Charming Bow Tie Necklace

You will need:
-1 basic necklace (Hobby Lobby or Michael's) or chain/jewels to make one
-Black vinyl or preferred material
-Sewing machine and/or needle and thread

To start, you will need to cut a strip of fabric that is 1 to 1.5 inches wide (your preference for the bow, I erred on the smaller side) and a little over 6 inches long or so.  You want the bow to have at least 1.5 inches on each side past the middle when it is complete.

I like to fold my fabric over, scrunch it in the middle, and then determine exactly how big I want to make the bow. Different necklaces may look better with different sizes. Once you have it the length you want, sew the end closed with the fabric inside out (not the sides).

 You could sew a seam in the edges if you wanted.  I chose not to.  I will probably coat the edges with a little mod podge or similar to stop it from fraying, or I will let it get a worn out look.

Fold the bow in half in the middle, then fold the top and bottom back to make a scrunched look like this picture.

Make sure that your seam is in the BACK of the bow, not one of the sides.

Sew up and down, around and through, all kinds of ways to secure the scrunch.  I sewed for a few turns, wrapped the thread tightly around the scrunched, sewed a few more turns, wrapped again, and sewed again.  I am pretty unorthodox when it comes to anything sewing related.

Once you have the scrunch secured, cut another strip approximately 1/2 inch wide and just long enough to overlap in the back of the bow.  Wrap this around your bow with the seams in the back and sew into place.

I found this vinyl on clearance at Hobby Lobby. My new favorite thing to do is to raid their scrap fabrics that are clearanced out.  So far I have found this, some great lace, some canvas, and similar.  All of it is usually real small sections, so you rarely have to spend much over 5 dollars to get something.

Did I have a plan of what I could do with black vinyl...well...no.  But I knew I would think of something eventually!




I attached mine to my necklace with wire.  You could actually sew a jump ring onto it while you are sewing the middle cover on, but I think that wire helps position it exactly where you want it and keep it in place.  I just wrapped mine around and through the ring of the necklace where I wanted my bow.

I had not gotten in to bows before this little guy, but I must say I really like it.  It was very simple to make and it is a cute play on a trend that I otherwise would have no interest in.

Plus, it is black...which I tend to wear quite often without realizing it (work clothes and pencil skirts!).  This necklace to me remains sophisticated but fun.

And really, we should all try to be more fun now shouldn't we?

Happy crafting!