Reupholstering the steering wheel with leather - step-by-step instructions with video

Hello, dear friends! I hope you are in a good mood and ready to receive a portion of new useful observations from your humble servant. After all, today we are discussing such an issue as re-upholstering the steering wheel.

Agree that the standard steering wheels on many cars can only be called squalid. Either they were normal, but time left marks on them in the form of scratches, cuts, torn seams, and so on.

Leather reupholstery is a fairly common service. In cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar or Belarusian Minsk, for example, there are a number of studios where you can remake your steering wheel in just a couple of days, breathing new life into it.

Yes, of course, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Belgorod and any other, even small town in Russia and the CIS, will offer at least one master who can do such work for you.

But ordering a service is too easy. Yes, and you need to pay more. Therefore, I propose to talk about how the fitting is done with your own hands.

Do-it-yourself car steering wheel reupholstery

The steering wheel is the most important link between the car and the driver.
For this reason, a huge number of factors influence how the driver feels and controls the car. The steering wheel is also an important detail in the interior. Agree, standard steering wheels in most cases can be called one, albeit rude word - squalor. If the covering was previously made in good quality, then time has not been kind to them: dirty spots, scratches, cuts, protruding threads, torn seams, etc. This means that the steering trim urgently needs to be changed, no matter how familiar, beloved and convenient it was for the driver. Every person has a unique taste. Some drivers like the smooth, polished steering wheel. For others, exclusive options are close to their hearts, and they cover the steering wheel with crocodile or snake leather. But, most drivers choose the classic option - black textured leather. After all, a leather-covered car steering wheel makes it easier to control and maneuver, which means, if necessary, to avoid an emergency situation. Plus, this option fits perfectly into the interior of the car, regardless of what color and material was used for the interior lining of the car.

A few words about the process of re-upholstering the steering wheel.

The steering wheel can be called one of the driver’s favorite parts in the car interior. Moreover, each driver has his own taste and opinion on what an ideal steering wheel should be. Everyone has their own needs: some people definitely want a polished wooden steering wheel, others like various inlays and rhinestones, and the third chooses a discreet classic in the form of black leather.

The most popular tuning of the steering wheel is its reupholstery. Often car owners want to replace a strange, worn braid with a new one. Specialists who reupholster interiors can always offer to tune the steering wheel by choosing expensive car leather for this, but, as usual, we will save a little.

Where is the best place to tighten the steering wheel?

Steering wheel reupholstery is a fairly popular and widespread service. For this reason

in St. Petersburg there are a number of workshops that will remake your steering wheel in 6 hours

beyond recognition and breathe new life. Of course this work costs money. But to save money, you can make the steering wheel braid yourself and cover it with leather. This procedure does not require special super skills. Yes, and tools can be found in any sewing store. As a result, you get an exclusive design in a single version.

What types of steering wheel braids are there?

Handlebar braids come in a variety of colors, configurations and styles. Choose one that will match your interior.

p, blockquote 7,0,0,0,0 —>

Conventionally, three types of braids can be distinguished:

p, blockquote 8,0,0,0,0 —>

The most common is a braid that fits over the handlebars and is not tightened with lacing. It's the cheapest. These universal braids do not fit around the steering wheel, but are held in place only by the tension it provides.
Another type is a universal braid with lacing. It is one level better, made to fit the specific dimensions of the steering wheel, fits it and is tightened (stitched) with special lacing. There are universal braids that fit the steering wheel around the perimeter without extending onto the spokes. In this case, the result is a semi-factory style. This type of steering wheel reupholstery does not require much experience or skill.
There are also braids that repeat the style of factory braids. The steering wheel is reupholstered together with the spokes. They are sold for a specific car model. Such a re-upholstery of the steering wheel can take several hours. The steering wheel may need to be disassembled and removed.
You can also make a braid for the steering wheel with your own hands (see the article at the link), which will have the design you need and even increased thickness.

Choosing material

Before you start reupholstering the steering wheel with your own hands, you need to decide on the material and color. To create a braid, it is better to use genuine leather. The advantages of this material:

Strength;
Durability;
Feels good in the hand;
Easier to drive.

Attention! If you decide to make a steering wheel cover with your own hands, you should choose car leather. It is designed specifically to operate over a wide temperature range and has a long service life.

Alcantara is a good alternative to leather.

