Clip-on Bow Tie Tutorial

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I love bow ties on little boys.  The nice thing about bow ties is that they are really easy to make.  You pretty much just need to know how to sew in a straight line and fold things in half.  

Cut two rectangles out of your fabric.  One rectangle should be 4.5"x8" and the other should be 1.5"x3"

** The measurements above are for a small bow tie that a baby or toddler would wear.  For a larger sized bow tie, your rectangles should be should be 6"x11" and 2"x4"**

 Take your large rectangle and fold it in half - right sides together.  Sew together with a 1/4" seam allowance.

 Flip right-side out and iron (with the seam in the center, rather than on the edge).

Tuck in the edges a little bit (technically you don't need to do this, I just think it looks nicer if you do).

Put right sides together (with the seam showing on the outside) and sew a 1/4" seam allowance. 

Flip right-side out.  Iron with the seam centered - this will be the back of your bow tie.

 You'll now follow the same steps with your small rectangle.  Sew right sides together and do a 1/4" seam allowance.

 Flip inside out - this can be challenging since it's so small, I would recommend using a safety pin to help you out.

Iron the fabric with the seam in the center. 

 Tuck in the edges.

I used scissors to help with this part.  

Then sew the edges together with the seam side facing out - I used an 1/8" seam allowance here.  Once again you'll turn it right-side out.

 Now for getting the bow tie to take shape. To fold it you want to make it like an "m" first with the middle scrunching in and then folding the edges towards the back again.

 To keep it in place, you have the choice to either hand sew it with a needle and thread or you can use hot glue.  Honestly hot glue is the easiest since there are so many layers to go through with the needle.

  Go back to the small circle (the middle piece) and use a seam ripper to tear a little hole.

Want to know the secret behind the clip-on part?  It's a clip used for clip-on earrings. I found a pack of 12 for $3 (but then also used my 40% coupon so it was an even better deal) Hobby Lobby.  I'm sure you could similar ones at other craft stores.

Push the clip through the hole.  If you want to put something on your open seam to keep it from fraying, you can use fabric glue or clear fingernail polish.

Secure the metal circle part to the fabric using hot glue.

 Thread the large tie part through your middle circle and secure the metal circle to the tie once again using hot glue.  

 You're done!!!

 Now go make lots!

**I've had a few people ask me if the clip bothers the person wearing the tie.  My son isn't old enough to tell me it's bothering him, but he doesn't seem to notice.  If you want to cover the clip, I would recommend a small piece of felt.**

Popsicle Stick Puzzle

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I bought a big packages of popsicle sticks at the dollar store the other day and I was trying to think of something simple and fun to do with them.  We ended up making popsicle stick puzzles.

To make one you need to gather a few popsicle sticks - I'd recommend around 8-10.  Put some tape along them so they stay in place.

 Flip the sticks over.

 And draw your picture.

Take the tape off the back and mix up your sticks and voila!

We also did a butterfly. 

If you wanted to get even more cutesy, you could get a family picture, or a page from a magazine and modge podge or glue the image to the sticks and then use an x-acto knife to cut the seams. 

Helping Kids Adjust

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I was talking to my sister-in-law the other day and she mentioned that her first grade daughter was having a difficult time adjusting to school.  This was the first time she hasn't been in a class with her twin brother, and it was taking it's toll.  I was trying to think something simple that could help her get through her day a bit easier.  

The first thing that came to my mind was to paint a little rock and either write a message or paint a smiley face on it.  The child can put it in their pocket as a little reminder.  That way anytime they start to feel sad, frustrated or homesick they can rub their pocket and be reminded that they "can do hard things".  To make the rocks I used acrylic paint and then a small black sharpie marker.  Your child could easily make the rock themselves.

I realize that sometimes little girls wear skirts that may not have a pocket, so another idea I came up with is to have matching mommy/daughter bracelets.  That way she can have a simple reminder that her mom loves her.  You can tell your daughter, "Whenever you look at the bracelet think of me and whenever I look at the bracelet I'll think of you."  These bracelets were purchased at a Farmer's Market, but you could totally make your own matching bracelets which would be a great little activity to do with your daughter.

Sometimes it really is just the simple things that can help a child through hard times.  Try it out and let me know how it goes!