Ways to Recycle Neckties

Better question…why would I want to do that? I might have had that question on my mind 10 years ago. I was volunteering for a local Home Health and Hospice organization. I was offering my services to make memory bears from a loved one’s clothing after they passed. I must have made over 100 bears during that time. However, one family asked if I could make something out of a collection of neckties and my quest to find an appropriate item began.

Some neckties can be very colorful and unique. However, there isn’t a lot of fabric in a tie. It is often not washable or colorfast. While some items are made with whole ties sewn together side to side, like a skirt or throw, they end up quite heavy. I did not get enough ties in that first batch to make anything large.

The inner lining of neckties tends to retain odors from the wearer or cleaning solutions. This is often a layer of wool felt or polyester fabric. I found it was just easier to take them apart and remove the inner lining that retained odors. This gave me tie-shaped fabric pieces about twice the width of the tie tapering to much smaller at the other end. Ties are cut on the bias (diagonally across the fabric) which makes them too stretchy to work with and is made in three pieces so two seams are about in the middle of the tie. Adding an iron-on interfacing was essential to use the fabric in other projects. To make something I was limited to small pieces or strips of varying weights and colors.

I knew I could not make a bear out of bits and pieces of fabric. A little research on Pinterest for memory items showed many folks had made pillows out of neckties, along with other small items composed of strips, squares, or freehand shapes. The photo below shows a pillow made from four neckties. The back of the pillow was a piece of polyester satin. This made a very nice memory pillow for the widow.

Once I figured out the process to convert a necktie into small but useful pieces of fabric, I was challenged to find other ways to use neckties. First, of course, I cranked out a bunch of pillows just for fun! This pile I mailed to a niece in California who works as an Activities Director at a gated community. She used them as prizes and gifts in her activities. Obviously, I was focused on making squares from the neckties at the beginning!

Where do I get neckties to recycle?

I have obtained neckties from friends and acquaintances who have cleaned out attics and closets. Sometimes garage sales have a few for sale. Thrift shops, like St. Vincent DePaul’s, and Goodwill usually have a collection. I have paid as little as $1 to as much as $4 per tie. That can be very expensive if I’m not careful. Sometimes specific name brands are worth much more. Check eBay to search for specific names if you find something you like. Used Jerry Garcia ties often cost $15 or more (in a Thrift shop!) so if you find one in a pile of free ones, you might want to consider donating it back to the shop so they can benefit from the sale. I hate to cut up a collector’s tie!