Rules for choosing leather for steering wheel reupholstery

In order for the leather braid on the steering wheel to be made at a high level with your own hands, you should adhere to the following rules:

Naturalness. It is better to use genuine leather to cover a car steering wheel. It is of higher quality than artificial.
Thickness. It is worth choosing the correct and optimal skin thickness. The thin one will quickly wear out, and in the near future you will again need to reupholster the steering wheel with leather yourself. Or already order the service in the salon. You should not choose too thick a material; you will be tortured by piercing the skin. Suitable size 1.3mm, plus/minus 0.2mm.
Skin extensibility. Good and “correct” elasticity ensures a tight fit on the steering wheel. Choose medium skin stretch.
Perforation. Working with perforated material is much more pleasant and convenient. It is more resistant to wear than regular ones.

What kind of leather should I take?

Considering the fact that the steering wheel is a part of the car, human contact with which is made throughout the entire route, therefore, it is necessary to choose only high-quality material for reupholstery and it is desirable that it should be genuine leather. Since any other fabric will deteriorate from constant rubbing of hands on the steering wheel after just a month of using the car. The intended skin should not be very thick, but it should not be thin either. If it is too thick, then you will not be able to pierce it with a needle, and if its thickness is small, then the new steering wheel cover can deteriorate very quickly. The optimal thickness of the material for covering the steering wheel is 1.3 millimeters. An ability such as extensibility should be of average value. This is a very important criterion to consider before purchasing. Its elasticity should allow the material to fit tightly on the steering wheel, otherwise there’s no point in thinking about quality.

You can consider the option of having perforation. This is a rather unusual and attractive look, and it is also pleasant to work with. But, having such positive qualities, I can also highlight its negative side - wear and tear. The only optimal solution for you is natural smooth leather.

Before purchasing, make sure that the material offered to you really has the necessary qualities, and that they are not slipping you a substitute. You also need to pay special attention to additional materials that will be used in this matter. The thread should be as strong as possible, because it will pull the edges together, so it should not break easily. Choose a strong needle, make sure it does not bend. My advice is to buy several of them.

Selecting Tools

To make a leather steering wheel cover yourself, for any car you will need the same set of tools:

A skein of strong thread of the required color. It is better to use nylon threads;
Several thimbles to protect your fingers;
A set of steel needles used to stitch leather. Steel hardness up to 50 HRC;
Masking tape;
High density cardboard A3 format. It is necessary for making a pattern;
Roll of cling film;
A marker or felt-tip pen with a thick rod. A pencil will also work;
A sharp knife, a stationery knife will do;
Glue. An alternative is epoxy resin;
Powerful hair dryer.

As you can see, the necessary set of tools can be found in any construction and sewing store. Therefore, covering the steering wheel with leather with your own hands will not be an impossible and supernatural task.

How to properly remove the steering wheel

Before you make the leather braid for the steering wheel yourself, you need to remove it correctly so that there are no errors with the airbag. Everything must be done in a certain sequence:

Remove the terminals from the battery.
Unscrew the lower screws of the steering column housing.
Remove the plastic on the steering column.
Lower the steering wheel adjustment lock and remove the remaining plastic.
Align the car's wheels.
There are holes on the left and right sides of the steering wheel. There are bolts or spokes that need to be pressed out with a slotted screwdriver..
Remove the block with the cushion and the signal button.
Remove the chips from the steering wheel.
Unscrew the steering wheel.
Use a marker to place marks on the steering wheel and on the threaded part where the nut was secured. This will help you put the steering wheel back correctly.
Tap the circle of the steering wheel with a rubber hammer to make it “jump”.
It is better to secure the steering column element (snail) with electrical tape to prevent it from turning.

These manipulations are the most difficult, because Covering the steering wheel with leather yourself is not difficult. Some experienced craftsmen do not remove the steering wheel and perform the reupholstery “on the spot”. This requires certain skills and abilities. It is not recommended for beginners to do this.

Making a pattern

To understand how to tighten leather yourself, all actions must be performed according to clear instructions and in a certain sequence. Otherwise, it will come out unevenly and you will have difficulty driving the car.

