Making sure your pet is right on trend is just as important as your own wardrobe and accessories. Bow ties are a quick way to help your pooch become the pinnacle of debonair doggy fashion. Best of all they require little, if any, sewing skills and just scraps of fabric. When it comes to how to make dog bow ties, here are our favorite 5 fun ideas that will have your pet looking their best in no time.
Project 1 – How to Make Dog Bow Ties With Some Sewing
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Although this one does require the use of a sewing machine, it’s so easy to make just about anyone can do it. Plus, if you don’t have a sewing machine you can always make the seams by hand. The outcome is just as cute.
What You Need
- Soft tape measure.
- Scissors.
- Fabric in a single color approximately 14″x14″ for large to extra large dogs. Less material will be needed for smaller dogs.
- Straight pins.
- Sewing machine (optional).
- Wooden spoon.
- Iron.
- Needle and thread.
- Velcro square (optional).
Step-by-Step
1. Wrap a soft tape measure around the dogs neck to determine the correct size. Make sure you put two fingers under the tape when measuring so the finished product won’t be too tight. The bow tie will be made based on your measurement as follows:
- Extra small dogs – 8-12 inches.
- Small dogs – 10-14 inches.
- Medium dogs – 14-20 inches.
- Large dogs – 18-26 inches.
- Extra large dogs – 22-30 inches.
2. Cut a rectangle for the body of the bow tie based on your dog’s size.
- Extra small to small dogs – 4″x 9″ rectangle.
- Medium dogs – 6″x 11″ rectangle.
- Large to extra large dogs – 8″x 14″ rectangle.
3. Cut a smaller strip for the center of the bow based on your dog’s size.
- Extra small to small dogs – 2″x 4″ strip.
- Medium dogs – 3″x 6″ strip.
- Large to extra large dogs – 4″x 8″ strip.
4. To make the bow band cut a long strip based on your dog’s size. This step is optional since you can also take the finished bow tie and attach it directly to the dog’s collar.
- Extra small to small dogs – 2″x the length of your dog’s neck plus 2″.
- Medium dogs – 3″x the length of your dog’s neck plus 3″.
- Large to extra large dogs – 4″x the length of your dog’s neck plus 4″.
5. Take the rectangle from Step 2 and fold it in half lengthwise with the right sides of the material together. 6. Pin the opening together down the length and across one end. 7. With a sewing machine or needle and thread, sew the opening along the length and one end closed leaving the other end open. If using a needle and thread, a backstitch will be durable as well. 8. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, push the body of the bow through the opened end. 9. Turn the open end in 1/2″ then iron the bow being sure to press the edges carefully. 10. Top stitch around all the edges. 11. Fold the long edges toward the center with the wrong sides together then fold it down the center again making sure the edges line up. 12. Press it in place and pin to hold it secure then top stitch along both of the long sides. If using a sewing machine with features you can also use a decorative stitch whereas if sewing by hand you can use a blind stitch on the open edge only. 13. Wrap the piece you just made around the center of the bow body toward the back pinching the center of the bow body together while wrapping. Pin it in place. The tighter the pinch, the better the look. 14. Trim the excess leaving enough to slide the bow onto the collar plus 1/2″ for turning the raw edges under. Stitch the center closed on the back by hand.
Note: This step is optional as you can just slip the bow onto the dog’s existing collar if you prefer. To make the collar band, turn the short edges of the band in 1/4″ with wrong sides together and press.
15. Fold the long edges of the bow band toward the center with the wrong sides together then fold the strip down the center. 16. Press the folded edges and pin them in place. 17. Top stitch around all the edges. You can create a decorative stitch, straight stitch or blind stitch. The stitches should be close to the edges. 18. Once wrapped around the dog’s neck there should be an overlap of about 2″ with two fingers under the band. 19. Take the velcro squares and attach opposing pieces to the collar ends. When the velcro meets it will stick together. You can then stitch it in place. 20. Slide the band through the bow center. If you opt to use the dog’s existing collar, you can simply slip the collar through the bow center. If the bow center isn’t large enough you can also stitch the bow tie to the collar.
21. Simply slip the bow tie around the dog’s neck and attach with the velcro tabs.
Project 2 – How to Make Dog Bow Ties With the Right Folds and Tying Technique
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Adding that special accessory to a party look for your dog is easy when it’s folded and tied right and it all begins with a bandanna. This is a no-sew or glue project that’s super easy. You can use the length in Project 1 as a guide for the size of material you’ll need. It will just be square instead of rectangular.
What You Need
- A square bandanna in the size appropriate for the size of your dog.
- Iron.
- Your dog’s collar.
