How to Make a Kawaii Fabric Bow

I've always been a bit of a bow bunny - I love them on hair clips. These ones are particularly kawaii because they have little pointy ends on them!

This is my first photo tutorial - let me know how I go!

To make a Kawaii Fabric Bow you will need:

• Scraps of fabric (small prints work best)
• Scissors or rotary cutter with mat
• Tape Measure or Ruler
• Matching thread
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Hand sewing needle
• Chopstick, paintbrush or point turner

Note all seams are 1/4" (5mm) unless specified.

Step 1:
Cut out two rectangles of fabric. I measured and ruled the lines on the wrong side of my fabric. You can use scissors or a rotary cutter & mat to cut your fabric out.

MAIN BOW FABRIC- 13" wide x 4" high (33cm x 10cm), the longest length will run left to right on your finished bow so if you want your fabric pattern to run in a particular direction, keep this in mind when you cut. I didn't mind which direction my Tomatoes faced on this part.

CENTRE TIE FABRIC - 2" wide x 3-1/2"wide (5cm x 9cm), the longest length will run up and down on the finished bow so again, keep this in mind when you cut. I made sure that my Tomatoes in the centre of my bow were right side up.

Step 2:
Fold MAIN BOW FABRIC in half, right sides together and sew along the long edge. Leave a gap in the middle (approx 4"/10cm long), so that you can turn your bow right side out later. Don't sew the ends yet!

Position the seam so that it is centred and iron it flat. Press open the seam.

Step 3:
Measure 1" (2.5cm) up the seam line and rule a triangle out to the corners. Sew along the lines. Repeat for the other end. This makes the pointy ends on your bow!

Step 4:
Trim the excess fabric away from the triangle you just sewed.  Be careful not to snip any of the stitching. Try to get in close to the point. The more fabric you can trim away, the less bulky your bow points will be.

Turn your bow right side out through the turning gap. Gently push out the points using a chopstick, paintbrush or point turner. Press flat. You don't need to sew up the turning gap.

Step 5:

Fold the CENTRE TIE FABRIC in half with right sides together and sew along the long edge. Turn right sides out - you can use a chopstick, paint brush or any thin, blunt object to help with this. Position the seam to the centre of the tie and press flat with an iron. Keep this piece aside until Step 7.

Step 6:
Measure and mark the middle of the bow with a pin. Use the pin as a guide to "eyeball" the size of your bow loops. You want your loops to meet at the back of the bow but not cover over the pointed ends.

There are no set measurements here - go with what you like. The Sushi Bow I made has longer pointy ends so you can see more of the fabric pattern. I preferred my Tomato Bow a bit more stumpy looking.

Hand sew the back loops together so they sit flat. This stitching isn't seen so you don't need to be too precious about how neat it is. I used a simple slip stitch.

Step 7:
Position the CENTRE TIE around the middle of the bow. Pull it in a bit to help shape the bow. Again, play around with it until you like how it looks. Tuck the raw edges under at the back and hand sew in place. I used slip stitch here too.

I didn't sew the CENTRE TIE to the MAIN BOW FABRIC so that it creates a loop that can be moved around a bit & also is a bit more versatile for attaching the bow to hair accessories.

Step 8:
Attach the bow to a hair clip, alice band, elastic to wear in your hair. You could also use it to embellish a shirt, dress or even a bag.

Kawaii Bow - Achievement Unlocked! I flounced around in my Bunny PJs and my Tomato Bow for at least an hour before I went to bed after making it :)

Links to the fabrics we used in this tutorial:
Tiny Prints Collection Tomato White by Lecien
Bento Box Happy Sushi Multi by Robert Kaufman

Original pattern was found on Pinterest and is from here.

- Cloud