Use my surgical cap sewing pattern to learn how to sew a scrub cap for the shortage of supplies in medical facilities we experiencing now! Free Printable Scrub Cap Template is available at my resource library!
I was inspired to make the surgical cap sewing pattern due to the number of requests from my readers that are trying to help restock hospital inventories. All the requests for the scrub cap pattern came right after I posted the DIY surgical face mask pattern. Due to this shortage of supplies, we are also short on time, so I thought up the easiest and quickest way to sew a surgical cap.
Actually, I will teach you how to sew the scrub cap in two ways. One way is faster, and that is when you use a twill tape for the cap’s band. And, the other way is when you make the band out of cotton fabric, the same as the top piece.
Some people have to wear face masks for a long period of time and that may cause a lot of discomfort. From my experience, the elastic loops bother my ears the most. So, to avoid tenderness on the ears, you can place two buttons on the scrub cap’s band for the elastic loops. I think, it works perfectly and it’s giving your ears a break.
Let’s get ready for easy to sew a surgical cap!
Since I didn’t have much time and I’m staying put at home, I used what I had in my home stash. Fat quarters are perfect for this project and there are so many awesome prints and colors as well. And, what’s most important the fabric is 100% cotton. If it goes for the twill tape, I recommend using 2” wide tape. I had 1” wide at home and that’s what I used to sew the surgical cap but 2” wide would hold the cap to the head nicer.
I would like to remind you, to always wash and dry fabric ahead of time to pre-shrink it.This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)!
the free printable scrub cap template is available in my resource library– to get the password to it, fill out the form at the bottom of this post
Let’s get to use the surgical cap sewing pattern!
Step 1. Cut out the 18″ circle out of the quilting fabric and using a zig-zag stitch finish the raw edges around.
Step 2. In any part of the circle, fold the edge to the wrong side so that the folded edge will measure about 6”. And, stitch in place close to the edge.
Step 3. Now, gather the edges of the circle, except the folded edge. The gathered edges will measure about 24”
And, this is how I gather: pull the thread from the bobbin and the spool (a little longer than the length of the edges you want to gather). Then zig-zag along the edge, making sure both threads are in the middle of the zig-zag. Now, gather the edges by pulling the threads. It is very important that you gather as evenly as possible.
Step 4. Secure the gathered edges by placing a pin where the gathering threads come out and weave them on the pin in a figure eight. That trick works perfectly for me.
Step 5. Pin the twill tape to the right side of the cap, but first, align the edges together. Also, remember to leave about 10” tape tails on both ends. They will work to tie the scrub cap on the back to keep it in place.
Step 6. Stitch the tape and cap edges around together. I recommend stitching it twice for more durability.
And, done! Wasn’t sewing surgical cap an easy project that’s also fast to accomplish? It took me less than a half-hour to sew the cap and that’s was my goal.
Now, I will teach you how to sew a surgical scrub cap with the band made out of a cotton fabric.
If you have long enough piece of fabric, you need to cut a 45” long strip that is 5” wide. You can also use a fat quarter fabric to make the band and I will teach you how.
Step 1. So, cut three 5” wide strips out of the fat quarter fabric and now you need to sew them together.
Step 2. Put the end of two strips right side together as it shows on the picture and stitch them at a 45-degree angle. And, stitch the third strip to the already sewn piece.
Step 3. Cut the excess fabric, about 0.5” from the seam. Then, open the seam and iron it flat. Now, out of the stitched-up pieces cut a 45” long strip and fold it in half lengthwise.
Stitch the short edges and then stitch 10.5” of the long edges, from both sides. Also, snip the fabric, seam wide, close where the stitches end.
Turn the sewn ends right side out and iron the whole band flat, aligning the raw edges.
Step 6. Finally, pin the raw edges of the band to the gathered edges of the cap and stitch together. Then, using a zig-zag stitch, finish the seam and that will prevent the fabric from fraying.
Now, wear your surgical cap and using a fabric pencil, make marks on the band for the buttons. I think the best spot to sew them on is where you feel your upper quarter edge of the ears.
Surgical Cap Sewing Pattern – Free Printable
Get the password for the library with the free pattern here by filling out this form:
If you know of any medical facilities or anyone that needs either the surgical masks or caps, please, you are welcome to share or use my tutorials and patterns for this purpose.
Also, you can post pictures of your surgical cap on my Facebook page, or just email them to me and I will post them for you.
Happy sewing!
Love,
Agnes
P.S. I am very excited because my surgical cap sewing pattern post was featured on Tip Junkie! Yeah!
33 thoughts on “Surgical Cap Sewing Pattern – Free Printable”
The pattern on the PDF is not a circle for the scrub cap. But in your directions you say cut an “18 circle. When do you use the pattern shown as part A
Hello Mary Ann, the pdf template is half of a circle that you use to cut the fabric on fold. It comes cut out as 18″ in diameter. You use the circle in both ways to sew the cap. Hope it helps.
Hi Agnes,
I am a sewing newbie, I am a little bit confused how to gather the circle. When pulling the thread from the bobbin and the spool, do I cut them first before doing the zigzag stitch?
Thank you. This is a fantastic tutorial. I mad this cap yesterday and it was a lot easier that I imagined. I really appreciated learning how you gather – what a time saver.
It keeps wanting me to add thepdfopener.com extension to my Chrome. Is there a different way to download this pattern? My computer opens PDFs all the time so I should not have to load this but there is no way I can find around it. I have added this kind of extension before and had to take my computer to the Geek Squad to get rid of everything it changed. Can someone help me get around adding this! Thanks!!
