You can also make your car look attractive on your own. This requires only fantasy and, of course, desire. You can change or update the interior elements or some parts under the hood. In this article I will show you how to sheathe an old steering wheel. Do-it-yourself steering wheel padding is the first step to updating and improving the car interior. You shouldn't think that only specialists can do it. Do-it-yourself steering wheel hauling is not only instructive, but also quite an interesting process.

Considering the fact that the steering wheel is a part of the car, the contact of a person with which is made along the entire route, therefore, it is necessary to choose the material for the constriction only of high quality and it is desirable that it should be genuine leather. Since any other fabric deteriorates from constant rubbing of hands on the steering wheel after a month of car operation. The intended skin should not be very thick, but it should not be thin either. If it is too thick, then you will not pierce it with a needle, and if its thickness is small, then the new steering wheel cover can very quickly deteriorate. The optimum material thickness for the steering wheel is 1.3 millimeters. Ability such as elongation should be average. This is a very important criterion to consider before purchasing. Its elasticity should allow the material to fit tightly on the steering wheel, otherwise, you should not think about quality.

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

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

What do you need?

For the constriction, you will need the following materials and tools:

• Leather (it must meet all the necessary criteria);
• Sewing needle (the needle must be strong). If possible, use Soviet-made needles, as they are really high quality;
• Strong thread (nylon is used);
• Two thimbles (it's almost impossible to work without them). They will keep your fingers from getting punctured.
• Masking tape, Whatman sheets (it is better to use thick cardboard);
• Pencil or felt-tip pen;
• Film;
• Knife (it is better to use a clerical knife).

After preparing all the material, you can deal with the rest of the processes: cutting and hauling.

Making a pattern

In order to properly pull the steering wheel, and so that the result of your work has a spectacular look, you need to make a pattern. To do this, you need to make a preliminary layout (template).

It is made of scotch tape and film, which you need to cover the steering wheel. But, before that, you need to remove the steering wheel, as this will facilitate the work.
The first step is to remove the cover from the signal and unscrew the retaining nut that holds the steering wheel on the shaft. After that, we remove the steering wheel from the splines with swaying movements in different directions. Now that the steering wheel has been removed, you can start the preliminary layout. To create it, you need to wrap a film on the steering wheel, and apply masking tape over it. Do not spare the material, wind it in several layers.

After the entire rim is covered, you need to use a marker to make marks in the place where the seam will pass (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 the places where the parts will connect 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 clerical knife along these lines.

After cutting, you should end up with four separate pieces. Now they need to be leveled and attached to the cardboard to create patterns for the pattern.
After the templates are ready, they need to be attached to the main material in order to make the final version of the covering. But, it is important to remember that you do not need to cut 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 with high quality, and so that the thread does not break the skin during tightening.

That is, the seam will be strong enough and the leather will not tear when stitched. In addition, the folds give the new handlebar a more aesthetic look. Allowances can be given immediately, while you trace the pattern. You can also circle first, and then use a ruler to add one centimeter to each edge. This will ensure that you maintain an even retreat on each side.

After that, you can check how correct the cutting of the elements is. You need to attach each of the patterns to the intended place and see how they are located: their edges should be joined to each other. If the stock left is too large, you can trim the edges. If all is well, nothing bothers you, you can proceed to the final process - stitching the parts.

Step-by-step instructions for hauling

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

• The first step is to sweep all the edges that will be stitched. The fact is that each edge will be bent (we specially left indents for this), and since the thickness will double at the fold, it will not look beautiful and it is very difficult to pierce such a thickness with a needle. Therefore, overcasting is necessary. It will allow you to maintain the required thickness of the leather along the edges and thereby make the edges strong.
• We spread our (4) parts of the future steering wheel cover on some surface. They need to be laid out in exactly the same order as they will be located on the steering wheel.
• We prepare the needle (we pull the thread into it).
• Now you need to sew sequentially all the individual elements together.
  As a result, you should have a hoop.
• Now you need to pull it over the steering wheel. Position it so that the seams correspond to the incisions.
• Next, you can fix the cover to the steering wheel with glue or epoxy. Everyone makes this decision personally, you don't have to stick it.
• Now try to stretch the skin (even 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 on the entire 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 step is to decide where to start from. Basically, it just depends on convenience. It is necessary to stretch the skin to get a joint, if the joint does not converge, it is not scary, due to the elasticity, the joint will be pulled together with a thread. Thus, the entire cover is sewn together.

In those places where the cover can go under the signal cover, there you need to do without thread, but use glue. After completion, you need to straighten a brand new cover on the steering wheel, if there are any folds, it's not scary. After a few days, they will be smoothed out and the surface will be absolutely smooth. Now you can engage in installing the steering wheel in its original place, securing it with a fastening nut and cover the signal cover.

Padding the steering wheel with leather will significantly change the appearance of not only this element, but also emphasize the general appearance of the car interior. In addition, by doing this yourself, you not only saved your money, but also got a good experience in hauling, and also got to know more about the steering device of your car.