A Shower Cap from Swimwear?

Specifically, men’s bathing suit fabric. Inside: Making a reversible shower cap.

Whenever I stay in a hotel and there’s a complimentary shower cap, it’s coming home with me. But they’re not built to last, and my current one is starting to resemble a piece of saran wrap perched on my head. My eldest daughter looks at it and muses, “What is that?” So I decided to make one that would last.

In today’s letter, I’m sharing how to make a reversible shower cap with a ruffled edge in five-ish easy steps.

---

Recycled Polyester Swim Trunk Fabric

For the fabric, I wanted something lightweight, water-repellent, and fun. When I dripped water on this swim trunk swatch and it pooled up like drops of dew, I thought, Ah ha! We’re in business.

---

Before you start, gather and prep your supplies: fabric, coordinating thread, elastic, and a fresh, sharp needle in your machine. I used a universal needle for this project.

The recycled poly swim trunk fabric is from Mood Fabrics.

Left: Hawaiian Rollercoaster Print, Right: Love it Loud Print

And for the elastic, I used 1/4-inch braided elastic. (In case you missed it, I’ve written about braided elastic here: The Mending Basket: Elastic Waistband Fixes.)

---

Step 1: Draft your circle.

I started by removing the elastic from my beloved hotel cap and used that circle’s diameter as a pattern guide.

Then I added 2 inches to the diameter (it always felt a tad small) plus extra for the ruffle and seam allowance.

Step 2: Cut and sew (right sides facing) two circles together.

Leave a small opening for turning right side out.

Trim and clip the curve so the edge lies flat, then turn right side out.

Step 3: Mark, baste, and sew the casing.

I chalked the outer casing stitch line, then basted just beside it. (Basting holds the fabrics together so nicely).

To sew the casing, I stitched on top of the chalk mark, leaving a second opening for threading the elastic through, then added a second stitch line 3/8 inches away.

To make the 3/8-inch casing, I used a seam gauge to measure the distance from the needle to the stitch line. Once I saw how far the presser foot edge sat from the stitch line, I kept that spacing consistent as I sewed.

Step 4: Prepare your elastic.

First, measure your head. I like to take the measuring tape, loop it around the nape of my neck, over my ears, and cross over at the crown of my head so I can read the measurement in a mirror.

Next, cut your elastic. Trim it shorter than your head measurement. The shower cap should fit snug, not rest on your head like a crown. Don’t forget to include a little extra for the overlap needed to sew the elastic loop closed.

---

Step 5: Thread your elastic through the casing.

With a safety pin, thread the elastic through the casing.

I pinned the elastic*, basted it together for easy sewing (yes, more basting!), and ran a quick zigzag to close the loop. Then I stitched the casing closed on the machine and whipstitched the ruffle edge to finish the shower cap.

*After pinning with a safety pin, it’s a good time to try on the cap to make sure the elastic feels right.

---

Why did I choose a reversible design?

Two prints in one! And from a construction point of view, it was also my way of finishing the curved edge. Alternatively, if you’d rather make a non-reversible version, you could cut a single layer, apply a sew-through knitted elastic, and finish the circle’s curved edge with binding.

---

I hope you enjoyed this little sewing adventure. Here’s to quicker and more fashionable showers. Thank you so much for being here, and see you next time.

~ Jane

More From Classic Cool Sewing: