Arm rest DIY
10-25-2014, 06:22 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Arm rest DIY
Hey guys,
If your ap1 arm rest is worn out, faded, and disgusting like mine was you might be glad you're reading this...
This DIY is for reupholstering your ap1 cloth armrest. This diy may work for other cars/applications also. This method may be similar for leather, alacantra, or other materials.
DISCLAIMER: I will not responsible for any injuries or damage to yourself during this install from scissors/chemicals/etc.
Let's get started..
Here is my old, gross, faded, and worn out armrest. This think literally had no padding left.
Let the fun begin!!
Materials:
Cloth of your choice- I bought a half yard of the softest fabric I could find. Something I knew would be comfortable to rest my elbow on. I believe it's fake suede (didn't even look at the tag). It was about 12.99 a yard
Padding of your choice- I chose some 1" thick high density padding that was 1/2 off and durable enough to survive years of elbows. Side by side it's almost three times as thick as what I pulled off the armrest.
Spray adhesive- Had some headliner adhesive lying around from a previous project
Staple gun- borrowed one but I don't think these are very expensive. Also need staples too.
Scissors/knife- For cutting the cloth, etc..
About an hour of free time- I took a couple shortcuts but it turned out perfect.
A hand- it helps to have another person there to hold and pull the cloth but I did this by myself.
Pop that bad boy off the car (pulled right out) and start removing the staples from the back side. A pocket knife worked perfectly for this
See the difference in what it had looked like from the factory?
And here's the comparison with the new fabric
Give that sucker a tug and pull that old nasty cloth off.
This can go in the trash.
Obviously something had been spilled at one time. This is the padding left glued onto the plastic piece for the armrest. Watch those drinks!!!
Contd....
If your ap1 arm rest is worn out, faded, and disgusting like mine was you might be glad you're reading this...
This DIY is for reupholstering your ap1 cloth armrest. This diy may work for other cars/applications also. This method may be similar for leather, alacantra, or other materials.
DISCLAIMER: I will not responsible for any injuries or damage to yourself during this install from scissors/chemicals/etc.
Let's get started..
Here is my old, gross, faded, and worn out armrest. This think literally had no padding left.
Let the fun begin!!
Materials:
Cloth of your choice- I bought a half yard of the softest fabric I could find. Something I knew would be comfortable to rest my elbow on. I believe it's fake suede (didn't even look at the tag). It was about 12.99 a yard
Padding of your choice- I chose some 1" thick high density padding that was 1/2 off and durable enough to survive years of elbows. Side by side it's almost three times as thick as what I pulled off the armrest.
Spray adhesive- Had some headliner adhesive lying around from a previous project
Staple gun- borrowed one but I don't think these are very expensive. Also need staples too.
Scissors/knife- For cutting the cloth, etc..
About an hour of free time- I took a couple shortcuts but it turned out perfect.
A hand- it helps to have another person there to hold and pull the cloth but I did this by myself.
Pop that bad boy off the car (pulled right out) and start removing the staples from the back side. A pocket knife worked perfectly for this
See the difference in what it had looked like from the factory?
And here's the comparison with the new fabric
Give that sucker a tug and pull that old nasty cloth off.
This can go in the trash.
Obviously something had been spilled at one time. This is the padding left glued onto the plastic piece for the armrest. Watch those drinks!!!
Contd....
10-25-2014, 06:32 AM
#2
Thread Starter
Start tearing that old padding off however you see fit. I tugged what I could off with my fingers and scraped the rest with the knife. You don't have to get EVERY little piece off because you're just going to cover it up with more padding. But that's your choice.
When you're done ripping all that off be sure to throw it all away so small animals/kids don't try to eat it.
Now take your new padding..
Obviously there is plenty here to do several projects!!
Line it up in a corner with the armrest. Now what I did here is make the padding itself about a half an inch shorter all the way around the armrest. This makes for a nice smooth edge when you go to wrap your fabric around. It gives it that rolled edge look instead of a big, block shape.
