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5 Things You Can do With Your Old Neckties

Arts & Crafts Ideas Using Old Neckties

necktie-skirtThe other day I looked through my tie collection and found a few dozen pieces that I had not worn for quite some time. Certainly I could donate them to a local goodwill, which I have done before, but the pile of old ties made me curious if there could be some other good uses. After all, most ties are made from finest silk and often display fun patterns, have interesting fabric textures, and show nice colors. After browsing dozens of Arts & Crafts blogs I found some ideas for your old neckties. Here are five Arts & Crafts projects for your old ties.

1. Make a Quilt
Probably the easiest of the five projects listed here is making a quit out of your old ties. You will need at least a dozen ties, a sewing machine, and some flannel fabric for the lining. Because a standard tie is about 58 inches long (untied), the fabric has the perfect length for making a quilt. First, start out by cutting the stitching of the tie. Then unfold the necktie, and remove the inner lining. Next, sew the different fabric pieces together. The wide end of the tie should connect with the narrow end of the next. Finally use the flannel fabric for the lining of the blanket.

2. Silk Scarf
To avoid pattern over-load, I suggest you only use one tie for making a men’s silk scarf. First, cut the stitching of the tie. Then fold the tie open and remove the inner lining. Your fabric piece should now be about 58 inches long and 4 inches wide at the narrow end. Cut the fabric piece to be a rectangle in the size of 50 x 4 inches. Finally, take some fine cashmere fabric (pick a classic color such as navy or gray), cut it to the size 50 x 4 inches, and sew it onto the silk as a inner lining.

3. Couch Pillow
Looking for a more challenging project? Then making a pillow out of your old ties might be right for you. I have not tried this, but I found some pretty good instructions HERE.

4. Tie Skirt or Kilt
Another more ambitious arts and crafts project using your old ties is making a tie skirt. You will need about 12 to 15 ties for this project. The best instructions I could find for making a skirt out of old neckties can be viewed HERE.

5. Necktie Bag
Probably the project that will require the most sewing skills is making a tote bag from your old neckties. It appears to be quite a popular crafts project and I found a handful of decent instructions. The best ones I could find can be viewed HERE.

If you don’t have any old ties but still like to try one of these projects, then I suggest you contact our partner Bows-N-Ties.com for damaged ties. I am certain they will be able to help you out!

Thanks for visiting!

Hendrik

4 thoughts on “5 Things You Can do With Your Old Neckties”

  1. Laurie Deasy says:

    I bought a “regular” size tie for a friend. I later found out that he wears a x-long tie. I would like to add some fabric to it so that it isn’t seen under the collar because it is very unique and not another like it in x-long. Do you know how I would go about figuring out where to add it? Do you think the best way is to have him try on an x-long tie and mark where the middle of the tie is in the back of the neck under the collar? Then I can just compare and cut the “regular” tie and add 4-6 inches. Do you think this would work or can you tell me an easier way? I would love to hear from you if you have a few x-tra minutes. Thank you so much!

    1. hendrik says:

      Hi Laurie,

      Thanks for leaving a comment and for your good question. I actually get this question quite often – something that motivated me to write about it. Maybe this post will be helpful for you: http://www.tie-a-tie.net/blog/tying-a-tie-for-the-big-tall/

      Otherwise I would suggest to add a few inches of extra fabric to the end of the tie (the part that is not visible when wearing). Pick a thicker and stronger material that is not too stretchy. Excellent is grosgrain as found on ribbons. Pick a solid color grosgrain ribbon that is about 1.5 inches wide and in color that compliments the tie. Double the ribbon to add more thickness and then sew it onto the tie. That should do the trick. =)

      Hendrik

  2. Melissa says:

    These are some wonderful arts & crafts suggestions. I inherited a few hundred ties from my grandfather that we didn’t know what to do with. We didn’t want to throw them away. They were just too nice, plus there were so many memories.

    I ended up creating a pouf with them (the furniture you sit on). It is the biggest conversation piece in my home. Every time we have guests they ask about it. If you like then I can send you some directions on how to make a pouf out of old neckties. It was a fun project that the whole family enjoyed.

    1. hendrik says:

      Hi Melissa, making furniture out of old ties sounds great. Yes, please send me more info on the pouf you created. Maybe even some pictures. I would be happy to post this on my blog. You can contact me via the contact me tab at the bottom of my page.

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