Step-by-Step
1. Lay the bandanna with the right side down at a diagonal in front of you. 2. Fold two opposite corners toward the center making the corners meet at the middle. 3. Iron the folds. 4. Fold the same edges in again lining them up to meet at the center then iron the folds flat. 5. Fold it in half one more time as in #3 and iron the folds. 6. Fold the side ends toward the center with one side left longer and fold into a knot. 7. Turn the bow tie over and with the knot at the back, take the tail up and over the back of the bow then pull it down toward you. 8. Holding it in place, turn the bow tie over and tie a knot with the loose ends. Pull it as tight as needed to create the desired amount of a cinch so it looks like a bow tie. 9. Tuck the loose ends into the knot to hide them. 10. Turn the bow over and adjust the sides to give it a consistent, even look.
11. Take your dog’s collar and slide it under the knot on the back. Put it on and it’s time to party.
3. Project 3 – How to Make Dog Bow Ties That are Double-Layered
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The advantage of double-layered bow ties are that you can make them all one color and/or mix colors and patterns depending on your dog’s mood. They can also be themed for the holiday’s or dolled up for a special occasion like a wedding. This is a super simple project. You can use the measurements in Project 1 to determine the size of the largest piece of material you’ll need.
What You Need
- Fabric in a single color, two colors and with or without patterns.
- Iron-on pellon (fabric stiffener).
- 2 twist ties from bread wrappers or a similar product.
- Iron.
- Needle and thread.
- Dog’s collar.
- Scissors.
Step-by-Step
1. Cut a rectangle based on the sizes listed in Project 1, a 2nd piece 4″ shorter but just as wide as piece #1 and a 3rd piece 2″ wide and 4″ shorter than piece #2. 2. Cut a strip of iron-on pellon 1″ wide and as long as the larger rectangle, a 2nd on 1″ wide as long as 1/2 the width of the two rectangles and a 3rd piece 1-1/2″ wide and as long as the shortest rectangle.
Note: The first and second bow tie sections are made the same way so just duplicate the directions listed for the largest rectangle for the second triangle.
3. With the fabric right side down, fold the long edges toward the center. 4. Iron the folds so they don’t move around. 5. Place the longest strip of pellon along the raw edge in the center and press in place being sure to follow directions. 6. Fold the ends toward the center, place the shortest piece of pellon on top and iron in place to secure. 7. Do the 2nd bow the exact same way. 8. Pinch the largest bow in the middle and take the twist tie, wrap it around twice and twist to secure in the back. Trim the excess. 9. Do the same with the smaller bow only do not trim the excess from the twist tie. 10. Stack the smaller bow on top of the large one and wrap the ends of the twist tie around both, secure and trim. 11. With the smallest rectangle, place it with the right side down, turn under the raw edges along the length 1/4″ and iron in place. 12. Place the 1″ wide strip over the raw edges and press in place. Make sure that it does not show from the front of the strip as this is the center and you don’t want the white pellon sticking out. 13. Wrap the piece you just made around the center of the double bows and secure with a needle and thread. 14. Take your dog’s collar and run it under the center band.
15. Turn it over to adjust the folds and it’s ready to go.
Project 4 – How to Make Dog Bow Ties With Crochet
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For those that love to crochet, a really adorable bow tie will be a piece of cake. The best part is that it takes hardly any time to make and can be made with your leftover yarn that’s too short for a full project. The pattern is designed for extra small dogs so for those that are larger you’ll need to adjust the pattern.
What You Need
- Worsted weight yarn.
- Size J-10 crochet hook or the size needed to obtain the gauge 1″= 3.25 sc.
- Yarn needle.
- 2 buttons.
- Measuring tape.
Step-by-Step
To Make the Bow
1. Chain 40 then join to the 10th chain from the beginning. The ends will be used later. 2. For rows 1-5, single crochet in each stitch around the circle. 3. Row 6, slip stitch in each stitch around the circle then chain 10 in the first stitch of the circle and cut the yarn. 4. Center the tails of the 2 chains at the back of your work. 5. Bring both tails toward the front and wrap each tightly around the middle of the crochet loop forming a bow.
6. Single knot the tails together in the back.
To Make the Collar
1. Measure around your pets neck plus an inch for the buttons. For example, for a collar that’s 10-1/2″ long, chain 35. 2. Row 1, half-double crochet in the 2nd stitch from the hook then half-double crochet in each chain to the end of the row. Chain 1 and turn.
3. Row 2, single crochet in each stitch until the end of the row and cut the yarn. Remember that the larger the dog, the wider the collar should be so just add a few more rows.
