Life After The Third Divorce: Scrub Cap Pattern for Short Hair With Bias Tape

Who Does Not Know That Custom Made Scrub Caps for Surgeons is a Huge Deal!

When my daughter asked me if I would make a scrub cap for her when she was graduating medical school and was about to start her surgical residency, she was very specific that scrub cap has to be snug, and ties should be not too long and really hard to destroy.

That is because according to my daughter surgeons have seconds to dress before they go into an operating room and 'don't have time to putz around'.

As always I got a creative streak when it goes to sewing so I offered her two options that I developed myself because nothing that would fit the bill exactly was available on the internet, hunt as I might. Just bits and pieces without any downloads, only online pictures.

So let me take you through tutorial how to make a scrub cap that my daughter favored. I will post her picture at the end.

Want my printable to scale pattern? - It is available

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(All my patterns print on letter size and A4 paper and come with detailed instructions how to make the scrub caps. Video instructions are available too.. All sales are final, no returns.)

I made a scrub cap for her (you'll see it at the end of this page) and I decided to publish my own tutorial here on my blog. There's a video at the bottom of this page too.

If you want to zoom on the pictures, click them, and they will enlarge.

You will need:

Paper to make the pattern – all measurements are in inches

9 inches of cotton fabric – standard 44 inch width

39 inches of bias tape - I buy double wide quilt binding 0.875" wide but you can make your own too

3 inches of elastic band

Black and red thread

Wash, dry and iron fabric before you start cutting – it will shrink

Follow the steps below in exact order:

(Click this line to watch me sew this scrub cap step-by-step!)

Want to add mask buttons to your scrub cap? <= click to watch me show you how to do it!

Make your paper pattern according to measurements below:

2. Cut your pattern out, fold your fabric so you have two layers under the side part of your cap and single layer under the top of your cap.

3. After you cut the fabric, use hot iron to fold the bottom of top part of your cap first one time, then the second time to create a casing for elastic band

4. Use straight stitch to make a casing for elastic band

5. Cut 3 inches of elastic band and attach a safety pin to one end of it – next step is to secure elastic band inside the tube of fabric

6. Stick elastic band (safety pin first) into the fabric tube and move it toward the other end. When the end of elastic will align with end of your fabric tube, secure it with a pin

7. When your safety pin is out of the casing and the second end of elastic band aligns with the end of fabric tube, secure elastic band with a pin

8. Once both edges of your elastic band are secured with pins, remove safety pin

9. Fold the top of your cap part in two length wise, find the middle and mark it with a pin.

Then fold the side part of your cap in two width wise, find the middle and mark it with a pin

10. Put the top of cap part and the side of cap part together face to face and align the middle pins. Pin top part and side parts of your cap together in that point.

11. With side part of your cap being on top, pin it to the top part of your cap. Pins should be ¾ of an inch apart.

12. Use straight stitch ¼ inch from the fabric edge to connect the top part of your cap and the side part together – side part is on top. Pull pins out before they reach the needle. Use your fingers to hold fabric in place and together.

13. When you finish the straight stitch, flip the cap over, change settings to zigzag and stitch around the top of cap – keep your needle on the fabric

14. Do zigzag stitch all the way around the connection of top and side parts of the cap, then use hot iron to iron the seam toward the side part of your cap .

15. Starting at elastic band, make a decorative finishing stitch along the seam which connects top part of the cap to the side part of your cap.

16. Use hot iron to fold edges of bias tape so they interlock and folds are hidden

17. Find middles of the side part of your cap and bias tape and mark them with pins. Now pin bias tape to the side part starting with the middle pins

18. Starting at elastic band, pin one side of bias tape to the side part of your cap, pins should be ½ inch apart

19. Now you are ready to make a zigzag stitch along the edge of bias tape. I use zigzag stitch to ensure my seams don’t break when my surgeon pulls on ends of cap in a hurry.

20. Start your zigzag stitch at the end of one tie, go all the way around the edge of your scrub cap and finish at the end of the other tie.

Congratulations!

This is your finished cap – this is how the back of your cap looks with ends tied together – zigzag seam looks really nice.

This is how my cap looks in the front.

I promised you a picture of my daughter's scrub cap - here it is!

Want a printable pattern for this scrub cap?

Don't have PayPal?

Get my printable to scale pattern on

(click Etsy logo to access)

(All my patterns print on letter size and A4 paper and come with detailed instructions how to make the scrub caps. Video instructions are available too.All sales are final, no returns.)

And this is a scrub cap made just recently for one of my Etsy listings - the Russian nesting dolls is the fabric I used for my daughter's first scrub cap. My good friends modeled it for me.