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Father's Day

Nicola

Quick and Easy Father's Day Bow Tie Tutorial

16 June 2016  |  Nicola

DIY bowtie and mens accessories for Father's Day

With Father's Day only a few days away, it's easy to get into a panic and run to the shops for a triple-pack of socks and a bottle of aftershave - but actually, there's still plenty of time to get crafty. We've come up with a super-quick DIY bow tie tutorial that will make any Dad smile this Sunday!

Materials needed to make DIY bow ties

You will need:

Fabrics of your choice

Trimmings, ribbons and lace

Stiff white card

Sharp scissors

Dressmaking pins

An iron

A sewing machine or needle and cotton

1. Start by making two rectangular templates; one should measure 28 x 9cm and the other should measure 16 x 2.5cm.

Cutting fabric from templates for the bow ties

2. Iron your fabric and lay it on a flat surface. Draw round your templates and cut them out.

3. Lay your larger rectangle face down, then fold over 1cm on each of the shorter ends and iron in place. 

Folding and pinning the fabric into the bow tie shape

4. Turn your fabric over so it's lying face up, then bring both edges into the middle so they overlap (as in the picture above), and pin in place. 

5. Stitch down both sides, around 0.5cm from the edge of the fabric. Carefully turn it inside out, and iron your rectangle flat. You can hand sew it closed, but there's no need - the opening will be concealed in the centre of the bow tie. 

6. Repeat the whole process for the smaller rectangle. 

Folding the fabric into a concertina shape ready for the middle to be attached

7. Take your larger rectangle, and fold it like a concertina (as in the picture above). Wrap the smaller rectangle around the middle, pin in place and hand-sew together with a few small stitches.

8. There are three different styles of fastening you can add; a corsage pin-back, a clip or a piece of elastic. Choose whichever one suits your Dad the best, and then attach to the back of the bow tie, either with a few stitches or strong fabric glue.

Alternative Ideas

As well as making straightforward (but lovely!) bow ties, there are LOADS of ways you can get creative and make them a bit more special. Here's some of our favourite ideas:

1. Make an extra large rectangle, slightly smaller than the first, and then fold them both together to make the bow part - it'll make the whole thing bigger and stand out more!

2. Print your own fabric, rather than using ready-made cotton. We've got loads of stamps and ink pads in stock suitable for fabric work, or you could even make your own using our moldable foam.

3. Add a length of ribbon or lace to the centre of the rectangle before folding over the edges to create a contrasting section (we did this with the spotted bow tie in the picture below). If you've got time, you can stitch it, or you can use some Bondaweb for faster results!

DIY bow ties make a great little Father's Day present

Add ribbon or haberdashery to make the bow tie extra-special

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20 June 2015  |  Nicola
Great Ideas for Father's Day

There might only be a day left until Father’s Day, but that doesn’t mean you have to resort to vouchers or socks if you’ve left it until the last minute. Aside from whipping up some of our colourful coasters or a decorated mug, there are plenty of ideas on the internet that will definitely float your Dad’s boat – here’s our pick of the best!

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18 June 2015  |  Nicola
Fab Father's Day Felt Coasters

If Father’s Day has left you feeling a bit stumped this year, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to opt for the safe ‘socks and chocolate’ option for your Dad. Get crafty, grab some felt and glue, and make him some nice new coasters to stand his cuppa on in the morning.

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13 June 2014  |  Nicola
Super Simple Papercut Father's Day Cards

Today we’re going to show you how to make a simple papercut Father’s Day card that will look like it came straight from the shelves of the local card shop.

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