Repair of leather car seats. Complete upholstery of the car interior: a quick way with your own hands How to sheathe a car seat with leather

To assess the condition of your car interior, you need to consider several parameters. Tired appearance interior can spoil all the pleasant impressions of the excellent operation of the engine and chassis, the ideal body. You can improve the attractiveness of the car with the help of tuning - it's a car seat cover.

To update the seat covers, it is best to contact specialists. But if cash cannot allow you to do this, and the upholstery of the seats does not allow pulling, then in this case you can make it yourself. Such work is not the easiest, and knowledge and experience in pattern sketching and sewing on sewing machine.

Let's get acquainted with the procedure and technology of reupholstering a car interior so that you can evaluate your strengths in performing this work.

Selection of material used for upholstery

To drag car seats use the following types of materials;

• leather;
• alcantara;
• suede leather;
• flock;
• velours.

Alcantara is a universal fabric of artificial origin, soft and velvety, looks like suede. The advantages of Alcantara are its durability and wear resistance, as well as the absence of waste when cutting.

Leather alcantara Flock

The color is chosen according to the upholstery, but the desire of the owner of the vehicle can be put above all else. When reupholstering car seats, it is best and easiest to use a fabric of the same color. However, the use of inserts of a different color gives individuality and representativeness to the car interior.

The most expensive and durable upholstery material is leather. The leather upholstery looks luxurious and elegant. But during extreme heat, such seats cause discomfort, and they are not very pleasant to sit on. If the car has air conditioning, then this problem is quickly solved when it is turned on.

More economical dragging of car seats will be when using Alcantara or velor. They have excellent performance properties, and due to their inexpensive cost, these materials are in great demand among motorists.

Advantages of upholstery of car seats in the studio

If the deadlines do not allow you to wait and you need to update the salon in a short time and the financial issue does not matter, then the best option will turn to master seamstresses in a specialized studio to solve the problem. Among the most important advantages of car seat upholstery in the workshop are:

• performance of work by qualified employees with sufficient experience;
• the use of proven and high-quality material;
• a guarantee is provided for the service provided;
• the time for the implementation of the waist is minimal.

All of the above advantages of carrying out the upholstery of the interior in the workshop can lead to the refusal of this service due to the high cost, which may not be affordable for the owner of the vehicle.

Methods for dragging car seats yourself

Do-it-yourself seat upholstery can be within the power of persistent and diligent people. All actions for pulling car seats must be carried out slowly and carefully, in accordance with the proven methodology.

Preparing the seats for wrapping

Before starting work on upholstery of car seats, it is necessary to carry out preparatory actions:

1. Remove seats. Basically, they are fastened with four bolts, but first you need to remove the negative terminal of the battery to de-energize the security system, the airbag. It is also necessary to disconnect the electrical wiring terminals under the seat (if there is, for example, an electric seat heating).
2. All parts on a standard case are marked with a simple marker or felt-tip pen. If desired, indicate the name of the fabric that will be used in a particular place of the cover.
3. The cover is removed from the seat. In order to remove the seat upholstery more easily and more accurately, you need to press the metal fasteners on the back.
4. The old skin is steamed at the seams, and several parts are obtained, used as patterns for cutting new skin.
5. Calculation of the required fabric footage. By measuring each part separately, you can calculate the area. We increase the resulting area to 30%, the fidelity in measurement and compliance with the cut option depend on this.

Production of new upholstery from Alcantara, leather

To make a new upholstery for chairs, you will need the following material and tools:

• scissors;
• a hammer;
• gel pen;
• sewing machine;
• foam rubber having a thickness of at least 5 mm;
• glue.

The sequence of work looks like this:

1. Each piece of the old skin is placed on a new fabric and pressed with weights. The gel pen should be marked with short stroke marking lines. Cut out the marked parts of the new skin with scissors. When cutting, you need to take into account the direction of the pile in Alcantara. When combining all the details, the surface must have the same pile direction.
2. Strengthening leather or Alcantara occurs with the help of foam rubber based on fabric. The connection of all cut parts with foam rubber is carried out thanks to glue. It is not recommended to apply glue to the foam with a brush or roller. It is best to buy glue in a can and spray it evenly over the material.
3. The next important step is the stitching of the cuts. Be sure to observe and monitor the uniform alignment of the edges of adjacent parts. Here you will need some knowledge about using a sewing machine.
4. The lapels of the seam, divorced on the sides, will need to be glued from the wrong side. Before this, first cut off the excess foam rubber and fabric, and then clean the lapels well and degrease them. Then apply glue and press the sides together.
5. The main point during the hauling of chairs is to beat off all the seams with a simple hammer.
6. It is necessary to sew the lapels with a double stitch and do not trim the free edges after the stitch.