Self explanatory... Like it up, mark it, and cut it out. Trim as needed.
When you're done trimming, go ahead and spray your adhesive on the plastic piece. Be sure to do this in a well ventilated area. Sorry, mine had sat for a while and the first couple sprays came out like jizz...
I also cut the corners to help prevent folds and help the cloth mold around the padding. I'm no expert with cloth but this seemed to help.
When you're done ripping all that off be sure to throw it all away so small animals/kids don't try to eat it.
Now take your new padding..
Obviously there is plenty here to do several projects!!
Line it up in a corner with the armrest. Now what I did here is make the padding itself about a half an inch shorter all the way around the armrest. This makes for a nice smooth edge when you go to wrap your fabric around. It gives it that rolled edge look instead of a big, block shape.
Self explanatory... Like it up, mark it, and cut it out. Trim as needed.
When you're done trimming, go ahead and spray your adhesive on the plastic piece. Be sure to do this in a well ventilated area. Sorry, mine had sat for a while and the first couple sprays came out like jizz...
I also cut the corners to help prevent folds and help the cloth mold around the padding. I'm no expert with cloth but this seemed to help.
10-25-2014, 06:37 AM
#3
Good job
Not sure how to tell you this but you started off with a non-oem armrest cover.... All s2000 center armrest are covered in perforated leather from the factory. What happens is the leather dries up, shrinks and starts to pull out then people replace it. The original padding is a crappy 1/4 foam and is of no benefit to the elbow as all of us have encountered.
Not sure how to tell you this but you started off with a non-oem armrest cover.... All s2000 center armrest are covered in perforated leather from the factory. What happens is the leather dries up, shrinks and starts to pull out then people replace it. The original padding is a crappy 1/4 foam and is of no benefit to the elbow as all of us have encountered.
10-25-2014, 06:41 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Now spray a light layer of the adhesive on the padding. Lay out and trim enough fabric to cover the armrest with fabric AND lay over to the backside. The reason I didn't use the old fabric as a template is because this new padding was way thicker and it wouldn't be enough fabric to cover.
Make sure the cloth is very flat to prevent wrinkles. Also, since the armrest isn't completely flat, be sure to roll it a bit on the cloth so the edges get grabbed by the adhesive too.
Smooth as necessary.
Now the super easy part. I used the side lengthwise edges first. Fold, pull, and staple. Try to keep the staples as close to the center as you can to prevent them puncturing through wayyyy down the road. Also, if you have someone helping you, spray the backside with adhesive. I didn't because I was doing by myself and didn't want to accidentally touch the adhesive then touch the fabric and ruin it. Should be fine, though.
Keep folding, trimming, and tucking the fabric to ensure it won't move around or come loose. Also, be sure to trim away where the clips go for reinstallation.
And voila. That easy.
Enjoy all that comfort!! Feels fantastic on the elbows and adds a bit of freshness to the interior. Get creative with the fabrics to match your themes!! And remember, if you don't like the end result, you've got plenty of extra materials to redo it.
Enjoy.
Make sure the cloth is very flat to prevent wrinkles. Also, since the armrest isn't completely flat, be sure to roll it a bit on the cloth so the edges get grabbed by the adhesive too.
Smooth as necessary.
Now the super easy part. I used the side lengthwise edges first. Fold, pull, and staple. Try to keep the staples as close to the center as you can to prevent them puncturing through wayyyy down the road. Also, if you have someone helping you, spray the backside with adhesive. I didn't because I was doing by myself and didn't want to accidentally touch the adhesive then touch the fabric and ruin it. Should be fine, though.
Keep folding, trimming, and tucking the fabric to ensure it won't move around or come loose. Also, be sure to trim away where the clips go for reinstallation.
And voila. That easy.
Enjoy all that comfort!! Feels fantastic on the elbows and adds a bit of freshness to the interior. Get creative with the fabrics to match your themes!! And remember, if you don't like the end result, you've got plenty of extra materials to redo it.
Enjoy.
