Neckties and bow ties make the perfect gift for Christmas, Father’s day and birthdays, and it’s even better when you make them yourself. Today we’re sharing 19 stylish sewing patterns with you, including 10 free options. Read on to find all the important details like sizing, design details, fabric recommendations, pattern formats, and how suitable each pattern is for beginners. We also answered the most commonly asked questions about making ties at the end.
Contents list:
Classic neckties for men:
Classic necktie with skinny and standard widths (+ Video)
Download now from Peekaboo Pattern Shop – $5 or FREE with newsletter subscription
- Sizes: XS (Child) – XL (Adult). 44” – 62” (112 – 157.5 cm).
- Design: Classic necktie in 5 sizes. Pointed tip. Skinny and standard width options. Lined and interlined.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric with a nice drape, such as silk, cotton, linen or wool blends. Cotton or lining fabric for the lining.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter and A0 sizes. Projector files are included. A full tutorial with colour photos is included. A free video tutorial is available here.
- Suitable for beginners? I think this pattern would best suit an advanced beginner to intermediate level sewist. Neck ties are cut on the bias, which means the fabric needs to be handled with care to prevent it from warping out of shape. The recommended fabrics can be tricky to work with as well. If you’re making your first tie, start with an easier fabric like cotton.
“Sir John Falstaff” classic neck tie
Buy now from Sew Me Something – £8 (approx. $10)
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Classic, wide necktie. Pointed tip. Contrasting tip on the inside. Lined and interlined.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabrics with a nice drape, such as silk, velvet, denim, ramie, linen, or viscose / rayon.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Instructions aren’t included. A “Gentleman’s Tie” online course can be taken at an additional cost with a subscription to the company’s online sewing studio.
- Suitable for beginners? No. Although the pattern level is rated beginner plus, I think a complete beginner would struggle with the construction of this tie. The instructions are only available through a separate subscription, so I would only recommend this pattern if you’re already familiar with constructing a classic neck tie.
“Slim and modern” necktie with lining and interlining
Buy now from Sew Over It – £5.50 (approx. $7)
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Classic necktie. Slim width. Contrast pointed tip. Fully lined and interlined.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric like silk, cotton lawn, linen, lightweight denim, or velvet. Lining fabric. Domette for the interlining.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter and A1 sizes. A fully illustrated instruction book is included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes, an advanced beginner could sew this pattern. Some prior experience would be helpful as the tie is bias cut, and it features a domette interlining and a lining. The instructions are detailed and thorough, so a confident beginner can try this pattern by taking it slow. You can also use a more stable fabric like denim or cotton to make this project easier.
“The Warwick” classic tie with lining
Buy now from Maven Patterns – £9 – £14 (approx. $11 – $17)
- Sizes: One size. Length: 61” (156 cm). Tip width: 2 ¾” (7cm).
- Design: Classic necktie. Contrast pointed tip. Fully lined and interlined. Features traditional tie-making methods.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric, such as cotton lawn, light denim, silk, viscose, or rayon. Kits with all the required fabrics and materials can be purchased here.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. A paper version that is printed onto A0 paper is available at an additional cost. Illustrated instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes, I think a confident beginner with some previous sewing experience could make this pattern. The instructions are detailed, and you can choose a fabric that is easy to work with such as a cotton blend to make the sewing process easier. Working with bias-cut fabric can be tricky, so take your time and handle the pattern pieces with care.
Easy classic necktie with “tie-keeper” loop at the back
Download now from Bernina – FREE
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Classic necktie. Contrast pointed tip. Fully lined and interlined. Tie-keeper loop at the back. Includes both machine and hand sewing techniques.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabrics with a nice drape, such as silk, viscose, rayon, tencel, velvet, or linen.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Illustrated instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? No, I think this pattern would suit an advanced, confident sewist with some previous garment sewing experience. Accuracy is required to sew the pointed tips which can be fiddly to do with bias cut fabric. Using a stable fabric such as cotton rather than a slippery silk or rayon would make the process easier.
“Father’s Day” classic necktie for adults
Download now from Purl Soho – FREE
- Sizes: One size. Slightly shorter than the standard 57” (145 cm) in length. Instructions are included for how to lengthen should you wish to.
