Fabric Bow Pattern Maker
A fabric bow is a folded loop pinched in the middle by a band. Set the width and height of the bow, the width of the centre band and whether it has tails.
Choose how it attaches: a hair clip, hair elastic, headband, brooch pin or bag charm, or nothing at all for a gift.
Make it yours: Change the width, height, band width and tails.
Make this pattern in your size →What you can change
Size
- Bow width: 4–40 cm (1⅝–15¾″). Finished, loop tip to loop tip.
- Bow height: 2–20 cm (¾–7⅞″). Finished height of the loops.
Sizes are typed in centimetres, millimetres or inches. The starting size is Bow width 10 cm (3⅞″), Bow height 5 cm (2″).
Options
- Attach to: hair clip, hair elastic, headband, brooch pin, bag charm or nothing (gift)
- Tails: none, one pair or two pairs
- Tail ends: angled or pointed
- Switches: Crisp (interfaced)
- Measurements and counts: Centre band width, Tail length, Tail width
Starting points
These are sizes and settings to begin from, and every one stays fully editable. Type your own measurements, or start from the nearest one.
| Starting point | Finished size, cm | Same starting point in round inches |
|---|---|---|
| Hair bow | 10 cm × 5 cm bow | 4″ × 2″ bow |
| Gift bow | 16 cm × 8 cm bow · single tails | 6½″ × 3¼″ bow · single tails |
| Headband bow | 12 cm × 6 cm bow | 4¾″ × 2½″ bow |
| Bag charm bow | 8 cm × 4 cm bow · double tails | 3¼″ × 1½″ bow · double tails |
Cutting list
At the starting size (Bow width 10 cm (3⅞″), Bow height 5 cm (2″)) the pattern has these pieces. Fabric sizes include seam allowance, interfacing is cut to the stitching line, and pieces cut on the fold are shown opened out. Each size is the width and height of the piece as cut.
| Piece | Fabric | Cut | Size to cut | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow loop | Main fabric | 1 | 22 × 12 cm (≈8⅝ × ≈4¾″) | Rectangle: cut by measurement or from the print |
| Bow loop | Interfacing | 1 | 20 × 10 cm (7⅞ × ≈3⅞″) | Rectangle: cut by measurement or from the print |
| Centre band | Main fabric | 1 | up to 6 × 6.8 cm (up to ≈2⅜ × ≈2⅝″) | Shaped: cut from the printed piece |
You will also need: Hair clip; Thread. The cover page and materials list give the amounts for your size.
The maker’s fabric estimate at this size: Main fabric about 0.2 m of 112 cm fabric.
How it goes together
These are the maker’s own instructions at the starting size. They change with the options you pick, and the PDF carries the full set with the cover, cutting list and materials list.
- Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the loop (and one layer of each tail), inside the stitching line.
- Make the loop: fold it in half lengthwise on the fold line, right sides together, and sew the long raw edges at 1 cm. Turn it right side out and press it flat with the seam along the middle of one side: that side is the back.
- Bring the two ends together, right sides facing, seam sides matching, and sew across at 1 cm to make a ring. Press the seam open and turn the ring so the joining seam sits at the centre back.
- Flatten the ring with the joining seam in the middle of the back: it is now 10 cm wide. Pinch the middle into two or three even pleats until it is about 2 cm tall, and sew a few stitches by hand through all the layers to hold the pinch.
- Make the band: press it in quarters to 1.5 cm wide and edgestitch if you like. Wrap it round the pinch, starting and ending at the back, passing it round the top arm of the clip as well, and overlap its ends by 1 cm. Turn the top end under by 0.6 cm and slip-stitch it down.
Fabric suggestions
Outer: Quilting cotton, linen, chambray, velvet, satin or silk dupion. Grosgrain-like weaves make crisp bows.
Lining: Tails are two layers: the same fabric or a contrast.
Interfacing, padding or other layers: Light fusible interfacing for a crisp, standing bow; none for a soft, floppy one.
How each fabric family suits it
- Stable woven: great choice. Holds a crisp shape and pinches neatly.
- Heavy or stiff: possible, with care. Bulky at the pinch; make a large bow and skip the interfacing.
- Stretchy knit: works well. Makes a soft bow; interface it if it should stand up.
- Slippery or fine: works well. Satin and silk make lovely bows; pin closely and press with a cloth.
The maker’s advice adjusts to the fabric family you pick in the Fabric tab.
Printing it
At the starting size the printed pieces take 2 A4 pages, taped together using the page labels, alignment marks and page map. For a print shop, choose a sheet from A0 to a 36″ roll: the pieces are packed onto as few sheets as they will fit on, and if one is too big for the sheet the maker says so. How printing, tiling and the test square work.
Frequently asked questions
What size can I make?
The fabric bow pattern takes bow width from 4–40 cm (1⅝–15¾″); bow height from 2–20 cm (¾–7⅞″). It starts at Bow width 10 cm (3⅞″), Bow height 5 cm (2″), and you can work in centimetres, millimetres or inches. There are 4 starting points to begin from (Hair bow, Gift bow, Headband bow, Bag charm bow). Every starting point stays fully editable.
Which fabric suits the fabric bow pattern?
Quilting cotton, linen, chambray, velvet, satin or silk dupion. Grosgrain-like weaves make crisp bows. In the maker’s fabric advice, stable woven is a great choice; stretchy knit and slippery or fine work well; heavy or stiff is possible with care.