After removing the steering wheel, you need to get rid of the old braid. You don't need it, just cut along the seams and remove the worn material.
Wrap the steering wheel with cling film. You shouldn’t skimp on the material, but you should wrap the steering wheel carefully. Eliminate the occurrence of differences and irregularities.
Place masking tape on top of the cling film. Be sure to use a marker to mark the places where the seams will go.
According to these markings, cut the wound tape. This will be the layout. The tape will roll into a tube. Flatten it and press it down with a heavy object. Leave it overnight. The next morning the layout will be smooth and neat. Or straighten the tape layout using a hot iron.
Use the finished layout for a cardboard base. Cardboard is stronger than tape.
You will get 4 layout elements. Using their sample, we apply it to the skin and cut out the material of the required size.
All elements of the pattern must be numbered so as not to be confused and to understand the final location of the pieces.

Steering wheel cover

Having basic sewing skills, the question of how to remake a steering wheel with leather yourself will not be a problem. All you need is accuracy and correct and consistent execution of actions. The car will get a unique, designer and beautiful steering wheel, made by yourself.

You need to take a strong thread. Thread it into the needle.
Before starting the sheathing, remove excess leather.
Apply glue or epoxy resin to the surface of the steering wheel. This way, there is no further scrolling of the skin, which means that the possibility of an emergency situation is eliminated.
Start covering the steering wheel with leather.
Make all the holes for the firmware in advance. This simplifies this stage of work. Make holes with a sewing machine or an awl.
It is necessary to retreat approximately 2 millimeters from the edge of the leather workpiece. If you make a seam closer to the edge, the skin will simply tear under tension. The distance between stitches should be 1-2 millimeters.
Carefully place the elements in the correct order and begin stitching.

Experienced craftsmen, in order not to use glue and to ensure that the leather fits tightly to the steering wheel, moisten the material in warm water. This helps it become more elastic. When the leather dries, it fits more tightly to the steering wheel due to the reduction of the workpiece.

Step-by-step instructions for reupholstering

So, everything is ready, you can start. At this stage, it is important to follow the order of doing the work so as not to mess anything up.

The first step is to overcast all the edges that will be sewn together. The fact is that each edge will bend (we left indents specifically for this), and since the thickness will double at the bend, it will not have a beautiful appearance and it will be very difficult to pierce such thickness with a needle. That's why stitching is necessary. It will allow you to maintain the required thickness of the leather along the edges and thereby make the edges strong.
We lay out our (4) parts of the future steering wheel cover on some surface. They need to be laid out exactly in the order in which they will be located on the steering wheel.
Prepare the needle (pull the thread into it).
Now you need to sew all the individual elements together sequentially. As a result, you should have a hoop.
Now you need to pull it onto the steering wheel. Position it so that the seams match the cuts.
Next, you can fix the cover on the steering wheel using glue or epoxy resin. Everyone makes this decision personally, you don’t have to stick it.
Now try to stretch the leather (even it out) to determine how much to fold the edges before the final step.

The last stage is the most difficult, since here it is important to maintain uniform skin tension throughout the steering wheel. It is not only difficult, but also difficult. It is much better if you ask someone to help you (one tightens and the other sews).

So, the first thing you need to do is decide which edge to start from. Basically, it just depends on convenience. You need to stretch the skin to form a joint; if the joint does not meet, it’s okay, thanks to its elasticity, the joint will be pulled together with thread. The entire cover is sewn together in this way.

In those places where the cover can go under the signal cover, you need to do without thread and use glue. After completion, you need to straighten the new cover on the steering wheel; if there are any folds, it’s not a big deal. After a few days they will smooth out and the surface will be completely smooth. Now you can install the steering wheel in its original place, secure it with a fastening nut and cover the signal cover.

Covering the steering wheel with leather will significantly change the appearance of not only this element, but will also emphasize the overall appearance of the car's interior. In addition, by doing this yourself, you not only saved your money, but also gained good experience in reupholstering, and also became more familiar with the steering structure of your car.

Final stages

Having completed the firmware, you need to dry the updated leather car steering wheel, made by yourself, with a hairdryer. You help smooth out wrinkles on the surface of the steering wheel. Afterwards you need to wait for the glue to dry completely. If traces of it remain on the surface of the braid, they can be removed with gasoline. Take a dry rag, apply a small amount of gasoline to it, and wipe the steering wheel. The unpleasant smell will disappear within a day.

Now return the updated steering wheel to its rightful place. All steps described in the subtitle “How to properly remove the steering wheel” should be performed in reverse order. By the way, when re-upholstering the steering wheel, you can simultaneously install heating.

