How to make bow-ties

It's been a while.  I'm sure no one even looks at this blog anymore because I haven't updated in forever.  I've been busy having a baby and adjusting to 3 kids.  My baby is now 3 months old so I really have no excuse anymore.  I have tons of recipes and a few crafts and sewing that I've taken pictures of in the hopes of posting about.  Hopefully I can get into more regular posting on here and get those all up.  Don't hold your breath though:)

Having another boy has been so much fun.  I have gotten into making bow-ties for my two boys and I really can't stop.  They pretty much wear a different one every Sunday.  Making bow-ties is super easy and fast and fun.  There are many ways you can do it and I've even seen tutorials for real ones that you actually tie.  But I'll show you how I make my "fake" bow-ties.  

 First you want to find some fun fabric.  I suggest something with a smaller print or checks or polka dots.  I really love plaid fabric too.  All you need to buy is a quarter yard of fabric.  I think a quarter yard is around 9 inches so it should be just perfect.  

Now I make two different sizes for my boys.  For my 4 year old I cut one rectangle 10.5 in x 8 in and the other one 3.5x5.  For my baby I cut the fabric 8x5 and 2.25x3.5.  If you have a 2 year old or something I would suggest making it 9.5x7 and 2.5x4.  It really depends on how you want it to look and if you like them bigger or smaller.

Next you take your two rectangles and fold them the long way with right sides together and sew down the side.  You're making a tube.

Turn them right side out and iron them flat with the seam in the middle.  

For the small tube, you probably won't be able to turn it very easily.  The trick is you put a safety pin on one end and then start pushing it through the tube.

You should be able to move it down until it comes out the other end and then you just pull and the fabric will turn.

 Take your big rectangle and fold the ends into the middle and overlap them just a little bit.  Sew down the middle.  You can measure but I always just eyeball it.  I don't worry about the raw edges because they will be covered up.  

 After you sew down the middle, fold it up so that it looks good. It always takes a little fussing for me to get the folds just right.

Now you can skip this part if you aren't a fan of hot glue on your projects but I like to dab a little hot glue in between each fold so that it stays and doesn't come unfolded or uneven.  I do it on the front and back. 

For my baby bow-tie I only do two folds because it is more narrow.

After you have it folded and secure, take your middle piece and wrap it around the middle of your bow-tie and mark where it comes together.  Don't do it too tight or too loose.

Take it off your bow and sew where you marked.  Then cut off the excess and flip it right side out.  

 Then you fold up your bow and slide the middle loop over it until you get it into the middle of the bow.  Sometimes I have to stick a safety pin on the end of my bow so that I have something to grab onto and pull to get the loop on.  It just depends on how tight of a squeeze it is.

 You should now have something that looks like a bow tie.  You can use it like this but I like to do one last thing to my bow ties.  

I take a little piece of stuffing (poly fill or cotton ball) and I stuff it between the layers on each side.  This just fluffs up the bow-tie and makes it so it doesn't get all squished and flattened.

To fasten it around your child's neck, I just tie a thin piece of elastic.  I also have some neck ties that have fallen apart so I use the neck park on my bow-tie.  Just slip whatever you are using through the back of the middle loop.

Once you make one, you won't be able to stop.  The possibilities are endless.  I just keep wanting to try out all kinds of fabric to see what it will look like.

I hope you have fun making your boys into little men!