“Bows bring joy,” explains Zara Peters, founder of Thread Maker. If you’d like to make your own, join us for a tutorial, courtesy of Zara, who took these photos.
“I use one of the oldest sewing machines around and it works perfectly for this project,” says Zara. Alternatively, if you’re handy with a sewing machine, Zara has devised a method for creating a homemade version of her jumbo, cheer-bringing bows below.
Materials and supplies
Zara has inherited many of her making materials from her grandmothers, both of whom were professional seamstresses and weavers.
Iron your fabric and cut it into three pieces: one rectangle for the main body of the bow (18″ x 35″ or 45cm x 90cm); one rectangle for the tails (47″ x 16″ or 120cm x 40cm), and one small rectangle (6″ x 2″ or 15cm x 5cm) to sew around the middle of the bow.
Step 1:
These measurements are approximates only: you can play around with sizing depending on what type of bow you’re after—subtle or showstopper.
Zara uses linen from a range of suppliers.
Start with the main body of the bow. (I always press the seams open with an iron after each stage, as this keeps the edges neat and tidy.)
Step 2:
Step 3:
Turn the fabric inside out so the “right side” is showing and insert the bamboo lining, which should be cut to the same dimensions as the main body of the bow.
The bamboo lining gives the bow “puffiness” and structure.
With the lining in place, fold the main body of the bow in half again widthwise (“right sides” together) and sew the end together again. Turn the fabric inside out one last time and the main body of your bow is ready.
Step 4:
Fold the “right side” of the fabric in half lengthways and then again widthwise and trim both ends at a 45-degree angle.
Step 5:
Creating the tapered tails.
Pin the seams together to hold in place and machine sew all around the edges leaving a small gap in the middle for turning right side out.
Step 6:
“If you’re an experienced maker, there’s no need to pin the edges before machine sewing,” says Zara.
Step 7:
Now it’s time to assemble your bow.
Aim for three even gathers in the center of your bow.
Step 8:
Gather everything evenly in the center and secure it by hand using a gather-stitch.
Don’t worry if the center doesn’t look neat at this stage—these threads will be covered up.
Step 9:
Finally, fold and press inwards the raw edges of your smallest piece of fabric so that you create a neat strip of fabric. Wrap this over the exposed threads in the center of your bow, tucking in any raw edges.
The Thread Maker bow – a DIY, timeless festive feature.
The Finished Look
The Thread Maker bow, paired with a simple evergreen wreath.