Little Boy Bow Tie Tutorial

June 7th, 2011

I spent a little time working on this tutorial today. I have already made two bow ties, which took me a bit of time to figure out. I had this one pre-cut and it only took me about 15 minutes to assemble it. Super easy! These would make great gifts. You will need 1/4 yard of fabric–or hopefully just some scraps you have on hand–as well as 4 inches of velcro, a sewing machine and thread, and a hot glue gun.

Step 1: Turn on the glue gun and iron. From your fabric, cut three pieces (note: these measurements are written with the width first and length second): 4 in. x 8 in. (bow part); 2.5 in. x 4.5 in. (to wrap around the bow); 2.5 in. x 16 in. (the neck part). Two 2-inch pieces of velcro.

Step 2: Take the longest and shortest pieces (the neck and bow wrap pieces) to your ironing board. Proceed to make tape with these. First, fold each piece in half width ways, so the fabric length remains the same but the width is halved.

Step 3: Open up each fabric piece you just ironed and fold each raw edge so that it touches the center fold. Iron to hold the fold in place. (This makes it so the fabric does not fray.)

Step 4: Iron along the original crease you made in step 2–now the edges are enclosed in this crease. Also in this step, be sure to turn the edges at the width in so they are enclosed and do not fray as well.

Step 5: Take all three pieces to your sewing machine. Stitch along the very edge of the two pieces you just ironed (along the open edge).

Step 6: Fold the unironed piece, the bow tie, in half width ways with right sides together. Stitch along the edge and turn it right side out.

Step 7: Back at your ironing board, fold the edges in on the bow tie and iron so that the seam is in the middle as pictured.

Step 8: Overlap the two ends of the bow tie to form a circle. The overlap should be less than a half inch. Stitch along this overlap, so that the circle is stitched in place (you have also just sewn up the open edges).

Step 9: Take your 2-inch pieces of velcro and trim them so they are pretty close to the same width as the neck part. On the front, left of the neck part, pin the scratchy side of the velcro in place, and then stitch around all four sides. On the back right side of the neck part, pin the soft side of the velcro in place, and then stich around all four sides.

Step 10: Have your glue gun handy. Fold the bow as shown by pinching the middle of the bow so the edges come forward. Fidget with it until you like it.

Step 11: Fold the bow tie wrap around the bow you are still holding place and the neck part. Be sure to center everything. Turn the whole thing around and secure the bow tie wrap in place with hot glue. Voila!

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