How To Make A Big Clown Bow Tie

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I’m not one for making New Year’s Resolutions. It’s not because I don’t have goals; I have a massive list of items I want to create and new skills I want to learn.

The lack of traditional goal setting is more due to my squirrel syndrome. When I begin a project, it sparks the idea for another project, pushing back a project on the list.

Fortunately, I’ve learned to flow with this whacky process and embrace that I will always have a huge to-do list.

This project stems from one of those squirrely moments several years ago. I had decided to make an oversized bow tie, which seemed simple enough, but, in the end, I created several varieties of bow ties: whimsical felt bow ties, a jumbo bow tie, and a stuffed bow tie.

I will add tutorials for each, but today, we will learn how to make a big clown bow tie with a reversible option.

Ok, let’s get started.

Ready, Set, Create

We will need:

2 Coordinating pieces of fabric approximately 20″ by 10″ – I am using 100% cotton (see more about this below)
Scissors
Fusible lightweight interfacing
Iron
Sewing machine (or needle if hand sewing)
Needle
Thread
1/4″ elastic – approximately 20″ long
HeatNBond iron-on adhesive (optional)

If you want to draw your pattern rather than download it, you will need a dressmaker’s tape or straight edge ruler and fabric marker or chalk.

If you prefer to take a shortcut, download the Reversible Bow Tie template from the Haunted Library.

There are two templates from which to choose.

For the PDF file, print and then cut by hand.

You can use the SVG cut file with your cutting machine, such as Cricut. However, you will need the larger 12″ x 24″ cutting mat due to the size.

Fat Quarters

Before we dive in, I want to talk about the fabric I used for this project.

Since projects like these take much smaller pieces of fabric, I like to check the remnant section. Here you can find leftover bits under a yard that are heavily discounted.

I had no luck with the remnants, so I moved on to the fat quarters.

Fat quarters are a standard cut of fabric used by quilters. These fabrics are 100% cotton, precut into 18″ x 21″ pieces, and are great for small costume projects like this.

You can also get them in bundles featuring a theme, color, or holiday, making coordinating the fabrics a snap.

I grabbed this fat quarter for my bow tie.

To Wash or Not To Wash

I’m old school, so I tend to wash my fabrics before cutting. The benefit is that my project won’t shrink should I wash it in the future.

If you are going to prewash, be prepared that the fabric will fray a bit, so you will want to trim those loose threads; it will also wrinkle, so you will want to press the fabric.

How To Make A Big Clown Bow Tie

To begin, cut one large rectangle from each of your fabrics for the bow tie and one small rectangle from one fabric for the center part.

Next, cut a rectangle from the lightweight fusible interfacing measuring approximately 1/4″-3/8″ smaller than the large bow tie rectangle.

If you prefer not to use the download, you can use these dimensions to draft your pattern:

Following the instructions for your interfacing, fuse it to the wrong side of one of your bow tie pieces.

Place the bow tie pieces right sides together and, using a 1/4″ seam allowance, stitch around the entire piece leaving an opening for turning.

Clip the corners, turn the bow tie right side out, and ladder stitch the opening closed. Alternatively, you can seal the opening with HeatnBond iron-on adhesive.