Installing a new car seat cover

Installing the car seat cover is carried out in the following sequence:

• Before you start putting on new seat covers, you will first need to thread all the straps. Finished products turn out and straighten. The cover must be pulled over the back of the chair.
• Next we put on a seat. This stage generally does not create any problems. With plastic clips that are inserted into the holes, you need to pull the cover to the base of the seat and fasten it to the knitting needle. Along the entire contour of the chair, the edges are evenly stretched.
• The final stage is the heating of the material with a stream of hot air. An ordinary electric hair dryer is perfect. It is important not to overwork and burn the cover. Slowly drying out, the fabric will stretch and become like a drum. Immediately all the chairs need to be steamed with an iron and a damp cloth. With the help of such thermal actions, the upholstery of the chair will be stretched and smooth.

The last and important step in the upholstery of car seats will be cleaning from glue, fingerprints and scuffs from Alcantara and light leather.

Carefully tightened car seats will delight the owner of the vehicle for a very long time. During the renewal procedure, you can slightly change the design of the car seat and update the upholstery on the doors, panels and ceiling. Complex tuning can completely change your tired interior, adding elegance to your car, and plus it will raise its value. Before you decide to carry out the hauling of the car interior, read and study some of the recommendations for this work.

Medium Machines price category They come out of the factory with dull grey-black trim. Whether the matter is more expensive models: their salons are made in pleasant colors, and soft leather is used as the material. But what's stopping you from redesigning your salon? This is especially true for machines with a long service life: during operation, cheap fabric is rubbed, stains form on it that cannot be removed. If these problems are familiar to you, it's time to take care of the leather upholstery of the car interior. In addition, this process is quite realistic to do it yourself.

The choice of material for sheathing

Genuine and artificial automotive leather are best suited for car upholstery. Both materials are distinguished by high performance, which distinguishes them from the less popular carpet or velor. At the same time, skin-covering is much easier to do with your own hands than, for example, flocking the interior. The reason for this is the high elasticity of the material, as well as the usual set necessary tools. Recently, motorists are increasingly giving preference to Alcantara. However, the price for the original material is almost higher than the cost of genuine leather, while its cheaper substitutes cannot boast of high quality.

For these reasons, we will take a closer look at materials such as genuine leather and eco-leather.

Leather

Genuine automotive leather will become a real decoration of the interior. Is it possible to imagine a luxury car covered with a hard carpet or pasted over with a multi-colored vinyl film?

However, a beautiful appearance is far from the only advantage of genuine leather. It can withstand both frost and heat. From temperature changes, cracks will not appear on it. Another positive property is resistance to ultraviolet radiation. Many materials burn out in the sun, so after a few years of operation, the control panel and front seats, which are located directly under the windshield, become noticeably paler compared to the rest of the skin. But this will not affect natural leather. You can be sure that the interior will retain its color.

Do not forget about the fire resistance of the material. Accidentally dropped cigarette ash will not harm the interior. Moreover, genuine leather does not absorb foreign odors, which is very important for those who like smoking inside the car. Other mechanical damage is not terrible for the skin: it will take a lot of effort to scratch or tear such a coating.

On sale you can find material of various textures, up to the skin of a crocodile or ostrich. However, when choosing between smooth and perforated leather, it is better to give preference to the latter. It is softer and more pleasant to the touch. In addition, its wear resistance is noticeably higher.

The only thing that can discourage you from wanting to fit the interior with genuine leather is its price. Its use becomes especially risky with self-constriction. After all, if at some point something goes wrong, a large amount will be thrown to the wind. If you are not ready to take such a risk, turn your attention to eco-leather.

eco-leather

Currently, artificial leather has practically received a second life. Older technologies have been replaced by newer ones. Low-quality leatherette is no longer used for car interior upholstery, giving way to eco-leather.

