Wearable Bacon Tie

You know, bacon has always been one of my most favorite things, for as long as I can remember. It is never out of popularity, and is always awesome, not to mention tasty!

But I was thinking the other day, how could I possibly keep it with me throughout the day, while keeping my hands and pockets free? Then it came to me: make it into an article of clothing! But a shirt, jacket or pants would just break any bacon apart, and would be really awkward to walk in. So the thing that made most sense to me was a tie. It is easy to wear, plus it is nice and close to your mouth! It is also super-fashionable.

To make this tie, you just need 8 strips of bacon and a broiler pan, as well as a functioning oven.

This starts by making the basic shape of the tie (remember to construct this on the broiler pan, so you dont have to transfer it later).

Take 3 of the strips of bacon. Place 2 of the strips in a V shape with the ends overlapping. Cut the other strip in half, and place the two halves together, connecting the two full pieces to create a basic tie shape (Check the picture for placement). I made mine a little wider, but you can do yours as wide or narrow as you want.

I thought that this would hold together best by weaving the bacon together, rather than just laying the strips on top of each other.

Now lay 2 more strips on top of the frame, as shown in the picture. At this point, the middle shouldnt really have any major gaps left in it. Start weaving the bacon together. Raise one strip like in the picture, and lay another across the other two, then lower the first over the new strip. Raise the second strip, and place a second new strip across as you did with the first. Tuck one end of the new strip under the frame, and lower the raised strip. Look at the pictures to see how I did it, in case my descriptions are too confusing to follow.

Tuck in or fold any loose ends (tuck the ends above or below the frame as necessary to keep with the weaving) to give the tie nice, clean edges.

After you finish weaving the strips of bacon together, you need to add the knot to complete the effect.

At the top of the tie, the junction between the frame ends should still be exposed. Take your last strip of bacon, and place it between the ends. Now just wrap the bacon around the top until it is fully encircling the top. Adjust the shape of this strip to make it look more like a tie would.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. The tie should already be on the broiling pan, so you are ahead of the game. Bake the tie for 30 or so minutes, until it is nice and crispy and golden-brown. (If the thicker parts of the tie are not fully cooked inside, finish it for a couple minutes in the microwave).

If you wish to have this much faster, place it between paper towels and cook it on High in the microwave for 3-4 minutes until it is cooked.

I realized that this Bacon Tie would be a perfect gift for Dad for Father's Day. It adds a whole new dimension of awesomeness to the classic gift of a tie.

You can also wear this tie around. Just poke a hole through the side of the top with a skewer and thread some string or twine through it (make sure it's long enough to tie around your neck!). Tie it around your neck, and wear anywhere you want to look fashionable. (As this is a fairly greasy tie, I recommend to put something like plastic or paper between it and your shirt to protect against stains).  Then you can have bacon whenever you want it. If it was me, it would not last very long!

Enjoy! Let me know it you have any questions!