DIY bow ties! - Heather

Wedding season is in full gear, and this year I have a very special one to look forward to.  My big sister (a.k.a. I.B., short for ‘itty bitty’) is getting married in June!  On top of this being an amazing occasion, I get to dress my little men up in some dapper finery; meaning bow ties, suspenders, and all!  They will be the adorable little ring bearers (hopefully the kind that will actually bear the ring down the aisle.)  Being the D.I.Y. person that I am, I decided to choose a fabric that would fit well with the wedding palette and construct my boys’ bow ties myself! 

I chose a pastel and gold confetti-esk print with a cream background that will complement the darker chambray shirts they will sport.  I snagged some suspenders and pretty adorable chinos from H&M that come in an array of colors and are constructed with a chino fabric, but are casual enough that my boys will wear them ragged after the wedding (something I nearly always consider when purchasing for my little ones.) 

Now…Onto the D.I.Y. portion!  (Disclaimer:  I am no professional seamstress/garment maker. This is my method and I was pleased with the final product.  Professionals, please look away;)

 

You will need:

Scissors

Measuring tape

Pins

Needle & thread

Fabric or tacky glue/glue gun

Alligator or other clip to secure bow tie to collar

Approx. ¼ yard of preferred fabric (I was able to make two bow ties out of this)

 

       1.        Begin by cutting your fabric into roughly a 14”w X 6 ½ “ h piece

 

2.        With the long side horizontally in front of you, fold ends in overlapping eachother, stopping with the top piece of fabric about 1” in after pressed under .5 in.  (sort of like a letter is folded in the mail, both sides folded in and overlapped)

 

3.       Now you will fold the short sides in to meet as well, this time just meeting in the center, slightly overlapping to prevent them from pulling apart when you pinch the fabric to make the bow tie look.

4.       Now holding everything in place with your fingers, pinch the bow tie in the center (I made two pleats in mine) and secure with a pin.  You can either do a stitch on the sewing machine, or with a needle and thread.

5.       Now cut a smaller square of fabric to 2” x 3” that will be used for the middle binding.   

6.       Length wise fold the raw sides in to meet at the center

7.       Wrap the fabric around the center of your bow tie, raw sides hidden under. 

8.       Position however tightly you want and overlap in the back.  I folded the edge under to keep it hidden, but this step isn’t necessary as I don’t think it would be too obvious if omitted. 

9.       Secure with a hand stich. 

10.   Now, take the clip you have chosen and slide it under the binding behind the stitches you’ve just made, upper side of the clip against the under side of the bow tie. 

11.   Secure with a bit of glue.

12.   Sit back and relax.  Give yourself a pat on the back and admire your adorable little bow tie. 

Ok folks!  That is IT!  Not too hard and it allows you to select the PERFECT fabric to fit your occasion.  Not to mention, bragging rights. 

Keep an eye out for my follow up post, ‘Getting your child to wear a bow tie for an entire evening.’  Ok, I’m totally kidding on that one...but I will take pointers if anyone has them. 

Thanks for listening and I hope this helps snazzy up your next occasion!

Xoxo, Heather