These fabulous, oh-so-easy upcycled DIY necktie pouches are a unique way to protect your eyeglasses, cell phone, lipstick, credit cards – whatever! They make great gifts, but I will warn you that your best intentions to give them away will be tossed aside when you see their wonder and whimsy. You will quickly become a fan of sewing up these crafty little pouches, and spend your free time scouring flea markets, thrift stores, and relatives closets for unique neckties.
I come from a long line of certifiable, cable-channel-worthy hoarders. Most famiilies own one toaster. We had eight. The average vacuum to family ratio is probably around 1 : 1. We had six vacuums…..and we didn’t even have carpet. The LARGEST collection stashed away, by far, was my father’s TIES!
So, being a thrifty crafter, the logical solution was this DIY Necktie Project. I have a ridiculous tie stash and am working on great, quick projects to whip up from whatever ties YOU might have in a dark closet, or a few you might find at a thrift store. I’ll be publishing them over the next couple months, so stay tuned.
The easy-peasy little pouches below are so fun to make, and they can hold a MIRIAD of different items, depending on the width of your ties. Wider ties create pouches for phones, makeup, credit/gift cards, and narrow ties make unique, soft cases for eyeglasses. As you can imagine, the crazier the tie, the more interesting the pouch! By adding a special vintage button, they become beautiful, one-of-a-kind keepsakes-for yourself, or someone you really like. Don’t make these for people you don’t like. That’s a complete waste of your valuable time.
I’m going to give you GENERAL, BASIC directions for this DIY necktie project because ties are made differently – depending on the manufacturer and the era during which they were made. The inside seams and facing techniques are varied….but the general directions are pretty much the same for all ties. You can make them as complicated as you’d like. I have a tendency to over-simplify OR over-complicate everything in life. Maybe I’ll find the happy-medium-middle-of-the-road philosophy while I’m in my retirement years. But I doubt it….because I’ll still be crafting, creating, and dreaming up uses for my STASH of eclectic items.
Let’s Do This: DIY Necktie Project!
Decide how long you want the holder / pouch. Allow extra length for the bottom seam. My pouches are usually 7 – 9″, depending on what it will hold. REMEMBER: when you measure, do NOT include the fold-over flap (pointed end).
Turn it inside out, and sew the inside seam. **Some of these seams are already sewn by manufacturer, but where the seam STOPS, varies greatly. You will want to complete the seam all the way to the top. Many times, this means turning the lining inside out (as shown).
Sew the bottom seam. **Note: The tie shown below has interfacing, which you will find on most ties. It’s up to you whether you want to KEEP the facing, or cut it out. I’ve done both….and prefer to keep it in the tie, as it stabilizes silk fabric.
After you sew the bottom seam, decide if you want to line the inside of the pouch by extending the TIE LINING with another fabric. I DO usually line mine, however it is not necessary at all. If you are a sewer, you can figure out the lining part – it is not difficult, but the directions will vary from tie to tie, depending on where the manufacturer cut off the tie lining. I’m not going to include directions because it would just get confusing to most UPCYCLE ARTISTS who just want to quickly make an awesome tie pouch…..and not over-complicate an easy little project.
Now the ULTRA FUN part! Decide what type of closure you want on your one-of-a-kind creation. I like to sew on a SNAP for the real closure, then stitch a FABULOUS vintage button on top. When I made these for my brothers, I just left it at a snap. BUT, if you are creating one for yourself or a sassy someone else, then adding a button or charm makes it ALL that much more special.
Voile!
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