Baby Bow Tie and Suspenders

For my sister-in-law's wedding, I knew I wanted to make Eli something adorable to wear. When I found out the groomsmen (Ben included) were wearing suspenders and the ring bearer would be in a bow tie, I just had to do a bow tie and suspenders for Eli. I got a few ideas from Make It and Love It, and then made it my own. Here's how to create one for your little man:

Supplies: (sized for 0-3 months)

• 1/4 yard main fabric 
• remnant of accent fabric (a fat quarter would be more than enough)
• 2 coordinating buttons
• Needle and thread

All seams are 1/4".

Here are the fabrics I chose. They're both 100% cotton, which is what I would recommend.

//Suspenders//

Cut two 20 inch x 2 inch strips for the suspenders. (For a bigger size, you could do 2 1/2 or 3 inches.) Fold each strip in half longways, right sides together, and sew down the long side. Turn inside out and press, making the seam at the center back. Fold under one short edge on each strip and sew closed.

Cross suspenders in the back and sew a diamond shape to attach them to each other. You want the diamond to be in the middle of the back. I found the easiest way to to do this was to try the suspenders on Eli and pin them where it looked the best.

While I was figuring out where to cross the suspenders, I also measured how long they needed to be and trimmed them accordingly. This is where you can customize them to the size of your own little man. Sew on buttons if you wish, and then move on to the bowtie!

//Bow Tie//

Using your main fabric, cut two 3 1/2 inch x 2 1/2 inch squares. Then cut two 2 3/4 inch x 2 inch squares of the accent fabric. 

With right sides together, sew around all four sides, leaving a 1-2 inch opening on one side. Turn right side out. Press and sew opening closed. Stack your two rectangles of fabric as shown in the picture.

Using your main fabric, cut a 1/2 inch x 3 inch piece. Fold in half, then fold edges in so that you have a strip with the seams encased. Sew along the long edge. You could also use a 1/4 inch ribbon if you prefer. Use the thin strip to wrap around your two stacked rectangles. Pull the strip tight, then hand sew the strip in the back.

//Finishing//

For a little guy, I found it easiest to sew his suspenders to the pants. If you prefer, you can buy alligator clips or use velcro. To sew on, slip the back ends inside the pants and hand stitch to the waistband. In the front, keep the ends out and sew to the waistband. I also sewed the bow tie to his shirt. Velcro or a snap would be another option.

And there you have it! Dress your little man up and take lots of pictures!