- Design: Classic necktie. Contrast pointed tip. Interlined. Includes both machine and hand sewing techniques. Center back seam is slip stitched by hand.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric. For example, Liberty Tana Lawn, light denim, silk, viscose, velvet, or rayon.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Photo illustrated instructions are included in the blog post.
- Suitable for beginners? I think this pattern would suit an advanced, confident sewist with some previous garment sewing experience. Sewing a tie isn’t too difficult but the process can be fiddly and require accurate sewing and pressing, particularly because it involves working with bias–cut pattern peices. Using a stable fabric makes this easier.
Classic, professional quality necktie (+ Video)
Buy now from Acashworth Co. – $19.99 – $33.99
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Classic, professional quality necktie. Pointed tip. Mitred points. Inner fold. Fully lined and interlined. Includes professional machine and hand sewing techniques.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric with good drape, such as silk, viscose, rayon, tencel, linen, velvet, or light denim.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter and A0 sizes. A paper and a perforated oaktag printed version can be purchased at an additional cost. Fully illustrated instructions and a video tutorial are included.
- Suitable for beginners? No. This pattern is better suited for intermediate sewists, as it features a lot of accurate and fiddly pressing and sewing for a traditional, professional finish. The recommended fabrics can be difficult to work with for a beginner.
Patchworked, striped classic necktie
Download now from The Sewing Directory – FREE
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Classic necktie with a twist. Stripes are sewn from strips of coloured fabric. Contrast pointed tip. Interlined. Includes both machine and hand sewing techniques. Middle seam is slip stitched by hand.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric with good drape, such as silk, viscose, rayon, tencel, linen, velvet, or light denim.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Fully illustrated instructions are included on the blog post.
- Suitable for beginners? No, I think a complete beginner might struggle with the construction of the striped fabric. The tie is made from bias cut fabric, meaning it will be prone to stretching and warping. Accurately pressing and sewing the sharp corners and tips would be challenging for a beginner.
Skinny ties:
Everyday necktie in skinny and standard widths for kids and adults (+ Video)
Buy now from Made Everyday – $7
- Sizes: 3 sizes: child, tween, adult. Length: 43” – 62” (109 – 157.5 cm). Skinny and standard widths for each size.
- Design: Everyday, casual necktie. Skinny or standard widths. Optional color blocking. Contrast tip on the inside. Tie-keeper loop at the back.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric with good drape, such as silk, cotton, viscose, rayon, tencel, linen, velvet, or light denim. The designer recommends quilting cotton for a casual and easy-to-sew option.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Fully illustrated instructions are included in the download. A video tutorial is also available here.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes, this pattern is suitable for a confident beginner with some sewing experience. The designer suggests that this tie is easier to sew than other more “professional” ties. You can use a stable fabric like quilting cotton to make it easier, and following the video tutorial will be helpful for beginners to get the construction right.
Ties for kids / children:
Little kids’ classic hand sewn tie
Download now from Purl Soho – FREE
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Classic kids’ neck tie. Contrast pointed tip. Lined and interlined. Almost entirely hand sewn.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric like cotton lawn, linen, or denim.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Fully illustrated instructions are included in the blog post.
- Suitable for beginners? Suitable for a confident beginner with some sewing experience. Since the tie is almost all handsewn, a sewist who’s confident with hand sewing could easily sew this tie. Accuracy will be required for pressing the seams and creating accurate points and folds. This will be easier to achieve using a cotton lawn fabric, rather than a more slippery option.
Boys’ adjustable necktie with velcro fastening (+ Video)
Download now from Zune Sewing Therapy – FREE
- Sizes: One size. Length: 28” (71 cm).
- Design: Classic kids neck tie. Pointed tip. Adjustable neckband. Fully lined. Velcro strap for easy fastening. Slipstitched centre back seam. Features both machine and hand sewing techniques.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric like cotton lawn, denim, linen, or viscose.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Fully illustrated instructions are included in the blog post. A video tutorial is also available here.
- Suitable for beginners? Suitable for a confident beginner with some sewing experience. Using a cotton blend fabric will make the sewing and pressing processes easier. The video tutorial will also be helpful for beginners needing a little extra guidance.
