Lay out the fabric you have chosen for the bow tie on a long cutting mat.

Bow tie templates can be found online, there are all sorts of styles out there. consider the measurements though before cutting any fabric. I use an acrylic template because it is repeatable and accurate and I know I will get a nice bow tie every time. It also makes things go a lot faster. If you have ever traced paper onto fabric, you will understand.

With the template I used, I took my neck measurement and divided it in half. This will correspond with a number on the rectangle part of the template (as seen in the second picture). I like to trace the template with a pen onto the fabric and then use the rotary wheel to cut it out. I leave a little rectangle in the middle of the bow tie where the hole is going to be to reverse the bow tie after sewing. If you use an acrylic template like the one in the picture, be sure that everything lines up nicely and the pattern of the fabric, or "grain", is how you want it. You will need two pieces that are exactly the same, one is the front, and one is the back of the bow tie.

The template I am using is clear acrylic, but I left the protective backer on it so it would show up better in pictures.