How to Make a Tie for a Suit

Making your own tie is inexpensive.

Despite there being countless tie brands, styles and fabrics on the market, finding the right suit tie can prove challenging. If shopping for a suit tie isn't working, make your own. Sewing a tie gives you more flexibility; you can choose the fabric you want, determine the length you need and use a style pattern you like. With some needle and thread and a little patience, you'll be on your way to making your own custom-made suit tie.

Things You'll Need

• 2 yards of silk fabric
• Chalk
• Fabric scissors
• Iron
• Pins
• Sewing machine (optional)
• Sewing needles
• Thread
• Tie pattern

Instructions

1. Prepare the fabric by ironing the back side of the silk. Iron out any wrinkles or folds in the fabric.

2. Spread the silk fabric over a wide, flat surface. Lay the tie pattern, which will be made up of at least two pieces, on the back side of the silk fabric. Trace the outline of the pattern onto the fabric with chalk.

3. Cut out the tie pattern pieces with the fabric shears, making sure not to tug too hard on the silk while cutting. Throw away or recycle the remaining scraps of fabric.

4. Cut out a piece of silk fabric measuring 2 cm by 5 cm. This will later become the tie's carrier, the small bit of horizontal fabric sewn into the back of the tie.

5. Cut out the tie pattern pieces with the fabric shears, then throw away or recycle the remaining scraps of interlining.

6. Draw a sewing line with the chalk on the back side of the silk fabric pieces. Attach the two pie pattern pieces together using pins, making sure that the back of the silk fabric on both pieces are facing out.

7. Stitch along the chalk sewing line using a needle and thread or a sewing machine. Leave about 1 cm of the line unstitched at the thinner end of the tie (the end of the tie that will not be seen).

8. Invert the tie by pulling it inside-out through the hole you left unstitched.

9. Take the carrier fabric and fold in length-wise, with the back of the silk fabric facing out. Use a pin to help keep the fabric folded. Sew around both long sides of the carrier and along one of the short sides. Invert the small tube of fabric, then sew the last short side closed.

10. Sew the carrier horizontally onto the back of the tie. Only stitch the short ends of the carrier so the tail of the tie can be threaded through the carrier to keep it in place.

11. Press the tie with an iron to make sure it's smooth, crisp and ready to wear.

Tips & Warnings

• Check how your patterns are positioned on patterned fabric to ensure the pattern will run the correct way on the tie once it's finished. Use a thimble if you're hand-stitching the tie.

References

• Ben Folds Seven Ties: Step-by-Step Process to Making a Six-Fold Tie