Fabric Easter Bow Tutorial for Clip, Headband, or Dresses

Sewing a bow can be easy and ultra rewarding.

My daughter has a new obsession with Minnie Mouse Bowtique, and I adore French-style clothing, so bows are a new favorite of ours.

I've been adding big bows to fronts and backs of dresses; and today I'll be walking you through the steps to make your own bow for Easter clips, headbands, or other accessories.

Fabric for one accessory bow:
10'' x 6''  - main bow
5'' x 4''  - small middle
12'' x 4''  - hanging tail

I reviewed several tutorials from well-respected sewists and found that many of them required yards of fabric for one bow. Then, I stumbled upon this tutorial from a Cosplay, which is someone who dresses up in costume of a well-known character. Her tutorial is very easy to understand and directs you through the process of making a large bow.

Today, I'll be using Girl Charlee's Easter line of fabric found here. The line is already our house favorite, and the Easter line is popping with vibrant flowers, pastels, and birds--everything that we can't wait to sew up for spring!

• Gather your supplies, and cut out your fabric pieces

  

• Sew your bow piece into a "tube." You'll fold it in half right sides together. Then flip it out, and move the seam to the back.

• Looking at the seam side of your main bow piece, fold both ends in, slightly overlapping. This should look more like a bow now.

• Then, baste stitch (without backstitching) a line across the slight overlap--in the center of the bow.

• Pull one thread on each side to gather the bow.

• Now it's time to sew the middle piece of your bow. Sew the same way as the main part (into a tube). 

• You can either fold this around your bow (we won't see the back anyway!) or stitch the ends together (right sides together) to form a circle that you'll move the bow through.

• The last fabric piece of the bow is the hanging tail of the bow. You can cut out a straight rectangle or angle the edges--whichever you prefer.

• You'll sew this one slightly different than the others. This time, with right-sides facing, stitch up one short end and to the middle of the long end. Then, leave "1" inches or so of a gap, and begin sewing down the rest of the long and short ends. This hole will be where you turn the piece right-side out. 

• Thread your bow tail through the back center of the bow's middle piece, so that it hands how you'd like.

• Glue anything in place at the back of your bow to ensure that it'll hang how you want it; or, just let it hang naturally.
• Use your hot glue gun to add glue to the outside of your clip or headband, and adhere your bow.

Find a cute little girl (or grown girl) to try on your handmade bow!