Bow ties from shirt cuffs and collars
 

There was some discussion in another thread about what to do with left over shirt cuffs and collars after you harvest them for fabric. I was a little horrified to see so many people say they chuck them.

I like to make bow ties with them. It's nifty because the interfacing is already there for you so it gives your bows some body and saves you a few steps.

Here is a little tutorial I wrote. It's fairly simple and my version of it is a little sloppy, but it has so many possibilities. I put this one onto a cheap dollar store head band. You can also put them on quilts, wall pieces, runners, barrettes, gifts. You name it. I love bow ties.

1: Get that cuff out of the trash and trim it square(ish). Be sure to leave the interfacing(the stiff stuff in the middle) in place. It helps to leave the original stitches there. You can trim them off later.

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2: Fold it in half and pin

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3: Sew it closed, leaving one side open to turn it out (like a pillow).

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4: Turn it out and sew shut. You don't need to worry about poking out the edges perfectly, as it won't show once it's scrunched up into the bow.

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5: Pinch. Make sure it's good.

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6: Wrap it up. I cheated and just used a bias strip to hold it together. Tied underneath. You can use a gathering stitch, or a ribbon or a hair band, anything really. Get creative. It's not rocket surgery.

Marvel at your genius..

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8: Ask husband to hold the kid still while you get the money shot.

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How adorable. Oh, and the bow is cute too.

That is one precious model! Like the bow too!

Would be cute for little bow ties for your dogs and cats too

I bet they would be cute as a 3-D element on a quilt too.

Thanks for the tute. The baby is BEAUTIFUL!

Soooooo darn cute, and the bow is a great Ideal.

Great idea! The baby is adorable!.

Beautiful model for your cute idea!

what a great idea!!!

How cute. The baby is adorable.

Congratulations! How creative you are.

Haha! When you said 'bow tie' I was expecting your were making your husband wear bow ties made of old shirt cuffs, and just cringed! But the 'bow' is really cute for a little girl!

Thanks so much for the great idea! I have lots of cuffs and collars I can use!