What kind of leather is used to cover a car's steering wheel? Learning to make beautiful seams

The steering wheel of a car acts as a connecting link between the driver and the car. While driving, the driver is constantly in contact with this control element, which is very important for maximum driving control. At the same time, the steering wheel affects not only the ease of control, but also the interior of the car. If the material with which it is covered is frayed or worn to holes, then it is better to change the covering, since driving safety may depend on it.

When choosing a steering wheel surface material, some people prefer a smooth polished material, while others prefer the texture of snakeskin. However, most people prefer the classic option - black genuine leather.

Car enthusiasts usually strive to show individuality, originality and chic in their car. A popular and simple way to highlight the interior of your car with a noticeable and important element is to reupholster the steering wheel.

In this article, we will see, using the example of a car owner, how to reupholster a steering wheel with genuine leather yourself - for this you do not need to go to a service center and order the services of specialists.

High-quality reupholstery of the steering wheel requires some skills, as well as certain financial investments.

To cover the steering wheel you need to prepare the following material and tools:
high quality genuine leather;
masking tape – 1 roll;
thick cardboard;
strong nylon thread;
cling film;
sewing needles of high hardness, suitable for Soviet production; modern needles can bend due to the soft material;
thimble – 2 pcs.;
marker;
a stationery knife or other, well sharpened.

Step-by-step instruction

The first stage of reupholstering a steering wheel with leather, as well as other work with this material, is a pattern. Each has its own steering wheel, so we won’t try to figure it out, there’s plenty on the Internet.

1 . First, we take cling film and cover the steering wheel, then wrap it with masking tape. This pattern method was invented by one of the folk craftsmen, but it is excellent for covering the steering wheel with leather in a car.

2 . After the steering wheel is wrapped, it needs to be divided into several zones. We mark these sections of the steering wheel exactly as shown in the images, and then cut out the finished patterns. We put them under a press for several hours - this way they will take the shape of the patterns.

3 . To make it more convenient, the shapes of individual parts can be transferred to thick cardboard. This will make it easier to transfer the template onto the skin. We number and label all the parts - this will come in handy later, so you won’t rack your brains if you accidentally mix everything up, and you won’t use parts of the leather on the steering wheel in the wrong order.

4 . You just need to adhere to the rules for wrapping the steering wheel with leather, then the so-called gas lifting effect will not appear when the skin rotates on the base of the steering wheel. However, being a novice in this matter, the author played it safe - in order to definitely fix the skin, he treated the corresponding surface with epoxy resin.

5 . The next step is to cover the steering wheel with the leather we prepared. Stitches or seams can be made in the form you like best, with an optimal distance from the edges of 2–3 mm. The author performed the work in several approaches due to lack of time. It took him almost 4 days to get a leather steering wheel in his car.

Now with the updated steering wheel, the ride is more comfortable, and the interior looks different, more solid. To those who made their own steering wheel in the same way - have a nice trip!

No self-respecting car owner will tolerate shabby seat covers or a shabby steering wheel in his car!

However, we should not forget that, unlike the same covers, the steering wheel is not so much a detail of the interior of the cabin, but rather an important element of driving control, and this in turn means that the material of the steering wheel cover should not only be aesthetically attractive, but also help the driver feel the car better. Upholstering the steering wheel with leather yourself will help to emphasize the unique style of your car and make it more comfortable to drive.

Updating your steering wheel design is actually easier than it seems. Just follow the step-by-step instructions below, how to reupholster a steering wheel with leather.

1. Material selection

If the most important quality of the steering wheel cover material for you is wear resistance, choose smooth leather for renewal; if softness is more important, choose perforated leather. In any case, the thickness of the material should be from 1.2 to 1.4 mm with an average degree of elasticity of the material. It is best to sew a cover with nylon thread, known for its strength.

2. Making a pattern

Remove the steering wheel from the body and steering shaft by unscrewing the corresponding screws and fastening nut;

Make a mock-up pattern by wrapping the steering wheel with masking tape over plastic film;

Using a marker, mark the places where the parts of the pattern will be connected and cut the layout along these lines; after cutting, you should get 4 separate elements;

Straighten and attach these elements to a sheet of cardboard, trace them along the contour and cut out the patterns for the pattern;

Attach the resulting patterns to the leather and use them to make patterns for the cover, making the allowances necessary for further stitching;

Lay all the resulting patterns in place on the steering wheel to make sure that their edges meet.

