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gifts sewing sewing for kids
October 15, 2014

make a bow tie from an old necktie {great teen boy gift!}

I’ve always enjoyed sewing Christmas gifts for my kids, but as they get older it’s gets harder and harder to come up with things they’ll actually like – especially since they’re boys. My boys have been wanting to start wearing bow ties to church, but it’s hard to find real bow ties in their neck size, so I figured I’d sew some up to tuck in their stockings this year. However, most homemade bow ties I’ve see are made from quilting cotton, which is readily accessible in lots of patterns. The only problem is that a tie made of cotton looks a lot different than store-bought ties, which are generally made of silk. But it’s really hard to find silk in traditional tie patterns at my local fabric store, so I figured out how to make a bow tie out of a necktie. Now Dad’s old ties (or thrifted ties) can become bow ties for teen and tween boys, and I have a new Christmas gift I can sew that my kids will actually like!

a boy wearing a bowtie made from an old necktie

I absolutely LOVE quite how dapper these guys look in their new bow ties. Their great-grandpa, who was a bow tie aficionado, recently passed away and all the boys wore his bow ties to his funeral. Ever since, they’ve been asking me to get them some. Most bow ties are adjustable, but don’t go smaller than about a size 14 neck. While my 13 year old might be ok with a size 14, my 11 year old boys need a size 12.5 to 13 neck.

little boys modeling DIY bowtie

(Don’t know your boy’s neck size? Here’s a handy little video that shows you how to measure for a bow tie. Don’t know how to tie one? Find a good graphic for that here.)

A boy with an untied bowtie hanging around his neck

In order to make a bow tie from a necktie you’ll need: 1 standard necktie (not skinny!), my printable bow tie pattern, and a scrap of fabric about 4×15 inches.

Download and print the pattern (make sure you’re printing at 100% or actual size) and tape the two pages together. Don’t overlap them, just butt them together. You’ll have two pattern pieces: the bow portion of the pattern, and then the long strip which you’ll cut to the neck length measurement. Download bow tie pattern page 1 by clicking here. Download bow tie pattern page 2 by clicking here.

free bow tie pattern for tween teen boys

Start by unpicking the necktie and ironing it flat (it will look like the first photo below). You’ll need to cut 4 of the bow pattern piece from the tie, so figure out how that will work best. You should be able to cut 2 bow pieces from the widest end of the tie, then the other 2 from the rest of the tie. If you have to use any portion that has a seam, be sure the seam only crosses the narrowest part of the pattern (3rd photo below).

bowtie pattern on an old necktie

You’ll want two of these pieces backed with lightweight fusible interfacing. It’s easiest to iron this on before cutting out the pattern. Also, you want these pieces cut out as exactly as possible so they’ll all match up – I found it was easiest to do this on the slippery silk using a rotary cutter.

Next, cut out the two strips of fabric. Remember, they should be as long as the neck length measurement. It doesn’t matter what fabric you use for this – just something that’s fairly lightweight and doesn’t stretch. You can coordinate with the main tie fabric if you like, but it will all be hidden under the collar when worn.

cutting bowtie strap from other fabric

Sew a bow piece to each end of each long strip, as you can see above. Use an exact 1/2 inch seam allowance. Make sure seam allowances are on the wrong sides, and press them open.

Place your two bow tie pieces right sides together and pin VERY WELL. You’ll want LOTS of pins since silk is quite slippery. Sew all the way around the outsides of the bow tie, using an exact 1/4 inch seam allowance. Leave about 6 inches unsewn on one edge of the middle strip portion, as you can see if you look closely at the photo below:

bowtie pieces sewn together

Clip the corners and curves (above) and then turn the tie right side out (below). I find it’s easiest to use the eraser end of a pencil to push one bow end inside itself, then gently shimmy the fabric down the pencil. Once you get to the opening, it’s pretty easy to pull the fabric right side out.

using a pencil to turn the bowtie right side out

At this point, you just need to iron the bow tie flat, and sew the opening closed (I just used my machine here since that part of the bow tie won’t be visible).