Now you know how to make your own steering wheel braid yourself. Not everyone can get a leather steering wheel covered perfectly the first time: the threads or the workpiece may break. Don't be discouraged, working with leather requires certain skills and abilities. A separate segment of drivers who cover the steering wheel with leather themselves can do this the third or fourth time. Practice on cheap material for the first time so that you don’t feel bad for the money you spent. But remember, leather braiding is the most reliable and durable. It is this material that will delight you and serve faithfully for many years.

DIY leather steering wheel reupholstery

Agree that the standard steering wheels on many cars can only be called squalid. Either they were normal, but time left marks on them in the form of scratches, cuts, torn seams, and so on.

Yes, of course, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Belgorod and any other, even small town in Russia and the CIS, will offer at least one master who can do such work for you.

But ordering a service is too easy. Yes, and you need to pay more. Therefore, I propose to talk about how the fitting is done with your own hands.

Video - Covering the steering wheel with leather

So, now the most important thing to do is to tighten the edges of the cover so that it is securely fixed to the steering wheel. This procedure is very troublesome, time-consuming and requires a lot of time. First of all, you should decide on the place where the seam will begin. Here you first need to secure the thread, and then you can carefully sew. When tightening the edges of the cover in the area of the signal cover, it is recommended to coat the edges of the leather with rubber glue.

There are many types of seams. However, the most popular are braid, sports and macrame. They look beautiful and form the most durable connection.

Once the cover is completely ready, you can install the steering wheel on the car. The cover may have minor creases. There is no need to worry about this. If you used genuine leather, then due to the increased elasticity of the material, all these flaws will completely disappear over time.

Anyone who has ever held a good anatomically shaped steering wheel in their hands knows that the most practical and aesthetic option is leather covering. Re-upholstering the steering wheel is a rather labor-intensive process and can only be done by experienced craftsmen. Leather with perforations that is pleasant to the touch will have an unusual appearance. However, a more wear-resistant and no less attractive option would be natural smooth leather. As an optimal option, you can choose a combined cover with different types of leather surface on one steering wheel, as well as colors to match the style of the interior of your car.

Choosing material

Of course, leather for the steering wheel will be most preferable. This material is natural, strong and durable, plus it fits well in the hand. Alcantara can be an alternative.

But start with the skin. Its price is not so high, plus there are many design options. To choose the leather from which the steering braid will be made, follow several rules.

Naturalness. Artificial leather will not work, it has the wrong properties. And in general, once you get to work, do everything efficiently.
Thickness. We don't need thick skin. Otherwise, you will be tortured to pierce. Thin ones wear out quickly. The optimal size is considered to be 1.3 mm.
Extensibility. Strictly average. The elasticity should ensure a tight fit to the wheel.
Perforation. Its presence is not necessary, although working with perforated leather is more pleasant. At the same time, wear and tear is higher than that of ordinary leather. Decide for yourself. I chose smooth leather when wrapping the steering wheel.

In addition to leather for your car steering wheel, you will need a number of auxiliary materials and tools.

Tools and materials

The steering wheel trim kit for Mazda, Nissan, BMW and any other cars, even a Ford Focus, will always be the same.

You need to put together:

skin;
a strong needle with which you will stitch the material;
strong nylon thread;
a pair of thimbles to protect your fingers;
masking tape;
cardboard of normal density;
cling film;
marker or pencil;
sharp knife (buy at a building materials store).

All is ready. Now your car can be transformed. Start small - the steering wheel. Covering it with leather is not the easiest task for a beginner, but it can be done. I myself once decided to suddenly do something similar. The result exceeded my expectations, so you will definitely do no worse. I'm still a jack of all trades.

The whole process can be divided into two stages:

Fixing the cover on the steering wheel

Tools:
Prepared case.
Durable nylon threads. Hardened sewing needles. Glue moment. Thimbles. Completing of the work:

Place thimbles on your fingers.
Sew the edges of the braid together as if you were lacing up shoes. The cover should fit very tightly around the steering wheel.
The fastening knots must be secured with glue.

Making a fur steering wheel cover is not a difficult task, and you will appreciate this stylish accessory on cold winter days.
To add comfort to driving, many motorists buy special covers for the steering wheel. This modification not only improves comfort, but also reduces fatigue in the driver’s hands. Thanks to this innovation, the interior also changes for the better.