Thank you for the pattern! I am sewing some for my daughter who is a nurse and needed them asap as she is working with COVID patients. Looks easy enough! Thank you!
I’m so sorry — I don’t see on the pattern how long to cut the 2-inch twill tape. I’ve only ever sewn catnip kicksticks for the SPCA (all straight seams!) before. I just started making masks — first for myself and family members, and now for a floor of pediatric nurses in Michigan who frequently care for the chronically ill son of a dear friend of mine. I’ve started on the mask order for them,, but now they’d like caps to match. THANK YOU FOR THIS PATTERN! My friend’s son’s nurse started crying when she heard masks were on the way. I think she’d drop to the floor if caps could come with them.
Claire, as I wrote in the tutorial, you make the gather to be around 24″ and you will sew the tape to it. Add 10″ on both sides to be able to tie the cap on the back. So, around 44″ long twill tape. Hope that helps. Thank you for sewing for medical workers in need!!!
It is not allowing me to download anything from the library. Just the same page over and over, sending me back to the main library page. Am I missing something between all the adds throughout the tutorial page?
Kristen, I just checked my library and everything works fine for me. I have been editing my blog for couple of hours and maybe that was the problem. Please check again.
I’m a retired nurse sewing for all the working nurses and others that haven’t the ability to get mask and hats. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the patterns.
Thank you for this! Really appreciate the clear photos, easy to understand instructions, and printable pattern. Was so easy to make! I made a couple for my friend, who is a nurse. Thanks again!
Donna, you don’t have to install any third party app to download my patterns. On your computer, your browser or operating system might not be allowing you to download these files, they are simple PDF files.
The pattern on the PDF is not a circle for the scrub cap. But in your directions you say cut an “18 circle. When do you use the pattern shown as part A
Hello Mary Ann, the pdf template is half of a circle that you use to cut the fabric on fold. It comes cut out as 18″ in diameter. You use the circle in both ways to sew the cap. Hope it helps.
I zig zag over a length of waxed dental floss when I gather. Strong, doesn’t break like thread tends to, and slides right through
Thank you for the tip Maureen!
I can’t find twill tape in small amounts, will bias tape work?
Linda, you can but make sure it’s not to thick and it should be cotton. You can always make your own band as I showed in the tutorial.
Thank you!! I am an RN & have been making masks for co-workers, now I’d like to try the caps!
Hi Agnes,
I am a sewing newbie, I am a little bit confused how to gather the circle. When pulling the thread from the bobbin and the spool, do I cut them first before doing the zigzag stitch?
Angie, no you don’t cut it. You need to make zig-zag that the two threads are in the middle of the stitch. Hope I helped.
Thank you. Great pattern w easy instructions.
Thank you. This is a fantastic tutorial. I mad this cap yesterday and it was a lot easier that I imagined. I really appreciated learning how you gather – what a time saver.
Thank you Michelle! My friend showed me a long time ago that gathering trick, and I love it too!
It keeps wanting me to add thepdfopener.com extension to my Chrome. Is there a different way to download this pattern? My computer opens PDFs all the time so I should not have to load this but there is no way I can find around it. I have added this kind of extension before and had to take my computer to the Geek Squad to get rid of everything it changed. Can someone help me get around adding this! Thanks!!
Jill, you shouldn’t have problem downloading my pdf patterns but the diameter of the circle you need to sew the surgical cap is 18″.
How can the diameter of 18 inch be gathered to ?24 inches in diameter? Is the initial cat 36 inch diameter or 18 inch radius
Paula, the 18″ diameter circle will gather to 24″ in circumference.
Thank you for the pattern! I am sewing some for my daughter who is a nurse and needed them asap as she is working with COVID patients. Looks easy enough! Thank you!
You are welcome Kristi
I’m so sorry — I don’t see on the pattern how long to cut the 2-inch twill tape. I’ve only ever sewn catnip kicksticks for the SPCA (all straight seams!) before. I just started making masks — first for myself and family members, and now for a floor of pediatric nurses in Michigan who frequently care for the chronically ill son of a dear friend of mine. I’ve started on the mask order for them,, but now they’d like caps to match. THANK YOU FOR THIS PATTERN! My friend’s son’s nurse started crying when she heard masks were on the way. I think she’d drop to the floor if caps could come with them.
Claire, as I wrote in the tutorial, you make the gather to be around 24″ and you will sew the tape to it. Add 10″ on both sides to be able to tie the cap on the back. So, around 44″ long twill tape. Hope that helps. Thank you for sewing for medical workers in need!!!
How big is the circle
Lillian, 18″ diameter
It is not allowing me to download anything from the library. Just the same page over and over, sending me back to the main library page. Am I missing something between all the adds throughout the tutorial page?
Kristen, I just checked my library and everything works fine for me. I have been editing my blog for couple of hours and maybe that was the problem. Please check again.
I’m a retired nurse sewing for all the working nurses and others that haven’t the ability to get mask and hats. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the patterns.
You are welcome and thank you for sewing them for medical workers!
Thank you for this! Really appreciate the clear photos, easy to understand instructions, and printable pattern. Was so easy to make! I made a couple for my friend, who is a nurse. Thanks again!
Erica, that is great! Makes me happy!
Can you make these patterns downloadable without having to install a third party app. PLEASE! Thank you
Donna, you don’t have to install any third party app to download my patterns. On your computer, your browser or operating system might not be allowing you to download these files, they are simple PDF files.
OK thanks
How big are you cutting the circle?
It’s 18″ diameter. You can download template from my libray.