Eco-leather is a synthetic material. In its manufacture, a thin layer of polyurethane is applied to a woven cotton or polyester base. At the same time, the characteristics of the material directly depend on the thickness of the layer: the thicker it is, the stronger the eco-leather, but also tougher. For car upholstery, the optimal thickness of polyurethane was experimentally derived.

The name "eco-leather" was given to the material for two reasons. Firstly, during operation, it does not emit toxic substances that adversely affect the passengers of the car. And secondly, after its invention, the number of animals killed for the sake of the skin has sharply decreased, which pleased animal rights activists.

In terms of its external qualities, eco-leather is very close to its natural progenitor. With the help of special technologies, embossing is applied to the material, due to which it becomes quite difficult to distinguish it from genuine leather. Moreover, the higher the price of the material, the more identical their appearance.

Eco-leather has a rich palette. You can use classic black or extreme red in the interior, or you can combine colors to your liking. But the coloring of natural material will cost you a round sum.

In terms of other characteristics, artificial leather is also not inferior to natural leather: wear resistance, moisture resistance and fire resistance are its strong qualities. Both of these materials remain clean for a long time, and if necessary, stains and dust can be easily removed with a wet sponge and soft cloth. It's no secret that many people are allergic to animal fur and skin, as well as chemicals used in tanning. Eco-leather is perfect for them, as it is absolutely hypoallergenic.

At the same time, the cost of eco-leather is several times lower than natural, which makes it more affordable for the general population. You can safely take one or two meters in reserve for your wallet if you are doing self-constriction for the first time. The rest of the material can be put into the manufacture of a cover for the steering wheel, gear lever and other small elements of the car.

Regardless of whether you choose natural or eco-leather, purchase the material in specialized automotive stores. There are many reasons why the leather used to make furniture, clothes and shoes is not suitable for upholstery. For example, its instability to temperature extremes and reduced wear resistance.

Both natural and artificial material have a drawback that may seem insignificant to someone. In cold weather, the coating cools down quickly, and in the sun it heats up a lot. Accordingly, this slightly reduces the level of comfort. Whether it is worth paying attention to this feature of the materials is up to you. In any case, the skin is one of best solutions for interior design car interior.

Necessary tools and materials

If you have already decided on the material into which you will drag the interior, it's time to calculate its approximate volume. In total, you may need from 6 to 25 meters. But these figures are very approximate: it all depends on the specific car model. So, a crossover or SUV will take much more material than a coupe. Therefore, do not be lazy and measure the length of the ceiling, the length of the pillows and backs of the seats, the size of the front panel, as well as the width and height of the car doors. Add up all the figures obtained and add at least a meter as an error. Trust me, you will need it.

In addition to the material itself, you will need other tools:

A set of screwdrivers with a straight and cross slot for dismantling some elements;

• foam rubber;
• sandpaper;
• degreaser;
• meter tape;
• masking tape;
• food film;
• marker;
• stationery knife and sharp scissors;
• reinforced threads for stitching leather products;
• sewing machine with a needle and foot for working with leather;
• special high temperature adhesive for leather;
• rollers and spatulas with a rubber cloth;
• industrial dryer.

Separately, I would like to dwell on the choice of glue. Do not use Moment glue or other similar superglues. Universal glue 88 is often used for reupholstery, but it also has a number of disadvantages. Get a quality glue that can withstand high temperatures. MAH is good for these purposes. Its price is quite high, but if you do not want to see how the coating swells and moves away after a few months, spend money on it.

Do-it-yourself process

Self-upholstery of the interior is a painstaking task that can take you more than one day. All work can be divided into several stages:

• car seat upholstery;
• ceiling lining;
• hauling doors;
• hauling the front panel;
• armrest padding;
• steering wheel and gear knob.

In order for the work to go faster and better, you should follow a few general rules, which apply both to large parts with a complex shape, and to smaller elements of the car.