Today, the automobile market is simply inundated with similar products. But why pay more if you can create an original designer case in half a day? The best material for the steering wheel is, of course, genuine leather. It is not recommended to take dermantine or other artificial substitutes, because they wear out quickly and do not have the necessary elasticity.

Steering wheel reupholstery - tools and materials

Reupholstering the steering wheel yourself involves using the following tools and materials:

Masking tape or cling film are perfect for making a pattern;
Cardboard or thick paper.
Pencil/marker, sharp knife (preferably a stationery knife).
Reliable and durable thread - nylon is the best choice.
Don't forget about thimbles for your fingers - safety first.
Sewing needles made of hardened steel.
A set of screwdrivers and wrenches that will be needed to install and remove the steering wheel.
And most importantly - soft natural leather.

For manual tightening, it is recommended to take two types of material: smooth and perforated leather.

This combination will provide comfort while driving and give the interior an aesthetic appearance. Perforated leather has high elasticity. Smooth leather is known for its resistance to wear and tear. Therefore, if you combine these two layers, you get a strong, soft, elastic material. Numerous experiments have shown that the best choice is leather with a thickness of 1.2-1.4 millimeters. The most popular color is black, but you can choose another color – it’s a matter of taste.

How to reupholster a steering wheel with leather yourself?

Without exaggeration, we can say that the steering wheel is not only one of the most important elements of car control, but also the “face” of the vehicle interior. Therefore, the most common way to add attractiveness and individuality to the interior is by covering the steering wheel. Even a beginner can do it; the main thing here is patience and attention to every detail.

Materials and tools

Since the steering wheel is constantly in contact with the driver’s hands, when choosing material for the covering, you should pay attention to quality, strength and durability. There are many options - you can choose fur, artificial or natural leather, silicone, foam rubber or wire.

The most popular and practical is the braid made of genuine leather. This braid retains its appearance for a long time, is pleasant to the touch, has good performance qualities, and looks expensive and solid. You can simply wipe it with a damp alcohol wipe to remove dust. It is better to give preference to perforated leather. It is softer and, thanks to its pores, breathes better.

Important! You should choose car leather, not furniture leather, otherwise in a short time the work will go down the drain.

Before you begin reupholstering the steering wheel, you should prepare all the necessary materials and tools. These include:

leather;
large needle for sewing (you can take a hardened one);
durable nylon thread;
thimble;
stationery knife;
masking tape;
cling film (you can take packaging film);
marker or pencil;
medium density cardboard;
glue or epoxy resin.

Material

The first problem that the owner faces is the choice of material. There are many finishing options. In our case, we need to cover the steering wheel with leather. At the same time, its quality must be at the highest level. The work of restoring the steering wheel is quite difficult. Our goal is to restore the material to its former state for a very long time.

What is better to cover the steering wheel - leather or eco-leather? Everything depends on the preferences of the owner. Naturally, genuine leather will cost even more than a substitute (that is, material with the prefix “eco”). Note that eco-leather of the corresponding properties is not inferior to the features of natural leather. It is flexible and perfectly grips the steering wheel. The material has a homogeneous structure. This steering wheel looks very organic and representative. The main thing is to make the sketch correctly. Fundamental point! More comfortable to use leather - only perforated. This is the softest, most elastic, pleasant to the touch material. Working with him is not at all difficult. The coating takes on any shape (this is especially true for those who want to cover the steering wheel with leather in a complex configuration, with recesses).

What thickness should I choose? The best value is from 1 to one and a half mm. The main requirements for leather are resistance to temperature changes, mechanical damage and, of course, abrasion.

There is also smooth skin . In terms of characteristics, it is no different from the previous one. Here, as they say, it's a matter of taste.

Wrapping procedure

Removing the steering wheel and old braid

Before starting work, you must remove the steering wheel using the vehicle repair and operation manual. Before dismantling, disconnect the battery! If there is an airbag in the housing, wait at least five minutes.

Remove the old braid. You can simply cut along the seam.

Creating a pattern and cutting out a new braid

Next you need to make a pattern. To do this, first the steering wheel is carefully, evenly, without differences in height, wrapped with film, and then tightly with masking tape. Using a marker, the future pattern is divided into four parts and a mark is made along the inside of the steering wheel for the inner seam.

Before cutting, you must number all the parts. Cut strictly along the lines!