Finishing
1. With a needle and yarn, sew the bow tie to the center of the collar weaving in the loose ends after cutting. 2. Sew a button on the top of the collar on the bow side and one at the bottom of the collar on the other end. That will allow the collar to fit and be adjusted without having extra pieces loose.
3. Button the collar onto your dog and watch the fun.
Project 5 – How to Make Dog Bow Ties That Look Like Tuxedo Sets
The perfect outfit for any wedding or formal party is a tuxedo. Since your dog, if he’s anything like a lot of others, doesn’t want to be left out you can make sure he’s dressed perfect for any occasion with his own tuxedo.
What You Need
- Black felt or suiting material.
- Stiff White Cotton.
- Black satin.
- Black lining.
- Iron-on Pellon (fabric stiffener).
- 3 strips of black Velcro.
- 1 square of white Velcro.
- Tissue paper.
- Straight pins.
- Sewing Machine.
- Needle and thread.
- Measuring tape.
- Scissors.
- Iron.
Step-by-Step
1. Measure your dogs belly just behind the front arms, neck and a back measurement that spans between where the belly measurement was taken and the neck measurement. 2. Create a pattern out of tissue paper for 1/2 the tux. When cut out on the fold, it will resemble a fat “t” with the top of the T the neck (make sure and create a scoop when designing it), the bottom of the T the points of the tails and the cross on the T the measurement for the belly band. Make sure the distance between the nearest point on the neck and the top of the belly band equal the back measurement you took earlier. Also, leave seam allowances when you design your patterns. 3. Make a 2nd pattern of just the neck section. You can actually copy the neck ring from the tux and make the front section wider and pointed to serve as the collar of the shirt. Again, leave enough extra for your seam allowances. 4. Place the pattern for the tuxedo on the fold of the black material and cut it out. When opened you’ll be able to see the “t” pattern with 2 tails on the bottom and a scoop at the top for the neck. 5. After unpinning the pattern from the material, unfold it and try it on your dog to make sure it will fit and check the neck measurement for extra space. If the belly band is too short you can always add extra pieces to each side underneath. 6. Cut out a 2nd tuxedo of the black lining material. 7. Place the pattern for the collar on the fold of the white material and cut out 2 on the fold. One will serve as the underside of the collar. When opened and placed on top of the tuxedo the tuxedo and white collar should fit perfectly.
8. Cut a strip of pellon that spans across the entire belly band.
To Make the Tuxedo
1. Taking the pellon for the belly band, iron it in place onto the inside of the lining. If it’s ironed onto the suiting it will show in the finished product. 2. Place the lining on top of the suiting material right sides together and pin in place. 3. Sew all the way around the tuxedo with the exception of the neck. It will be used for turning and will be closed when the collar is attached. 4. Trim the seams and clip the corners. Be sure and clip the points of the tails close so they lay flat after turning.
5. Turn and carefully iron the seams making sure that the lining doesn’t show from the suiting side. Also, ensure the tails come out pointed and even.
To Make the Collar
1. Iron the pellon on the inside of one collar piece. 2. Pin the collar pieces together, right sides facing each other, and sew ends and outside edge. Do not sew the inside edge as it will be used for turning.
3. Trim and clip the edges, turn and iron flat.
Attaching the Collar to the Tux
1. Pin the collar to the outside of the suiting and sew it in place being sure to keep the lining free. 2. Trim and clip the seam then flip the collar up and iron the seam towards the tux. 3. Turn the raw edge of the lining under 1/4″ and press. 4. With the collar up, pin the lining in place being sure to cover the seam. 5. You can either hand sew the lining over the seam using a blind stitch or top stitch it in place.
6. Roll the collar back over the tux and iron in place.
The Fasteners
1. Pin the three black velcro strips to the ends of each side of the belly band alternating the rough and fuzzy strips. That way if one comes loose the others will still hold. 2. Sew the strips in place being sure they are attached to the underside on one side of the belly band and the top on the other.
3. Sew the velcro squares to the collar with one on the top (to be covered by the bow) and one on the underside.
The Bow Tie
1. Make a bow tie out of black silk using which ever previous Project you liked best.
2. Using a needle and thread, attach the bow tie to the top of the collar by sewing from the bottom of the collar through all thicknesses. Make sure you do not sew the velcro square or have stitches show from the outside of the collar.
With the project done, your dog is ready for the big event. To top it off right, you can always purchase a top hat for dogs online.
Summing Up
Learning how to make dog bow ties has never been easier. Hopefully, the directions provided will get you started and release your creativity. If you have a favorite bow tie technique we’d love to hear about it. There’s no reason that your best friend can’t look as trendy as you are during your next outing.