1. All parts must be dismantled, even the smallest and most inconspicuous. It may seem to you that pasting, for example, gear knobs can be done inside the cabin, but this is not so. The seams will turn out crooked, and the space around will be dripped with glue.
2. Do not forget to wash the parts and clean them from the old coating.
3. If there are serious damages on the pasted surface, for example, dents or deep cracks, they must be restored. To do this, you will additionally need a special putty composition and primer for plastic.
4. Leather, both natural and artificial, is an elastic material, so it must be well stretched. If you do not do this, then in the end the coating will sag ugly. To make the skin stretch better, soak it for 20-30 minutes in hot water, but not boiling water. You can determine the required temperature without a thermometer. Use water that you can bathe in yourself.
5. During the process of tightening the material, warm it up with a warm stream of air from a building hair dryer. If it is not in your arsenal, then you can replace it with a powerful household one. However, this will affect the degree of elasticity of the skin, so it is better to use a special tool.
6. It will be quite difficult to perform some operations alone. So call a trusted friend for help.

When cutting material, be economical. Remember school lessons of labor and crafts from colored paper. You need to arrange the patterns of parts so that there is as little empty space between them as possible. This will reduce the amount of cuts.

Now consider the hauling of each element of the car in more detail.

Fitting the seats

In order for the seats to be in harmony with the rest of the interior, you can simply sew covers for them. This work is perhaps one of the most difficult, as you need to be able to make patterns according to the parameters of the chairs, as well as use a sewing machine. It is best to contact an automotive studio for this. But if you are determined to do everything yourself, then carefully read the instructions.

1. Measure the height and width of the seat cushion and backrest, as well as the headrest.
2. On paper or transparent polyethylene, make patterns of parts, taking into account all measurements. For more accuracy, attach the polyethylene directly to the seat and draw around the contours.
3. Cut out the pieces.
4. Attach the patterns to the wrong side of the material and circle them with chalk. Leave about 2-3 cm as a margin for later stitching parts.
5. Using sharp scissors, carefully cut out the details from the leather.
6. Before sewing the elements with a machine, process them with a manual basting seam. This way you will be sure that you have received the right form. Do not tightly tighten the parts together. All you need at this stage is to connect the material in order to understand how the finished product will look like. In the case of alteration, such a seam is easy to rip. And so that the elements of the product do not fall apart, fasten them together with pins.
7. Carefully try on the resulting covers. If the shape matches and no changes are needed, start working with the machine.
8. If you chose thin leather but want thicker and more durable covers, use the following trick: make similar patterns from a dense mattress fabric, and then sew them inside out with the leather. If desired, the interior space can be filled with foam rubber. So the covers will become even softer.
9. Don't forget to add hooks and garters to secure the cover to the chair.
10. If airbags are installed in the seats, do not sew these places on the cover with a sewing machine. It will be much easier to tear a hand seam.

At the fitting stage, make sure that the covers do not interfere with the operation of the seat belts.

The process in the photo

Carefully measure the length and width of all constituent parts seats Make a pattern front seat based on the diagram Make a pattern for the rear seat cushion, based on the diagram Make a pattern for the backrest of the rear seat, based on the diagram Connect all the parts as shown in the picture

Video: seat upholstery

Let's go to the ceiling

Despite the fact that the ceiling has a fairly large surface area, it is quite easy to glue it with material. This is due to the lack of a pronounced relief, as, for example, on the front panel.

1. First of all, remove all hanging elements from the ceiling, and then dismantle it. The principle of dismantling will differ depending on the car model. This usually requires removing the front seat. The correct procedure is detailed in the vehicle's owner's manual.
2. Take a hard sponge and remove the old coating.
3. Old glue will remain on the ceiling. It should also be removed. The easiest way to do this is with a degreaser.
4. In order to prepare the surface for the application of glue and improve adhesion, the ceiling must be sanded. Use fine grit sandpaper.
5. Pasting starts from the center of the ceiling. You need to apply a strip of composition 10 cm long on the central part of the surface.
6. Take a piece of material of the desired length and attach it to the ceiling. Press the central part, and then smooth out with a rubber spatula.
7. In order to glue the rest of the skin, you need to apply glue in a similar way at intervals of 15 cm. After each strip, the material must be pressed and smoothed. Don't forget to stretch. So you avoid sagging.
8. Make sure there are no wrinkles. When the material is completely glued, iron it additionally and then dry it with a hair dryer. When the glue hardens and the skin dries, the product will take its final shape.
9. At the end of the work, the edges must be wrapped on reverse side ceiling and glue, and cut off the excess.

