What size scrub cap should I sew?

Match your head measurement: small 20 to 21½ in, medium 22 to 23 in, large 23½ to 24½ in, extra large 25 to 26½ in. Measure just above the ears and across the mid forehead.

What fabric is best for a scrub cap?

A light cotton: quilting cotton, poplin, lawn or a cotton-poly broadcloth. Add a terry or flannel sweatband across the forehead for long shifts.

What is a tie-back scrub cap?

A tie-back cap has a drawstring or ties at the back instead of all-round elastic, so it adjusts over any hair length and sits off the ears.

How do mask-loop buttons work?

Two ⅝ to ¾ in buttons at the sides let a mask's elastic hook onto the cap instead of your ears, which helps on a long shift. They are optional.

Is the scrub cap pattern free?

The scrub cap is in the Sewzy app in sizes small to extra large, with the tie-back and gathered-crown styles.

How to Sew a Scrub Cap: Tie-Back Pattern, 4 Sizes

To sew a scrub cap, cut the crown and band, make the back as a drawstring tie or gathered elastic, join the crown to the band, then add the ties. A tie-back scrub cap fits most hair lengths because you adjust it at the back. The Sewzy scrub cap pattern comes in four sizes by head measurement, with a tie-back style and a gathered-crown style, and takes about an hour.

TL;DR

Time: about an hour. Difficulty: intermediate.
Sizes by head: small (20 to 21½ in), medium (22 to 23 in), large (23½ to 24½ in), extra large (25 to 26½ in).
Seam allowance: ⅜ in (1 cm), included on every piece.
Two styles: A is a tie-back with a drawstring or ties; B has a gathered crown with back elastic.
Fabric: quilting cotton, poplin, lawn or light cotton-poly broadcloth. Add a terry or flannel sweatband if you like.
The scrub cap pattern is in the Sewzy app, with all four sizes.

Which scrub cap style should I sew?

Pick the style by how you wear your hair:

Style A, tie-back. The back has a hemmed channel with a drawstring or ties, so you can loosen it over a bun or a lot of hair. This is the easier of the two.
Style B, gathered crown. The crown is gathered into a band with elastic across the back for a rounder, fitted shape. It takes a little longer because of the gathering.

What you need

Main fabric: quilting cotton, cotton poplin, lawn or a light cotton-poly broadcloth. Style A needs two fat quarters or ½ yd; style B needs one fat quarter plus a scrap about 8 by 15 in for the band linings.
Optional sweatband: cotton terry, bamboo terry or flannel across the forehead.
⅜ in knit elastic (the cutting chart in the app gives the length for your size), or 22 in of ¼ in cord for the style A drawstring.
Thread, pins, and a safety pin or tube turner for the ties.
Optional: two ⅝ to ¾ in buttons at the sides for mask loops, so a mask pulls on the buttons instead of your ears.

Size	Head measurement
Small	20 to 21½ in
Medium	22 to 23 in
Large	23½ to 24½ in
Extra large	25 to 26½ in

Measure around your head where the cap will sit, just above the ears and across the mid forehead, then pick the size that matches.

How to sew a tie-back scrub cap step by step

Cut. Cut the crown on the fold, the band outer and lining, and the two ties, all in your size.
Hem the channel. Hem the back edge of the crown to make a channel for the drawstring, or press the ties ready to attach.
Ties. Fold and sew each tie into a long tube, turn it right side out with a tube turner, and press.
Band. Sew the band outer to the lining along the long edge, catching the ties at the ends, then turn and press.
Band to crown. Pin the band to the front of the crown, matching centers, and sew. For style B you gather the crown into the band and add the back elastic first.
Finish and wear. Topstitch the band, thread the drawstring or settle the elastic, and tie it on at the back.

Both styles join a shaped crown to a band, which is the same idea as a Santa hat, so the construction will feel familiar if you have made one.

Common mistakes to avoid

Guessing the size. A scrub cap that is too tight leaves a mark and slips. Measure your head and match the chart before cutting.
Heavy fabric. Thick cotton makes a bulky, hot cap. Keep to quilting cotton or a light poplin, and save the terry for just the sweatband.
Elastic sewn without a pin. Hold both ends of the elastic with a pin before you sew, so it does not twist inside the channel. Our elastic guide shows the trick.
Forgetting the sweatband. If you wear the cap all shift, a terry or flannel strip across the forehead keeps it comfortable.

Can a beginner sew a scrub cap?

The tie-back style A is the friendlier starting point because it skips the gathering. If you can sew a straight seam and turn a tube right side out, you can make it. Style B adds a gathered crown, which is worth trying once you are comfortable easing fabric onto a band. Either way, slow down at the band, where the layers stack up.

How many should I make?

Scrub caps are washed hard and often, so a wearer likes to rotate several. Two or three in different prints is a practical set, and they cut fast once you have the size dialed in. Press each seam as you go so the finished cap sits flat under a mask or a pair of loupes.

A thoughtful gift for the medical team

A set of scrub caps in fun prints is a welcome gift for a nurse, a tech or a vet, and the mask-loop buttons save their ears on a long shift. Pair it with other quick makes from our gifts to sew for nurses, or add a calming eye pillow and a sleep mask from the self-care gifts to sew. The scrub cap pattern is in the Sewzy app in all four sizes.