“Taylor” classic kids’ neck tie and bow tie with adjustable and velcro strap
Buy now from Sew a Little Seam – $3
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Traditional kids’ neck tie with pointed tip. Adjustable neckband with velcro closure. Fully lined. Bow tie pattern also included.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabrics like silk, linen, cotton lawn, denim, velvet, viscose, or rayon.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Fully illustrated instructions are included. The pattern is free if you purchase the Nathan Vest or Grady Pants and Shorts from the designer.
- Suitable for beginners? Suitable for a confident beginner with some sewing experience. Using a cotton blend fabric will make the sewing and pressing processes easier. A complete beginner might struggle with the fiddly nature of sewing the small and narrow pattern pieces using bias cut fabric. Precise sewing and pressing will be required, so take it slow and handle the pattern pieces with care.
Bow ties:
Men’s traditional bow tie with adjustable neck strap
Download now from The Polka Dot Chair – FREE
- Sizes: One size. Teens’ to Men’s XL.
- Design: Traditional mens bow tie. Double sided. Ties traditionally. Adjustable length using tri clips.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric like seersucker, cotton shirting, yarn dyed woven fabrics, linen, or silk. The fabric shouldn’t be too structured or heavy.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Fully illustrated instructions are included in the blog post.
- Suitable for beginners? Suitable for an advanced, confident beginner to intermediate level sewist. Creating the bow tie shape can be fiddly and it requires accurate, precise sewing. A beginner might struggle with the small pattern pieces and the construction steps since there aren’t a lot of photos included on the blog post. Some previous experience would be helpful here.
Traditional tailored bow tie
Download now from Schmetz Magazine – FREE
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Traditional, tailored men’s bow tie. Fully lined. Ties traditionally. Adjustable length. Machine and hand sewn.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabric with good, soft drape. For example, silk, viscose, linen, rayon, tencel, crepe, etc.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Fully illustrated instructions are included in this blog post, scroll to the bottom of the page and use the left and right arrows to navigate between the construction steps.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes, this pattern is suitable for an advanced beginner. As this bow tie is tied traditionally, it doesn’t involve sewing any closures. Achieving a neat result with the curves and the corners can be tricky, particularly if you’re working with a slippery fabric, but the instructions are well photographed and detailed.
Pre-tied bow tie with adjustable strap lengths
Buy now from Burda Style – $8.99
- Sizes: One size for the bow, two length options for kids and adults. Bow dimensions: 4 ⅜” x 2 ¾” (11 x 7 cm).
- Design: Traditional men’s bow tie. The bow is pre-tied and attached to a strap for easy wearing. Double sided. Hook and loop fastening. Adjustable length.
- Fabric: Medium weight woven fabric with body, such as denim, flannel, tweed, velvet, or cotton.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes, a confident beginner could easily sew this pattern. The pattern pieces are quite small, so some prior experience would come in handy when dealing with the corners. The pattern uses a stable fabric like denim, so this is an easier to sew bowtie than a traditional silk one.
Ready tied bow tie with adjustable clips
Buy now from Gathered – FREE
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Traditional looking, ready tied bow tie. Clips for length adjustment. Double sided.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabrics like cotton, silk, linen, wool blends, viscose, or rayon.
- Format: No pattern, the instructions for how to cut each pattern piece are provided in the blog post.
- Suitable for beginners? No, this pattern is suitable for an intermediate level sewist or a confident beginner. The instructions are clear, but not all the steps are explained in detail or illustrated. Some prior experience would be needed for the construction.
Layered, ready tied bow tie for babies, kids and adults
Download now from Made for Mermaids – FREE
- Sizes: 3 sizes: baby, kids, and adult.
- Design: Classic, ready tied bow tie. Velcro or popper fastening. Double sided. Double layered. Top stitched finish.
- Fabric: Light to medium weight woven fabrics like cotton, chambray, or flannel.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Instructions for how to cut the fabric pieces without the pattern are also included in the tutorial, along with construction instructions.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes, this pattern is suitable for an advanced beginner with some sewing experience. The pieces of the pattern are quite small, especially if you’re sewing one for a baby, and they will be fiddly to sew for a beginner. The topstitching on the pattern makes the sewing process easier, but it can also look less professional. If you’re looking for a classic and more formal bowtie, I’d recommend opting for another pattern.
