How to Make a Hospital Scrub Cap

In this time of great worry and concern and the need to help our medical workers here is a pattern to create hospital scrub caps.  There is great need in hospitals, nursing homes and urgent care facilities for these items.  I thought to share this pattern with you so that you can help your local medical community.  This is a super simple beginner sewing project that will be of great help to those in need.  Use your stash if you have one to create this terrific scrub hat. Donate them to to your local medical community.  They are reusable and washable.  If you would like a companion mask pattern and tutorial check out our fabric mask pattern and our filtered mask pattern.  

I used fabrics in my stash for this project.  Believe me I am glad to be going through my stockpile of remnants for masks and now these scrub hats.  Maybe I can get a real handle on all of that fabric I have.  OK maybe not. I am trying though.  This pattern can be used with either elastic or ties.  Elastic has been hard to come by in my neighborhood so you may want to stick with ties it is up to you.  

What you will Need: How to Make a Hospital Scrub Cap

• Pattern you can get by clicking this link
• 1 yd fabric
• 18″ of 1/2″ Elastic (Optional)
• Standard sewing supplies

Step 1: Cut your fabrics

There are two pattern pieces for this project.  Bot of them need to be cut on the 1/4 fold.  In other words you need to fold your fabric so that it has folds on two sides.  Place the pattern pieces so that the edges of the pieces are on both of the folds that way when you cut out the pattern pieces you get a circle.  You will cut one full circle and two circles that have holes in them. Cut a 2″ x 36″ piece of fabric for the ties

Step 2: Stitch the Inner circle

Place the two pieces with the hole in the center right sides together and stitch the center using a 1/4″ seam allowance and leaving a 1″ opening.  Clip all the way around the curves except where you left the 1″ opening.  Turn right sides out and press.  

Step 3: Stitch a box around the opening

Find the opening you left in the circle.  Sew a box around the opening to strengthen it but leaving the hole accessible.   

Step 4: Top stitch

Measure down 1″ from the inner edge and top stitch all the way around the circle. 

Step 5: Add the large circle

Place the large circle on top of the circle with the hole matching the raw edges.  Stitch using a 1/4″ seam allowance or a serger.  I used a serger for my hat.  If you do not have a serger zig-zag the seam or use overlock stitch on your regular machine to prevent the seam from fraying.  Turn the hat right sides out.  

Step 6: Create and add your Ties

To create your ties take the 2″ x 36″ piece of fabric and fold the raw edges to the center and press.  Fold in half enclosing the raw edges. Fold the ends to the inside. Stitch on both sides to secure.  Using a safety pin thread the tie trough the opening you created in the hat.  Tie a knot at each end of the ties to prevent them from reverting back into the casing.  

Step 7: Stitch the front

Fold the hat in half  measure 4″ on each side and mark.  Stitch a line on both marks.  This will allow the front to be flat while the back will be gathered using the ties.  You have finished your scrub hat.  

Step 8: Elastic option

Complete the hat the same as for the hat with the ties.  Instead you do not need to secure the opening you left for the ties.  You will need to insert 18″ of 1/2″ or 3/4″ elastic to the opening.  Once the elastic is inserted.  Sew the ends together using zig zag stitch on both sides and let the elastic slip into the casing.  Close the opening either by top stitching with your machine who by using ladder stitch.  

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