tie to be larger or smaller, but try to keep the proportion the same.
   • The second piece should be a 2.25” x 2.25” square. This is going to be the ring around the middle of the bow tie.
   • Use a complementing or contrasting fabric for the smaller square to make a wackier bow tie.
3. Fold and fasten the fabric pieces.
   • Fold the larger rectangle into thirds length-wise, so that the fabric print is facing out on both sides. Either sew or glue the seam. (Fabric glue or hot glue would work).
   • Fold the smaller piece of fabric into thirds and iron or glue to hold the shape.
   • Fold the ends of the large rectangle in to meet each other in the middle. Sew or use a little glue to keep them in place.
   • Use a ruler to find the very center of the rectangle.
   • Pinch the middle of the fabric together. Use a few dabs of fabric or hot glue to hold the fabric together, or tie a piece of thread or thin string around the pinched center to hold the bow’s shape.
   • Wrap the smaller piece around the center of your bow and secure it with glue or a stitch or two in the back of the bow.
4. Decide how you want the baby to wear the bow tie.
   • Attach a clip to the back of the bow tie using hot glue.
   • A safety pin may also work, but be sure to fasten it to the clothing before putting the shirt on the baby.
   • The bow tie may be sewn onto a onesie or shirt with just a couple of easy stitches.

Crocheting a Beginner Bow Tie

1. Gather the materials you will need. This includes a skein of yarn and a crochet hook between 3.25mm and 6mm (a smaller hook leads to tighter stitches). If you have never crocheted before, you may want to consult How to Crochet.
2. Crochet a rectangle that is roughly 2” by 6” for a child or 3” by 9” for an adult. Size can be further adjusted if you want a bigger or smaller bow tie.
   • Begin with a standard crochet slip-knot, then chain 30.
   • Turn, then single crochet 29 back to the end.
   • Turn, then crochet 30 to the other end.
   • Repeat until the bow tie is the width that you want. This will probably be 12-15 rows, depending on the size of your hook.
3. Fold and secure the crocheted rectangle. Fold the ends in to meet each other in the middle, then stitch the ends together with thread or glue them with hot glue.
4. Form the crocheted piece into a bow.
   • Pinch the middle of your fabric to make a bow shape.
   • Wrap a single strand of yarn around 18-25 times or until you’re happy with the width of the center section.
   • Tie the end of the yarn securely in the back of the bow and tuck the exposed knot under some of the loops.
5. Attach a clip or elastic to the bow tie. Using hot glue or needle and thread, attach a clip to the bow tie. Alternately, you can attach the bow tie to elastic that has been cut to the size of the neck of the person who will be wearing the bow tie.

Warnings

• Always use caution when putting anything around an individual’s neck. Strangulation may occur if the fabric is too tight or if children try to use a bow tie unattended.

Related Articles

• Tie a Bow Tie
• Tie a Bow on the Back of a Dress
• Curl Ribbons With Your Fingernail

Sources and Citations

• Videos provided by simplesewing

See also

• Make a Silk Scarf
• Tie a Windsor Knot
• Choose a Tie
• Tie a Tie
• Make a Veil
• Tie a Skinny Tie
• Sew a Patch on a Uniform
• Make Suspenders
• Make a Fleece Beanie Hat
• Make a Tie

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What links here

• Clean a Tie
• Tie a Windsor Knot