Monday, March 26, 2012

Necktie Mother-lode: a necktie upcycling tutorial

Not only did the Salvation Army in Menomonee Falls have a jam-packed, 4-sided, multi-tiered rack of neckties, there was an overflowing laundry basket full of ties on the floor next to it!
Sifting through the mass, I pulled out some real beauties…

Seriously, I don’t think I’ve been this excited since this Flying Club trophy entered my life:

Where have these neckties been? 1976 wedding? 1979 parent-teacher conferences? I’m guessing they haven’t been loved in a while so now it’s time for them to feel some love! (After I rip them apart, cut them up, and stab them repeatedly with my sewing machine needle, that is.)
Hello, little necktie wristlet carrying case thingy…here’s how you were born:


1. Cold wash, hang dry, and let ‘er rip!



2. Cut accordingly. To fit my iPhone, I cut the pouch piece 13.5”x8”. The strap is 13”x3” and the piece to attach the D-ring is 3”x3”. It takes a wide tie to accommodate these measurements.

3. Iron on some medium weight interfacing, pin and sew!

3 ½. Bonus tip! Sew a piece of ribbon or cord inside your strap to easily turn it inside-out. (this will save you 20 minutes and several swear words)

4. Press, pin and sew your little pouch together. When topstitching the edges of your strap, leave about an inch open at the triangular end so when you complete the strap loop you can fit the end neatly inside.

5. Attach your D-ring and strap and you’re almost there!

6. Add a snap in a snap!

7. Now you’re ready for a night out on the town spent effortlessly dangling this little beauty on your arm. Enjoy!




23 comments:

  1. What an adorable little pouch and such a great use for those fabulous old ties! Your tutorial is very clear, but I can tell you are very talented to get such a perfect result.

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    1. Thanks so much! I'm blushing. I really appreciate your generous compliment!

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  2. These are my favorite thing on your Etsy page!!! Awesome design! Also, your ribbon/cord flip trick will soooo save me stomach pain enduing frustration next time I have to flip something skinny. So excited!

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    1. You are the sweetest gal! Yes, when I discovered the strap-flipping/ribbon technique, I felt like I gained years onto my life. Thanks for the comment! And I have a little something for you...

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  3. Thank you so very much for this tutorial! I have been searching for a tutorial on how to do this for weeks and you made it look really easy.

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  4. This is the best tutorial I have found thanks so much!

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  5. I have been looking for a simple tutorial everywhere for weeks!!! I have found some but their finished results didn't look very neat clean and professional. Your's looks incredible. I am sitting here with a tie right now and am so prepared to tackle this project. A million thanks!

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad so you found this helpful!

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  6. Definitely,what a fantastic blog and enlightening posts,I definitely will bookmark your website.Best Regards! Cord Strapping

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  7. Great job! What size D-Ring did you use?

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    1. Thanks for the comment! I use a 1 inch D-ring. Good luck!

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  8. Hint, when putting phone into the carrier, always put screen away from the snap. It can put scratches on the glass.

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  9. Thanks for this! How important is the backing?

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    1. Thanks for the comment! I find the interfacing necessary if you want your wristlet to have a bit more structure, especially if your tie is a thinner fabric. If your tie is a thicker fabric, I think the interfacing is not as crucial.

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  11. I love this idea, you are so talented with your creation. Thank you for sharing this with us and look forward to seeing more of your ideas.

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  12. Idea geniale e utile. Grazie stavo cercando per il mio cell. Lo farò subito. Complimenti

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  13. My husband keeps buying ties for work and then only wearing them a few times. Looks like I'm going to make a bunch of these.

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