The process in the photo

Due to the impressive volume of the ceiling, you may need an assistant in the process of hauling it. Have one stretch the skin while the other applies glue and presses the material to the surface. So the work will go much faster, and the result will be better.

Video: how to cover the ceiling

Armrest padding

In the cabin, only the upper part of the armrest is visible, so it is enough to fit only it. It is very easy to do this.

1. Remove the armrest cover.
2. New skin can be glued directly on top of the old skin.
3. Cut a piece of material long enough and wide enough to completely cover the part.
4. Apply a thin bead of glue to one of the edges of the armrest and apply the material to it.
5. While heating the skin with hot air from a hair dryer, stretch it and glue the opposite edge.
6. Stretch the skin over the sides of the lid and glue them.
7. Cut off the excess.

If you want to cover the side parts of the armrest with material, then you will have to make a pattern. There are two ways to do this. The first is to measure the length and width of each of the edges of the armrest, and then draw up a pattern according to these measurements. The second method is simpler and more accurate, we will describe it below.

Video: we alter the armrest

Shift Knob Cover Technology

Pulling the gear knob is the easiest thing to do. However, this process uses a certain method, which will also come in handy when pasting the steering wheel, doors and front panel. In addition, you can use it by fitting the entire armrest.

1. Wrap the dismantled gear knob with cling film.
2. Tape the top tightly with masking tape in several layers.
3. Mark the places for future seams with a marker. To do this, you need to outline the curves of the handle.
4. Use a utility knife to cut the tape along the lines. If the handle has a standard shape, then you will most likely end up with two parts.
5. Attach the resulting patterns to the wrong side of the material, and then circle them.
6. Cut out the leather pieces and then sew them together.
7. Unscrew the resulting product, and then pull it onto the gearshift knob. To make the skin stretch better, do not forget to soak it in hot water.

There is another method of covering this part with leather. For him, you do not need to stitch the material after cutting. Sew along the edge on the sewing machine, retreating 3 mm into the part. The lines can be made with threads that match the skin tone, or they can be contrasted to create a certain image. Next, you will need to put the parts on the glue, and then use a needle and a strong thread to lace up the resulting cover, passing the needle under the stitches.

The process in the photo

Cut the masking tape along the lines Cut out leather details Sew each piece 3-5mm from the edge Pass the needle and thread under the stitches and tighten the details

There are various lacing methods: macrame, sports, herringbone and others. Choose the one that seems to you the most aesthetic and easy to perform.

Video: gear knob tight

Improving the steering wheel

Making a pattern for the steering wheel is done in the same way as described in the previous section: the surface is wrapped with a film, and on top with adhesive tape. Lines are drawn with a marker at the seams. They need to be done on inside steering wheel, as well as on the borders of the spokes.

1. The resulting parts must be transferred to the material, retreating about 2 mm inward so that the skin does not sag. Cut out the resulting elements, and then sew together.
2. Sew the edges of the pieces sewing machine, just as described in the alternative gear knob cover.
3. Attach the cut parts to the steering wheel. To prevent the material from creeping, put it on a thin strip of glue. Strength at this stage does not need to be achieved. In any case, you have lacing in front.
4. Take a needle with a threaded thread, and then, passing it under the stitches, lace up the braid. You can use for this different types lacing.
5. It is best to start lacing from the bottom of the handlebar, and then move counterclockwise.
6. Don't forget that you are working with leather. It needs to be constantly stretched and stretched.
7. Dry the fully laced braid with a hair dryer. After that, it will take its final form.

The process in the photo

Cover the steering wheel with masking tape in several layers Remove masking tape from steering wheel
Transfer the contours of the parts to the material Sew the pieces together Attach the resulting cover to the steering wheel Pass the needle under the stitches on one side and the other of the cover and pull the sides together

To make the interior look more stylish, use threads of the same color and the same seam for lacing the cover on the steering wheel and gear knob.

