How to Make a Nurse's Cap

Make a nurse's cap from stiff, white paper

Although nurses today are most often seen in scrubs, and the traditional white cap that a female nurse earned as part of her training is all but obsolete, the nurse's cap is still instantly recognizable. You can quickly and easily make a cap for a costume out of card stock, a stiff, white paper. Usually, a nurse was awarded a stripe for her cap upon graduation from nursing school. Putting a ribbon stripe across the brim of the paper cap gives it the most authentic appearance, but a red cross also could be drawn onto the front of the cap for a fun look.

Things You'll Need

• One piece of 8 1/2-by-11-inch card stock Ruler Glue 1/4-inch-wide ribbon Red marker (optional) Bobby pins

Instructions

1. Fold up the long edge of the card stock 3 inches to make a flap.

2. 

   Cut an 11-inch piece of ribbon, and glue it along the top of the flap, 1/4 inch from the top edge. See Fig. 1.

3. 

   Flip the paper over so the flap and the ribbon are facedown. Fold the top corners down to meet at the center of the bottom edge of the paper. See Fig. 2. Overlap the two corners slightly, and glue at the bottom to hold the two corners together.

4. 

   Fold the top point down 1 inch. See Fig. 3. Glue in place.

5. Gently bend the cap into a rounded shape to sit comfortably on your head.

Tips & Warnings

• Use bobby pins to secure the hat to your hair.

References

• A History of Nursing Uniforms