Just for reference, if you’re sewing a bow tie for a size 13 neck, the finished length will be approximately 33 inches.

This is a pretty easy project; the only part that’s difficult is keeping the silk from slipping around as you sew. And it’s so much fun to see my tween boys looking so grown up! My husband better hide his neckties, or they might all start disappearing 🙂

A boy wearing a striped bowtie

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Home » sewing » gifts » make a bow tie from an old necktie {great teen boy gift!}


14 Comments

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Comments

  1. Christine DANNEELS says

    October 15, 2014 at 8:42 am

    Very nice and you must be a proud mom with such 2 beautiful sons !! -)

    Reply
  2. kathy says

    October 15, 2014 at 8:53 am

    Love the bow ties and love the boys.

    Reply
  3. CTY says

    October 19, 2014 at 1:10 am

    I think a big part of why teen boys want to don bow ties is because Dr Who (Matt Smith as the doctor) says,”Bow ties are cool”. You did a fine job with the tutorial, thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  4. Cheri says

    December 12, 2015 at 9:16 am

    Really great post. Adding the video was perfect!

    Reply
  5. Donna says

    December 12, 2015 at 1:47 pm

    This is a tutorial. Thank you so much for sharing. These bow ties aren’t just for boys. My daughter likes to wear them as well. She has made her own since I showed her how to do it. This is a great alternative to the 65+ that she has already made plus the countless ones that she has made for classmates and she now has a side business selling them.

    Reply
  6. Beverly Morrison says

    December 18, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    Love the idea. Still have type to finish before Christmas.

    Reply
  7. Petra says

    February 18, 2016 at 10:07 am

    Thanks for the pattern and the clear tutorial. It was done in no time. I even had enought fabric out of the tie for the part in between.

    Reply
  8. Susan says

    January 2, 2019 at 9:55 pm

    Your idea for repurposing men’s ties is a great one! My son is a professor at R. I. College and a bow tie is considered snazzy dress. (Or so the college girls tell him! LOL). For sewing slippery material, use wax or parchment paper under the fabric when sewing. It provides something for the “teeth” to grab. Just pull away after sewing is finished and wahlah! Hope this trick helps.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. CraftCrave | DigiFree | CraftCrave says:
    October 15, 2014 at 8:21 pm

    […] make a bow tie from an old necktie {great teen boy gift!} – 1 freebie(s)? […]

    Reply
  2. Boy Bow Tie Upcycle - Sewtorial says:
    March 20, 2015 at 8:00 am

    […] Upcycle a men’s dress tie to create this handsome tie for teens. Grab the free pattern for a boy bow tie upcycle from It’s Always Autumn. […]

    Reply
  3. 18 regalos por hacer para el con tutoriales | La Cantatrice says:
    December 9, 2015 at 3:16 am

    […] Pajarita cosida : Para los días de fiestas o para la vida cotidiana de los hipsters, un paso a paso para coser una pajarita con una tela chula! […]

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  4. Linky Thursday | StacySews says:
    December 17, 2015 at 8:52 am

    […] up for the holidays? Make your little boytween a new bow tie…. and don’t forget the men! Or turn two old ties into one great reversible […]

    Reply
  5. Youth Blog says:
    December 12, 2016 at 8:18 am

    Tie Your Handsome Look Together

    […] ctures are copyrighted by Autumn Baldwin and blog content may not be reposted el […]

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  6. Skate Blog says:
    May 26, 2017 at 4:18 am

    Tie His Handsome Look Together

    […] where. However, linking back to my content is just fine. You may use one or two […]

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I'm Autumn, a mom of five who loves ice cream, Masterpiece Theatre, and clothes that hide the fact that I eat so much ice cream. When I was 18 I got a job at a craft store and told everyone (regularly) how much I hated crafts. Well, things change! Read More…

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