Video: car steering wheel hauling

Door upholstery

A pattern for covering doors is also made using masking tape. Be sure to mark the places door handle as well as power window handles. You will need to cut out these places. Patterns are circled on the material, and then the resulting parts are cut out.

1. All plastic elements must be thoroughly sanded and then degreased before applying the adhesive.
2. Along the line bordering the glass, apply a thin bead of adhesive and press the material against it.
3. Directing a stream of hot air onto the skin, pull it all over the door. Watch out for the handle holes.
4. Glue the middle and edges of the product in this way.
5. To make the coating fit better, smooth it with a rubber spatula.
6. Cut off the excess edges.
7. When the fitting of the doors is finished, wait for the material to dry completely.

The process in the photo

Tape the surface of the door to be sheathed with adhesive tape Draw lines at the places of future seams, and then cut the adhesive tape along them Cut the fabric according to the shape of the covered surface Before applying the adhesive, the plastic surface must be sanded and degreased. Press and smooth the skin

Video: hauling car doors

Padding of the front panel (torpedoes)

Reupholstering the front panel is one of the most difficult processes in interior upholstery, so it is best done last. If the part has a lot of bends, then first you need to make a pattern. This is done using masking tape, according to the same principle as in the manufacture of a cover for the steering wheel and gear knob.

1. Draw patterns from masking tape on the sheathing material and add about 10 mm for seams.
2. Connect the pieces with a basting stitch in the same way as you did when making chair covers.
3. Try on the resulting product. If its shape matches the shape of the panel, process the seams on a sewing machine.
4. Since plastic is used to make the panel, it must be sanded with a fine-grained abrasive, and then the surface must be degreased.
5. Apply a few strips of glue to the prepared surface and attach the resulting cover.
6. Smooth out the material with rubber spatulas or rollers. Make sure all seams are in place.
7. Dry the item with a hair dryer.

The process in the photo

Tape the front panel with a thick layer of masking tape Cut pieces out of masking tape Transfer the contours of the parts to the material and cut them out Sew the pieces together and glue the material to the panel

If the torpedo has a simple rectangular shape, then the hauling process can be greatly simplified and the step with making a pattern can be skipped. Simply cut a piece of material just long enough for its length and width, then glue the leather on the top and stretch it over the entire panel. At the same time, help yourself with a stream of air from a hair dryer and smooth the material with a spatula.

Video: car front panel hauling

How much will it cost to reupholster the interior with natural and artificial leather

The total cost of the interior upholstery depends on the price of the material. Eco-leather is usually sold for 500-700 rubles. per running metre. But the natural one is at least 3-4 times more expensive. High-quality glue will cost about 1500 rubles. One jar should be enough for all the elements of the cabin.

To calculate the resulting amount, add up the parameters of all the parts. So, if it takes 5 m for the ceiling, 1.5 m for the front panel, 7 m for the doors, 6 m for the seats and another 0.5 m for the steering wheel and gear knob, then you will need to buy about 20 m of fabric. Of course, the figures may vary depending on the dimensions of the machine. But in total, the cost of self-upholstery of the cabin will be at least 20-25 thousand rubles.

For comparison: in a car repair shop for this service you will be asked from 50 thousand rubles and more, depending on the quality of the material. When working with your own hands, the savings will be more than 50%. Is it worth your time and effort - decide for yourself.

In order for the upholstery of the interior with leather not to hit the budget, it makes sense to divide this process into several stages. Let's say this month you are working on the seats, next month on the ceiling, and in another month on the front panel, armrest and other small details. This approach will save you energy, and you will be able to learn from your own mistakes. And we advise you to start with the smallest details - gear knobs and steering wheels. They can help you understand general principle tugs, and things will go much faster.

In previous articles "Do-it-yourself leather steering wheel" and "Do-it-yourself steering wheel heating" we reviewed the first steps of updating the interior of the cabin. In this article « » I will continue a selection of instructions on the topic " Do-it-yourself interior tuning ».

Even if your car has an ideal appearance and good technical condition, and inside the car will have a shabby look, then the overall impression will not be the most positive and your car will be perceived as second-rate and, frankly, staying in an elephant of such a car will not be pleasant.