Holly leaf festive novelty bow tie
Buy now from The Crafty Gentleman – £2.95 (approx. $3.50)
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Festive, novelty bow tie in the shape of holly leaves. Double layered leaves. Embroidered leaf veins. Red pom pom berry decoration. Clips or pins onto shirt collar.
- Fabric: Lightweight / thin felt in two shades of green for the leaves.
- Format: PDF digital download in A4 / US letter sizes. Instructions can be found here for free.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes, this pattern is great for a beginner sewist. Felt is really easy to work with since it’s a stable fabric that doesn’t fray. The veins of the leaves are embroidered using a regular sewing machine, but you can easily hand embroider them for a simpler project. The instructions are clear and well photographed.
Quick Q&A’s:
How much fabric do you need to make a tie?
A traditional necktie can be made from 3 ⁄ 4 yards (about 70 cm) of fabric. This is assuming that the fabric will be used for the front and back of the tie with lined tips only. Scraps of fabric can be used for the contrast tips of the tie.
How much fabric do I need for a bow tie?
A bow tie can be made from half a yard (about 50 cm) of fabric. Two pieces of fabric will be needed (one for the front and one for the back) as bow ties are generally double sided.
Is it hard to sew a tie?
Although neckties don’t have a very complicated construction, they are made from bias cut fabric which is difficult to work with. Bias cut fabric is prone to stretching and warping out of shape, so you’ll need to handle the pattern pieces with care. Pressing and sewing accurately is also more challenging on bias cut fabric.
Are bow ties hard to make?
Bow ties are easy to sew but they do require some accurate sewing since you’ll be sewing curved lines to create the bow shape. Some of the parts of the bow tie are quite narrow, so you’ll need to be careful and precise with following the seam allowance.
How do you sew a tie together?
The pattern pieces are cut on the bias to give the tie a nice drape. Press lines are marked on the front and back of the pattern pieces. The contrast tips are sewn to the top and bottom of the tie to form the lining at the tips. The front and back tie pieces are sewn together. Interlining is inserted in between the pressing lines. The long edges of the tie are pressed in by ¼” (6 mm). The front and back are overlapped. The center back seam is hand sewn together using a slip stitch. A tie keeper loop is sewn at the back as a final touch.
How do you make a bow tie?
There are two shaped parts of a bow tie which need to be sewn with the right sides together. A gap is left in one of the tie pieces to turn the fabric right sides out at the end. The seam allowances are notched to ease the curves, and the pieces are turned right side out. They are pressed flat and the gap is closed with hand stitches. If adjustable clips are to be used, the tie ends are fed through these and the bow tie is ready to be tied and worn.
What is the best fabric to make a tie out of?
Ties are traditionally made from silk, wool or cashmere fabrics but other fabrics can be used such as cotton lawn, viscose, rayon, linen, or synthetics.
What is the best fabric to make a bow tie out of?
Bow ties are traditionally sewn from silk to give a luxurious look and feel. Other fabrics can be used such as cotton, velvet, polyester, or rayon.
Can you make a tie out of cotton?
Yes it is possible to sew a tie out of cotton. Cotton is a great fabric to use if you are new to sewing ties as it is easy to work with and presses well. It will produce a more casual style of tie that’s good for everyday wear.
What materials do you need to make a tie?
- Main fabric of your choice.
- Contrast fabric for the tie tip.
- Interfacing or interlining for the inside of the tie which helps it to hold its shape and wear well, such as domette or quilters’ muslin.
What materials do you need to make a bow tie?
- Main fabric of your choice.
- Lining fabric.
- Interfacing or interlining for the inside of the tie which helps it to hold its shape and wear well, such as domette or quilters’ muslin.
What is the length of a standard tie?
The standard length for a necktie is 57-58” (145-147 cm).
What is the standard size and length of a bow tie?
The standard length for a bow tie is between 15.5” -20” (39-51 cm).
What to read next?
- 6 Professional Sewing Gift Ideas for Men (with Patterns)
- How to Sew, Trim & Turn Corners with Perfect Points
- How to Sew Silk: the Complete Guide
- 29 Types of Silk Fabric
This article was written by Sally Gauntlett, and edited by Nisan Aktürk.
Sally Gauntlett (author)
Sally started sewing as a child. In 2008, she started a handmade business selling personalized gifts and homeware. She then became a sewing content creator, sharing her makes on Youtube and Instagram. Read more…