So, first night of clinical in nursing school and my stethoscope keeps getting tangled in my hair. Eight hours later, I decided to solve my problem by making a decorative (and protective) cover. Here I share with you the results of my creation.
First I removed the bell / diaphragm piece from my stethoscope to measure the length of the tubing
Anticipating about 1/2 inch seam allowance, and my desired length & width, I measured and cut a piece at 3in x 23in
Now, reversing the piece to its "wrong" side up, I sewed on a thin piece of elastic which will serve to make the cover cling to the tubing and not interfere with the auscultation of my diaphragm during an exam.
Next, fold the fabric longwise, pin and sew with your desired seam width. Here I went pretty wide (1/4 inch). Make sure to back-stitch at each end to prevent the seam from coming undone. As a healthcare accessory, anticipate lots of laundering to prevent the spread of microorganisms so make it tough enough to survive regular trips through the wash.
I left about two inches at the end without elastic open. This allows you to place a snap or button on later to keep the cover in place.
After turning right side out, you will have a long snake-like piece with an elastic end:
Give attention to your un-sewn end by hemming the sides together to prevent unraveling. Then, create a point from the left-over corders and stich them in place. I really think it looks like a snake at this point.
Finally, you can sew on an articulating snap to the end of the point and the body of your cover that will come together at the neck of your stethoscope.
Feed your stethoscope tubing through the cover and carefully past the elastic at the end
Snap the cover together around the neck
And finally, re-connect your bell/diaphragm to the tubing
Now you have a simple cover to decorate your stethoscope. Enjoy!