Do-it-yourself seat upholstery

First, decide what fabric or leather you will use for the upholstery of the seats (the most common fabrics are velor, suede, eco or natural leather and alcantara) and its colors, then everyone chooses according to their financial capabilities, it will not be a secret to anyone that leather will be the most expensive and most practical material. You can also combine materials and colors (For example: black leather with a beige fabric insert in the middle). But keep in mind that the process of hauling with one type of material and color is much easier.

Also consider the fact that do-it-yourself upholstery of car seats will take more than one day of your time.

In order to get started, you will need the following materials and tools:

1. Sewing machine
2. Large and sharp sewing scissors
3. Gel pen, marker
4. Foam rubber about 5 mm thick
5. Glue aerosol in cans
6. Selected type of fabric and thread

In order to get started and drag the car seat, you need to perform the following preparatory robots:

• It is necessary to remove the seat from the car, use "Manual for the repair and operation of the car"
• On each element of the old car seat cover, make marks with a marker and if the hauling will consist of several colors (types) of fabrics, you must indicate what material you will use for each element.

do-it-yourself seat upholstery photo 1

• Then you need to pull off the old covers from the seats, in order to remove them, open the metal brackets that are located in the back of the seats.
• Now you need to measure the removed covers and calculate the required amount of material for the upholstery of the seats. The resulting result must be increased by 30%, this eliminates errors in the sewing of the material.

Step-by-step instruction

First, make patterns for all the elements of the new case, for this we take the old pieces of the case and apply it to the new fabric and circle them with a gel pen and cut them out with scissors. Important: If you use Alcantara, make sure that when combined on all elements of the pile, it lies in the same direction.

do-it-yourself seat upholstery photo 2

Then all the elements that you cut out for the new cover need to be strengthened, for this you need to cut out and glue the foam rubber with glue to the back of the fabric.

do-it-yourself seat upholstery photo 3

do-it-yourself seat upholstery photo 4

Now it is necessary to glue all the lapels of the seams, and cut off the excess pieces of fabric and foam rubber, at the final stage we degrease all the lapels and glue them together.

After the glue has completely dried, it is required to beat off all the seams, this is very simple procedure, which is performed with an ordinary hammer.

do-it-yourself seat upholstery photo 5

When all of the above items are completed, you need to flash all the lapels with a double finishing stitch.

do-it-yourself seat upholstery photo 6

Final stage

To properly put on car seat covers, you must follow a certain sequence:

It is necessary to turn out the covers, you need to start pulling from the back of the car seat.

The process of pulling on a new cover is quite simple, you need to fix the cover with special clamps to the knitting needles intended for this, then continue to gently stretch the cover along the contour of the chair.

If the seats are upholstered with natural leather, then before you start putting on the cover, it must be well heated with a hairdryer, after which it is put on the seat. After the cover is dressed, you need to steam it with an iron through a wet cloth.

In the end, it remains only to clean the surface of glue stains and fingerprints and install the constricted seats back into the car.

A clean and well-groomed car interior is, one might say, the "face" of its owner. Tell me, who doesn’t like to sit in a fairly tidy car interior, on clean and beautiful seats?
And in order to tune up the salon, which is not the first "freshness", you will need to re-upholster the seats of your car. Updating the seat cover can naturally be entrusted to professionals in their field. But if you dare to do it yourself, you will even save money. For this business, you will need a sewing machine, since the work will be based on it, and the ability to cut blanks for directly sewing "clothes" for your car. Remember that the process of sewing car seat covers will not be easy, as it is quite laborious.

Materialfor upholstery of car seats

First of all, you will need to decide on the choice of material from which the covers will be sewn. It can be leather, velor, suede, etc. It is recommended to choose the color of the material for the upholstery of the car interior. But, if you want something else, in this case, you can choose color scheme to your taste. It will be much easier to sheathe the seats of your car with a material of the same color. But, the combination of several shades at once will definitely make your salon more fashionable and exclusive. Everyone is well aware that the leather interior gives the most solidity to any car. Although it is expensive for its price, it will serve you for a long time and with quality. True, there is one, one might say, a drawback. In hot weather, the skin heats up high temperature and sunlight, so it can create some discomfort when you are directly in the cabin. A universal option has always been and is the option of trimming the interior with velor, or Alcantara. These materials have long been liked by many car owners. Both velor and alcantara are good in terms of their performance properties and, on top of that, they are quite economical in price.

