How to Make Money Sewing Scrub Tops

If you are looking for a niche as a seamstress, consider creating scrub tops for those in the medical profession. Doctors, nurses, medical assistants, medical office staff, and even medical and nursing students wear scrubs daily. With a simple pattern, a variety of comfortable, sturdy, colorful cotton and cotton blend fabrics, and a sewing machine, you can start earning money by lending your sewing talents to the medical profession.

Things You'll Need

• Sewing machine
• Store-bought or homemade pattern
• Fabric
• Notions

Instructions

1. Study different styles of scrub wear. Visit vendors online or take a trip to medical supply stores in your area to get a first-hand look. Write down color, fabric and style ideas and draw some rough sketches. Print out Internet pictures, if necessary, to take with you for reference when purchasing patterns and fabric.

2. Search for a simple, versatile pattern, which you can modify if you want to add your own style touches to the scrub tops. Look for patterns that offer one to five sizes in one package, or buy two or three copies of the pattern in different sizes to accommodate different size customers. Buy some inexpensive muslin fabric that can be used to make some mock ups.

3. Obtain a good selection of brightly colored solids and prints to use for the scrub tops. For those who work with children, choose whimsical, child-friendly prints. Local fabric and quilting supply stores and online vendors and auction sites such as eBay offer many options.

4. Price your work competitively, but don't sell yourself short. People are willing to pay a bit extra for handcrafted garments that are durable, colorful and stand apart from what they can find from standard vendors.

5. Ask friends who work in medical offices or hospitals if they will wear your creations to work. When their co-workers see the handwork and designs, word of mouth advertising will increase your sales.

6. Advertise in local newspapers and trade publications and create a flyer that can be hung at local colleges (especially those with nursing or medical programs), and on community bulletin boards.

7. Sell on websites that specialize in handmade goods, such as Etsy or Bonanzle. You can also open your own store on eBay or through Amazon.

8. Use social media and blogging to draw interest to your creations. Sites such as Twitter and Facebook are great places to show off your work, meet people who can either help or become customers, and increase your business.

Tips & Warnings

• Prewash fabrics after purchase. This softens the material and ensures that the garment will fit a customer properly after he washes it. Ask friends or family members to model sample pieces for advertising photographs. Having samples displayed on real people demonstrates the style and fit more aptly than just laying it out flat or photographing it on a hanger. Adding details such as trims or embroidered embellishments can help make your garments special.

• Start with one or two designs to avoid confusion and eliminate stress while creating garments.

References

• How to Sew Scrubs

Resources

• Sell on Bonanzle
• How to Sell on Etsy