As the mom of two boys I realized years ago that to be a great “Boy Mom” there were several things I needed to do. I made a mental checklist that keeps growing as time goes on.
✔ Learn to whistle really,really loudly! (You never know when you’re going to need to get someone’s attention! LOL)
✔ Memorize poison control’s telephone number.
✔ Be able to touch, hold and trap a lizard without saying Eeeeewww!
✔ Catch a wasp to feed to the lizard without getting stung! (That’s a tough one, I’m not gonna lie!)
✔Bait a hook
✔Remove a hook from inside a fish.
Those are just a few off the top of my head. Recently, there were a couple more I realized I needed to add to my list.

This year, my youngest son is a freshman in high school. When homecoming rolled around we were on a mission to find a navy bow tie. Not just any navy bow tie mind you, the perfect navy bow tie! After several trips to Chattanooga, Calhoun, Dalton and the surrounding area we finally bought a bow tie! Several actually! After we decided which one would match the best we would return the others. At some point during all this shopping, I realized  a couple of things.
One, there  are way more neckties to choose from than bow ties.
Two, it was time I learned how to make a bow tie! How hard could it be, right?

My first challenge was figuring out what kind of material to use. I love the new cotton bow ties, but they look like they’re more summer than fall. Silk is beautiful, but a little too expensive to practice on! When I went to an estate sale with my oldest son I found the perfect thing! There it was, bigger than life! A whole box of ties! Not bow ties, neckties that were waiting to be transformed!

And transformed they were!

Here are a few supplies you will need:
Iron on interfacing
A bow tie kit. I ordered mine from Amazon.
A necktie or fabric.
Seam ripper.
Scissors
Iron
A sewing machine or a needle and thread.

The first step is to take the ties apart. Just use the seam ripper and open up all the seams.

Next I pressed out all of the creases.

You’ll want your tie to have body. I used an iron on interfacing. Just press it on the back side of the tie according to the directions on interfacing.

I needed a pattern to go by. I decided to use a tie we had purchased previously. I placed it on a piece of white paper and traced around it.
I added 1/4 to 1/2 an inch extra all the way around to allow for my seams. (If you don’t have a tie to make a pattern email me and I’ll send you a copy of mine)

Now that I have my pattern, I placed it out on the backside of the tie then traced  around it. You need 4 pieces total. A front and back for each end of the tie.

                                                                                        Cut out all 4 pieces.

Now place the measurement ribbon (that came with the bow tie kit) face up on the right side of the longest piece fabric. Make sure to place it where the measurements will be correct. (I marked this place on my pattern. If you’re using a tie to go by just lay them together and go by that.) If you want to stitch the ribbon down you can. I just pinned mine in place.

Time for the iron. Some people hate to iron! When your sewing it is a must! A nice hot iron can make the difference in a project looking “homemade” and “custom-made”.

Fold the fabric down and stitch flat. Fold the other side of the tie that’s coming out of the oval metal piece down. Stitch it together. You will still have two pieces to the tie, they are just connected with the oval piece now.

I found this great YouTube video and learned how to tie a bow tie.

Here’s the link:

✔Make a Bow Tie

✔ Tie a Bow Tie

Now that’s two more things checked off my “Boy Mom” list!