How to Make Bow Ties for Both Baby and Dad

Continuing on the baby train… next stop, baby boys! I know most people when they think of dressing a baby or a toddler up immediately think of baby girls. The bows, the ruffles, etc…swoon! And if you have a baby girl, one of the first questions you probably get is, “OMG, are you just loving buying all the fun clothes?”.

Well, I have news for you, baby boys can be JUST AS FUN to dress up. These little men have the funniest personalities, so let them show! I know all too well. I nanny for a little boy that is just as cute as a button. He’s 8 months old, and is ALL BOY. I mean, he grunts and flexes, can’t take his eyes off cars and trucks, and is determined to do EVERYTHING he sets his little mind to (even if he doesn’t quite know how to do it yet, the look on his face and fire in his eyes are priceless).

The first thing I think of when I take him for the day is always the same, “This tiny dude is a man trapped in a baby’s body”. “Little man” I like to call him. I’m sure if you have baby boys in your life, many of you can relate. They are mini men. They obviously feel like adult men, so why not dress them like they are?

You can go to Baby Gap or Janie and Jack and get them cute clothes anywhere. But accessories are tricky. After all, they still are kids, so most adult accessories don’t work well. Tiny hats.. adorable! But let’s be honest, they’ll probably pull one off their head in no time flat.

So when coming up with a DIY idea for baby boys I thought, “What’s more manly, and chic, than a bow tie?” They’re simple, classic, and will make any tiny dude look and feel like a big man. And, really, who doesn’t swoon over a tiny toddler in a big bow tie? I die!

Then, I went a step further. If I’m making these little men bow ties, why don’t I make their dad’s bow ties to match! JACKPOT! They baby boys will not only feel like adult men, they’ll get to look just like their favorite one! I mean, is there anything cuter than a matching father/son look? I think not.

Below, I give you the tutorial how to make bow ties for both your little boy and your big man. I give you the size requirements for both men and babies, as well as options to make them around the neck and adjustable, or just a simple clip on.

Steps to Make Bow Ties

The Necessary Tools:

Step 1 (if you’re doing a clip on, skip to step 6):

how to make a bow tie

  • Take your ⅓ yard of fabric and fold it in half, the long way.
  • Measure approximately a 1.5”x14” (for a baby/toddler) strip on the fold of the fabric, and cut it out (making sure the fold is still intact).
    • If you are doing a man’s bowtie, cut a 1.5”x21” strip instead.

Step 2:

how to make a bow tie how to make a bow tie

  • Once you have your strip of fabric, reverse the fold so that the front sides of the fabric are facing each other, and the inside of the fabric is showing.
  • Run it through your sewing machine to make a seam on the side that does not have the fold.
  • Once done, turn the fabric right side out, again.

Step 3:

how to make a bow tie

  • Fold your fabric so that the new seam is in the center, and then press it down with your iron.
    • You want to make sure that the new fold is pressed so that the seam in on the center and inside of your strip of fabric. This will become the adjustable part that goes around the neck.

Step 4:

how to make a bow tie how to make a bow tie

  • Here’s where it can get tricky. Take CLOSE looks at the pictures if you need any clarification.
  • Put your strip of fabric through the adjustable part of your hardware (the piece with 2 openings).
    • Make sure the INSIDE of the fabric strip (the part with the seam you just created) is facing TOWARDS the bottom of the hardware with the second opening (see picture).
  • Then, place the hook part of your hardware through the same strip of fabric, with the hook facing the OUTSIDE of the fabric strip (the part without the seam – see picture).

Step 5:

how to make a bow tie how to make a bow tie

  • Run the end of the fabric through the bottom part of the adjustable hardware.
  • Then, fold it around the back of the hardware so that it touches itself on the other side (see picture)
  • Run it through your sewing machine to sew these 2 parts of fabric together (see picture).
    • Perfect! Now, you’re ready to make your bow tie!

Step 6:

how to make a bow tie

  • Again, go back to your ⅓ yard of fabric that is folded in half, the long way.
  • Measure approximately 4” wide segments and cut out 2 of them (keeping the fold intact).

Step 7:

how to make a bow tie

  • Put one, 4” segment aside (this will become your bow).
  • Take you other 4” segment, and cut it at the fold. Then, fold those two segments in half and cut them again (thus, giving you 4 equal segments).

Step 8:

  • Take one of the 4 segments you just cut and fold it in half, with the right side in and facing each other.
  • Run it through your sewing machine, making a seam on one side (just as you did with your neck strip – if you made one of those).
  • Turn it right side out.

Step 9:

how to make a bow tie

  • Now, take that tiny tube of fabric (once right side out) and place the 2 ends together (seam in the middle and on the outside).
  • Run it quickly under your sewing machine to close the tube into a loop.
  • Then, turn the loop around, so that both seams are in the INSIDE of the loop.

Step 10:

how to make a bow tie

  • Take the 4” wide, folded piece of fabric that you put aside, and fold it so that the right sides are inside and facing each other.
  • Run all the edges through your sewing machine, until you get to the last 1.5” of fabric. Then STOP.
  • Reach inside and turn your fabric right side out.

Step 11:

how to make a bow tie how to make a bow tie

  • Finish off the last 1.5” of the seam with a ladder stitch (see picture).
  • Make sure your stitch is loose until the very end, then pull the thread tight.
    • This will allow the fabric to invert on itself, and make the stitches and seam invisible (just like the rest of the seams you made with your sewing machine).

Step 12 (skip this step if making a clip on):

how to make a bow tie

  • Take your piece of fabric that goes around the neck, and slide your loop of fabric over the end of the strip.
  • Sew the end of the strip of fabric that doesn’t have the hardware on it, into the inside center of the loop.
  • The, take the last part of your bow tie hardware (the part that the hook clasps into), and sew it to the back of your loop (hand stitching).

Step 13:

how to make a bow tie how to make a bow tie

  • Take your large piece of fabric you just sewed together, and place it through your little loop of fabric, so that the loop sits around the middle of the larger piece (making it into a bow).
  • Make a quick stitch through the entire loop and the bow, so that they are connected and cannot move.

Step 14 IF MAKING A CLIP ON  (skip if making it adjustable):

how to make a bow tie how to make a bow tie how to make a bow tie how to make a bow tie

  • Use your hot glue gun to glue an alligator clip to the back of the center of the loop.
  • Then, take your needle and thread and sew a quick stitch around the bottom and top of the clip, just to ensure that the clip is intact.
    • Using both the glue AND thread makes sure this bow tie is sure to stay on.

And there you have it! Easy to make bow ties, both clip on and adjustable, with sizes for both the little and big men in your life! I like to keep the size of the actual bow the same for both. Why? I’ll tell you.

This size bow is perfect for a normal sized bow tie. But like I mentioned earlier, little boys like to be little men. Plus, they don’t look THAT big unless they’re on a baby under 12 months, and then, they just look adorable 🙂 You can’t go wrong!

If you love these, but don’t have the time to DIY, you can buy them in my Etsy shop (here for boys and here for a matching one for dad). But if you’re pumped that you now know how to make bow ties, awesome! Here’s a recap of everything you’ll need to DIY:

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