How to Turn Scrub Pants into Capri
Did your scrub pants shrunk, or was it simply short for your height now? If you neither want to exhaust yourself with rants against your provider nor spend for new scrub pants, you can always turn it into a stylish Capri.
Refashioning old medical scrub pants is a cost effective way to get a stylish scrub pants. No bills to pay. No shipping fee. You just need some effort and time.
Turning your full-length scrub pants into Capri requires minimal sewing. So with a little help from instructional materials in the net, like this one, eve people who will do it first time should find it easy.
Here’s what you need:
- Scissors (a sharp one for clean cut)
- Marker (can be colored chalk or pencil)
- Tape measure
- Iron and ironing board
- Sewing kit or sewing machine
Directions:
- Get your desired length by marking the outer side of one leg with chalk. You may want to consider how much leg protection you need while working in the hospital. Check in the mirror to make sure the length is right; adjust until satisfying length is achieved. Make sure you also mark the other leg with the same length. The tape measure should help you match the lengths of the two legs of the scrub pants.
- Before, Capri had a signature hem that is at least 2” high. But now, every individual’s preference can be a benchmark of his or her own fashion ideas, and it is okay to decide for your own. While Capris before all have that fold hem, a shorter than usual pants are already considered as Capri.
- Decide how thick you want your hem, and double that number. If you want the 2” signature hem, measure 4″, starting at your chalk mark. Add another half of an inch for the seam allowance and mark this measurement as well, and cut from there. Repeat with the other leg and make sure that they are even. Hold the measurements with pins, and then iron it for permanent fold.
- Turn the pants right-side this time. Pinch the fabric at your first mark where the hemmed crease will be. Lay it down on top of the pants, and fold 1/2-inch. Pinch and flatten. Even it out with pins and iron, just as what you did with the first permanent fold you did.
- Now, you can start sewing using a needle and thread or sewing machine. Sew the bottom hem at about 1/8” away from the bottom. Make the stitches all the way around. Sew the top of the hem, also 18 of an inch from the top. Sew all the way around.
For a Capri, minus the signature hem, sew the hem from the inside. Turn first the scrub pants inside out, and pinch about 1/2-inch. Flatten and iron to hold the fold. Hold the bottom and bring it to the fold, making the first fold on 1/4 of an inch. Hold it with pins, and iron to even out the fold. From the fold, measure 3 inches, and mark with chalk. Bring the fold to the mark and pin all the way around. Flatten with iron to hold all folds still. Sew all the way around. Repeat process with the other leg.