3. Sewing a cover

Wrap the edges of the patterns, this is necessary in order to make them as strong as possible;

Sew the pattern elements together to form a hoop;

Pull the resulting product onto the steering wheel;

Using any convenient method (glue, double-sided tape), attach the cover to the steering wheel and align it;

Stretch the leather evenly over the steering wheel and begin stitching. At this stage you may need help. The new cover will look much neater if, during the sewing process, one person straightens and stretches the leather on the steering wheel, and the second connects them with a thread and a needle;

Place the cover under the horn cover with glue; - straighten the cover on the steering wheel - if wrinkles appear on it, it’s okay, due to the elasticity of the leather they will quickly smooth out;

Return the steering wheel to its original place.

As you can see, DIY leather steering wheel reupholstery a very simple matter: a few simple manipulations - and you are the happy owner of a brand new exclusive case.

The steering wheel is, in the literal sense, the closest and, perhaps, the most favorite part in a car for every motorist. There are as many opinions and tastes as there are people, to paraphrase a well-known proverb. This also applies to the steering wheel trim.

For one, the main thing is the presence of polished wooden inserts, for another, all kinds of inlays with rhinestones, but for me, as for most “simple” car enthusiasts, the best option is to reupholster the steering wheel in black leather.

Leather reupholstery is one of the most popular ways of tuning a steering wheel. Often, the steering wheel is reupholstered to replace the old worn-out braid; sometimes leather on the steering wheel is an opportunity to stand out from the “crowd” of identical production cars. And, of course, we cannot fail to mention those for whom reupholstery is part of a fundamental change or tuning of everything; in such cases, car owners, in addition to reupholstery, change the shape of the steering wheel. The leather on the steering wheel harmonizes perfectly with the leather interior, with all sorts of textured inserts of different colors.

However, in this article we will talk about how to reupholster a steering wheel with leather at home, that is, with your own hands.

Leather upholstery, like any other work, requires certain investments, as well as tools.

Therefore, in order to make a constriction, you will need to have:

Masking tape (painting tape) 1 medium roll;
Cellophane or cling film;
Permanent marker - 1 pc;
Sharp knife, preferably stationery - 1 piece;
Medium density cardboard;
Strong nylon thread;
Sewing needles, preferably “Soviet” hardened ones. There will be problems with modern ones, since they are soft and will bend;
Thimbles for middle fingers. Take 2 pcs. - very comfortable and safe for hands;
And, of course, the leather on the steering wheel itself, I would still advise you to choose high-quality one.

So, let's get started! Any upholstery with leather or any other material begins with a pattern.

1. To do this, you first need to cover the steering wheel with film, after which you need to wrap it with masking tape. I’ll be honest, I saw this idea of a pattern/transferring it to skin on the Internet, so I won’t take credit for someone else’s invention.

2. Finished patterns (cut from masking tape) must be left overnight, pressing them with something heavy so that they acquire the required even shape. As a final result, the volume somehow turns into folds 🙁 However, don’t be upset, the leather on the steering wheel is quite elastic, so eventually everything will be completely smoothed out.

3. It will be best if the finishing pattern is made of medium-hard cardboard. Oh yes! Don’t forget to number everything so you don’t have to rack your brains about what’s what, and God forbid you sew something wrong or in the wrong sequence.

4. Unable to withstand the intrigue, I decided to try the resulting “something” on the steering wheel, and, by the way, I was not disappointed, it looked pretty good, so, without stopping there, inspired by the end result, I decided to continue.

5. One more thing, since the booze has already begun, I recommend that you simultaneously get rid of the peculiar “gas control” (scrolling the steering wheel on a steel base). To do this, you need to use epoxy resin; this can improve the situation, although not completely, but this is not scary, since proper skin tightening will help completely get rid of this problem.

6. The stitching took place in several stages due to the lack of free time; in the end, it took me about four days to do everything. I had to abandon the option of tying the leather that I had chosen for the following reasons: the thread was insufficiently strong; it was constantly breaking, so the distance from the edges had to be increased to 5 mm. Consequently, thread consumption has increased significantly. I advise you not to repeat my mistakes and choose a strong thread, and make an indent of 2-3 mm, this will be more than enough.

That seems to be it! After completing this stage, we can say with confidence that the steering wheel reupholstery is completed. Hurray, comrades!

You can judge for yourself what came out of all this; in my opinion, it turned out quite well. Of course, this is not the level of a tuning studio, and no matter how you look at it, there are still some shortcomings. However, considering the fact that this is my first steering wheel reupholstery , then we can say with confidence that the result is more than satisfactory.

There are different ways to create patterns and many tips on this matter. One of them is to rip out the old sheathing. It is quite possible that some car services also use this method. But it is only good if the steering wheel was previously covered with leather or other material. Other sources suggest cutting out rectangles from leather, attaching them to the steering wheel and then making the necessary notches. We will use a different method.

ATTENTION! A completely simple way to reduce fuel consumption has been found! Don't believe me? An auto mechanic with 15 years of experience also didn’t believe it until he tried it. And now he saves 35,000 rubles a year on gasoline!