Using the marked marks, you need to cut the masking tape and remove it from the steering wheel. It turns out four parts of the pattern. To level them, you can put a weight on top for several hours. Or make a denser template from cardboard, placing elements of masking tape on it.

Then, according to the sample of the resulting pattern, the elements of the future leather braid are cut out, and an allowance of 1.5-2 ml is made along the length. Each element must be marked. Do not forget that the final result depends on the accuracy of the work at the pattern making stage.

The pattern pieces are sewn together using a sewing machine or a needle and thread. It is necessary to retreat from the edge by 2-3 mm, otherwise the material will tear under tension. All parts are connected to form a ring. The finished ring is applied to the steering wheel. Everything must fit exactly to size. If the braid runs along the steering wheel, it is necessary to sew it along the seam. For additional fixation, the steering wheel can be lubricated with glue or epoxy resin.

Making a pattern

In order to correctly tighten the steering wheel, and for the result of your work to have an impressive appearance, you need to make a pattern. To do this, you need to make a preliminary layout (template).

It is made of adhesive tape and film, which must be used to cover the steering wheel. But before this you need to remove the steering wheel, as this will make the work easier.

The first step is to remove the cover from the signal and unscrew the fastening nut that holds the steering wheel to the shaft. After this, using loosening movements in different directions, remove the steering wheel from the splines. Now that the steering wheel is removed, you can do the preliminary layout. To create it, you need to wrap a film around the steering wheel and apply masking tape over it. Do not skimp on material, wrap it in several layers.

Once the entire rim is covered, you need to use a marker to make marks where the seam will go (where the parts join). This is done for the reason that it is very difficult to make a one-piece case, so it will be made of four parts. And those places where the parts will be connected to each other are marked with a marker. We also draw a marker along the inside of the steering wheel. It is advisable to draw all lines as evenly as possible. This will allow you to make smoother original parts when cutting. After all the lines have been drawn, the layout must be cut with a stationery knife along these lines.

After cutting, you should have four separate elements. Now they need to be leveled and attached to the cardboard to create patterns for the pattern.

After the patterns are ready, they need to be applied to the base material in order to produce the final version of the covering. But, it is important to remember that you do not need to cut it exactly to size, but give some allowances for each edge of the part and then bend it. This is necessary in order to sew them together efficiently, and so that the thread does not tear the skin during tightening.

That is, the seam will be strong enough and the skin will not tear when stitched. In addition, the folds give the new steering wheel a more aesthetic appearance. Allowances can be given immediately while you are tracing the pattern. You can also first trace, and then use a ruler to add one centimeter to each edge. This way you will maintain an even retreat on each side.

After this, you can check how correctly the cutting of the elements was done. You need to place each of the patterns in the intended place and see how they are positioned: their edges should meet each other. If the stock left is too large, you can trim the edges. If everything is fine, nothing bothers you, you can begin the final process - sewing the parts together.

Caring for leather braid

If the steering wheel is covered with leather, then it requires special attention, because dust and dirt easily accumulate in the pores of the leather. This affects not only the appearance of the steering wheel, but also the health of the driver. To clean, you can use special leather products or make your own, for example, mixing warm water with shampoo to wash the car body.

To extend the service life of such braiding, you should use special products that clean and moisturize it. Such products always contain special filters that protect the skin from fading.

Of course, making a leather braid with your own hands is much more difficult than buying a ready-made one. But on the other hand, you will be rightfully proud of your work, enjoying its results.

Learning to make beautiful seams

We learn how to make beautiful seams (for reupholstering the steering wheel, door panels, gearbox attachments).

How to make a beautiful seam on the steering wheel or gearbox? We often ask this question, but when they tell us the cost, often a person refuses and simply burns out the idea.

We often see beautiful stitches and seams on steering wheels, gearboxes, door trim, etc. in sports and expensive cars.

Now we will show you how you can do this for your car, with your own hands, at minimal cost.

Types of seams

Macro seam

Macro is a very popular seam, often used to reupholster the steering wheels of many German car brands.

We mark the future line on both sides using a compass and a gel pen.

The distance from the edge is 4-5 mm, so the seam turns out more beautiful.

We make a line on a typewriter in . If it is not there, then after marking with a pen using sharpened tweezers or a compass with 2 needles, we fill the holes along the line at an equal distance and make an imitation of a machine seam.

We apply it to the part, immediately fasten the thread, threading it first from the bottom, so that the knot is inside.