Processdo-it-yourself car dealership banners

So, tune in to the process, because it will not be easy and it will take a lot of time. In this case, the main thing is not to rush and accurately follow the instructions step by step.
First you need to do preparatory work. Let's start by removing the seats. They are known to be fastened with four bolts. Disconnect the negative battery terminal and disconnect the electrical wiring terminals, if your car has them, that is, it could be heated seats. Sign all parts of the old cover, you can also indicate the type of material that will be used in this place. Next, you will need to remove the stock seat covers. In order to do this neatly and without problems, simply bend the metal clips on the back of the seat. Cut the old cover exactly at the seams, as they will serve you as a sketch directly for the patterns of new seat covers. When you outline the patterns on the new material on the old covers, be sure to step back another 5-7 mm before you start cutting them.

Processmaking new cases

In order to start making covers, you will need some tools: a marker, scissors, a sewing machine, glue in a can, a hammer and foam rubber, which is approximately 2-3 cm thick.
So let's start our creative process. First of all, you need to attach the old covers to the fabric from which the new covers will be sewn, securing it with weights. This is necessary so that nothing moves from the originally set place. With a marker, carefully circle the old cover with a thin line and then cut out a new cover, stepping back from the line by 2-3 cm. side on all the patterns you created.
To improve the quality of covers made of leather, or ancaltara, you will need to glue foam rubber to the material. This is done with the help of glue, which must be applied not with a brush, but with a can.
The next thing you will need to do is to sew all the created patterns for new covers. This should be done slowly, on a sewing machine.
After you have sewn all these patches, you need to glue the lapels of the seams. First, cut off all the extra pieces of foam rubber and material, and then, after degreasing and cleaning the lapels of the seams, glue them together. Further, as the glue dries, you will need to beat them off with a hammer. Lapels are recommended to be sewn with a double line, and it is not necessary to trim the free edges that go beyond the edges of the line.

Howcorrectly put on the seat cover

Before installing a new car seat cover, you need to make straps. To do this, the covers must be turned inside out and pulled over the seat backs. Next, you need to pull the cover directly on the "seat" itself. This is done easily. Pull the cover to the base of the chair with plastic clamps threaded through special holes and securely fasten it to the knitting needle. In order for the edges to "sat down" evenly along the contour of the seat, they just need to be pulled well.
As for the leather upholstery of the seats, at the end of the process you need to walk through it with a stream of hot air. Use a hair dryer for this step. It's important not to overheat and end up burning your skin, so be careful not to overdo it. Once the leather
the cover will dry out, it will immediately stretch like a drum. After that, you need to treat each already covered seat with a steam iron and a damp piece of cloth. If you follow these recommendations, then the leather case will get a fairly smooth look and stretch well.
And last step in the constriction of the seats there will be cleaning of Alcantara or light-colored leather from glue residue, fingerprints.

The car seats drawn by you will serve you for a long time, and most importantly, please you. During the upholstery process, it will also be possible to make changes to the design of car seats, and at the same time update the upholstery of the panels, doors and ceiling of your car. Car tuning made by your own hands at home will transform your interior and the car as a whole beyond recognition.

A car can have an ideal body, wheelbase, have a powerful and not worn out engine, but if its interior looks “worn”, then the whole impression of the car will be spoiled, and it will be perceived as second-rate. In this case, one of the best solutions would be to reupholster the car seats, which you can easily do yourself.

Let's not dissemble, self-upholstery of the car seats, although it can be done without any problems, it will require maximum concentration of attention from you and take a lot of time. If funds allow you, then it is better to give this work to professionals. If you are determined to update your car seat covers yourself, then in this article you will find all the necessary information.

What material to take for the upholstery of car seats?

There are five most common seat upholstery materials in vehicle: flock, vulure, alcantara, suede and genuine leather. Usually, the color of the material is chosen based on the color of the upholstery of the car, but if you want something special, then no one forbids you to choose a different color. Also, it is worth noting that you can completely cover the seat not with the same color material, but make inserts that will improve the appearance of the car interior, although, of course, it is much easier to make one-color seat covers.