Not faster, but more accurate.

We will need:

cling film;
masking tape;
stationery knife;
fountain pen or marker;
cardboard.

To begin, wrap the steering wheel tightly with cling film. This point should not cause any difficulties, since the film is elastic and will fit perfectly to our steering wheel. After this, we take the tape and begin to carefully, but accurately and tightly wrap it onto the film. We don't leave any gaps. Now we need to mark the boundaries of future pieces of leather and the location of the internal seam. It is better to use a marker for this. The number of pieces depends on the steering wheel design you have in mind. Some people like to combine leather of different colors or textures, but on average you always end up with 3-4 pieces.

After applying the markings, we need to use a utility knife to cut the tape along the boundaries of this very marking. Now we carefully straighten all the parts and place them under any press for about a day. The pattern is ready. It's time to move on to the pattern.

Cutting out and sewing blanks

Patterning is not a difficult task, because we already have a ready-made pattern. It is best to first transfer the details onto cardboard, this will make it easier for us to make the pattern on the leather itself. When transferring to cardboard, be sure to add 2-3 mm to the seams. Now the simplest thing remains - to draw the details of our blanks on the skin. A ballpoint pen or marker is suitable for this.

Our pattern is ready. Now you need to sew the parts together, leaving only the inner seam of the steering wheel free. It is better to sew using a sewing machine, it will be stronger. And don’t forget about the thread, it should be nylon and not too thin.

The next step is fitting. We apply the workpiece to the steering wheel and check everything carefully. Make sure that the tailored leather braid fits as tightly as possible to the steering wheel. This will help prevent the trim from twisting in the future. If you are satisfied with everything, move on to the next stage.

Steering wheel wrap

Before you start remaking the steering wheel, you need to decide what type of seam we will use. There are quite a lot of them, but three are the most popular among car enthusiasts:

braid;
sports;
macrame.

If you like the last two, then before starting the covering work, you need to stitch on a sewing machine along the entire circumference on both edges. These seams will be useful later to tighten the edges of the pattern. For a braid, such stitching is not needed.

Pigtail seam. For it, we make uniform markings for future punctures on one side along the entire perimeter of the inner seam. On the other side we make the same marks, but they should not be located opposite the marks of the parallel side, but exactly in the middle. Now we apply the blank to the steering wheel and begin to tighten the edges of the pattern along the intended puncture sites. For this we use the same nylon thread.

“Sports” and “macrame” seams are very similar in technique. To tighten these seams, we use the stitching we made earlier. We tighten the sides of the pattern by grabbing the stitching sections alternately on one side and the other. There is only one difference - for a sports seam we grab each stitching loop, for macrame - every other stitch.

Final points

It is worth noting that the braid may begin to scroll in the future. To avoid this, many advise using glue or resin. They are applied under the skin on the steering wheel. Whether to use this advice or not is everyone’s business. But this method will not be useful to you if the pattern is made closely and fits the steering wheel well.

You have just made your own leather steering wheel. Not difficult, right? Reupholstering the steering wheel with leather did not take much time, and we also saved on the cost of car service services.

The steering wheel, as you know, is the connecting link between the car and the driver. And the pleasant-to-touch material, hand comfort and many other factors influence how the driver feels the car. The steering wheel for the driver is not only the most significant detail, it is also significant in terms of the interior of the cabin. The shabby, sometimes torn, worn-out material that covers the steering wheel indicates that it’s time to change the covering, no matter how familiar and convenient it may be.

Everyone’s tastes are different, some like a smooth polished steering wheel, others almost covered with snake skin, but almost everyone chooses the classic black leather. Any car enthusiast wants individuality, originality and chic. And one of the most popular ways to bring original design into the interior is to reupholster the steering wheel. At the same time, it is also an excellent element of car tuning.

It is worth noting that servicing the steering wheel is an expensive pleasure. Therefore, the best way in this case is to reupholster the steering wheel with leather yourself, which will save money and add individuality. Everything that is made by hand is exclusive in a single copy.

Re-upholstery process

Before proceeding directly to the reupholstery, you need to decide what material the steering wheel will be covered with and choose its color.

The most convenient leather to use is perforated leather, it is softer and more elastic, and it is more convenient and comfortable to work with than smooth leather. Although smooth leather has its advantages, it is more wear-resistant than perforated leather. The optimal skin thickness should vary between 1.2 – 1.4 mm.

Not everyone can ideally cover a steering wheel with leather. Working with leather requires certain knowledge and skills, so such an expensive pleasure as covering a steering wheel with leather should be performed by a master of his craft. Otherwise, you can ruin expensive material, as a result of which you simply waste money. Among other things, the most popular steering wheel upholstery is leather - it is comfortable, pleasant to the touch and durable.