Then, on the other side (already from the front side), we thread the needle and also thread it from the inside through the first hole. We do the action 2 times. The stitches should be parallel to each other.

Without tightening, we lace through one stitch to the end.

Then, prying the thread, we begin to tighten, forming our seam.

And we get the final result

Sports Seam

Let's return to the previous lacing of the macrome, before tightening. If you add another thread, a second one and run it through the skipped stitches, you will get a “Sport Stitch”.

We stretch the threads and get a beautiful seam.

Sports seam 2

We mark and make a seam as mentioned above, all work is similar to the previous one...

The only difference is that everything is sewn with one thread in each stitch.

Then we carefully tighten it slowly and get such a wonderful seam.

Seam Pigtail

To make the markings we will use a compass with a gel pen.

We mark a straight line along the joint and make holes in a checkerboard pattern (not opposite each other) along the entire perimeter of the product.

We take a needle with a small eye so that the holes do not become larger, and thread a thread measuring 5 times the length of the future seam. We make a knot at one end, thread it through one bottom hole to the knot, then into the adjacent hole on the other part, pull them together and make a couple more stitches between them.

It is not recommended to tighten the seams immediately; it is better to do this after finishing, so that the seam is evenly tightened.

Braid with stitching around the edges

This is the most common type of lace braid. Different seam designs can be created by weaving the thread differently between stitches. You can thread the thread under each stitch or skip 1-2 stitches. You can pass them alternately from one side to the other. We will look at a few seams in this article below. Here are a few things to consider when reupholstering your steering wheel.

p, blockquote 14,0,0,0,0 —>

First, you need to clean the steering wheel of dirt.
If the steering wheel is damaged, then minor irregularities can be repaired by wrapping the damage with adhesive tape, thereby leveling the surface and only then starting to retighten it.
Pull the braid on all sides of the steering wheel.
Lacing may take several hours. The duration of lacing depends on the type of stitch chosen. After each stitch, you need to pull the thread tightly so that the edges meet.
Start lacing from the back side at the edge of the knitting needle. Pass the needle and thread through the hole in the existing stitch. This way, the knot of thread will remain under the braid.
Only tighten the threads when the braid is in place, otherwise it will be difficult to unravel the thread back.
The braid can be glued in the area of the knitting needles. Use upholstery glue. Modern glue is made on a water basis. It is non-toxic and washes off easily.

Zigzag stitch

p, blockquote 15,0,0,0,0 —>

A simple zigzag stitch to join the edges of the braid with stitched stitches.

This is the simplest stitch. A needle and thread are passed under each stitch of the edge stitching (or, for small stitches, an equal number of stitches are passed each time). The needle changes direction at each stage (stitches are threaded alternately from one edge or the other).

p, blockquote 16,0,0,0,0 —>

Hexagonal seam

p, blockquote 17,0,0,0,0 —>

Hexagonal seam. Used to connect the edges of the braid with stitched lines.

It is called so because of the similarity of individual seam segments to a hexagon. It is done as follows: a needle and thread are passed under parallel stitches located on different edges of the braid, two parallel stitches are passed, after which two parallel stitches are connected again (or more if they are small), starting from the same edge as the previous ones. It turns out to be a hexagon with a stripe diagonally.

p, blockquote 18,0,0,0,0 —>

Pentagonal seam

p, blockquote 19,0,0,0,0 —>

The needle and thread are first passed through one stitch, then one opposite stitch is passed (or more if they are small) and the thread is passed into the next stitch from the opposite side. That is, stitching is carried out through one stitch. The resulting weld segments are pentagonal in shape.

p, blockquote 20,0,0,0,0 —>

The process of stitching the braid together with a pentagonal seam, also known as a Euroseam, as many European auto manufacturers use it.

Diamond stitch

p, blockquote 21,0,0,0,0 —> Diamond stitch. Used to connect the edges of the braid with stitched lines. Yellow threads are stitches sewn along the edges with a machine, blue thread is a hand-made joining stitch.

A needle and thread are threaded through each stitch of the lines sewn along the edges of the braid. Unlike the simplest stitch (shown first in this article), the needle and thread are always threaded in the same direction. That is, the thread goes through two opposite stitches, then goes through the next two opposite stitches, coming in from the same side as in the previous step. The resulting seam segments are in the form of a diamond with a transverse line.

p, blockquote 22,0,0,0,0 —>