How to Reupholster a Classic Car Center Console

The first step in reupholstering a center console is patterning. We used Dura-Skrim^® Patterning Material to pattern the shape of our existing console, which is a basic wooden frame, but you could skip the Dura-Skrim and pattern directly onto your new vinyl material — it’s your choice. Next comes cutting the vinyl, patterning and cutting the Sew Foam, sewing the panels together, stapling the vinyl cover to the console frame and more. The upholstery process is simple and straightforward, and we break it down for you into easy-to-understand steps.

You’ll want a top quality vinyl material for your console. We chose Morbern^® Seabrook and Naugahyde^® Universal for all of the car’s interior upholstery. Both of these vinyl fabrics are mold, mildew and stain resistant. They’re also incredibly abrasion resistant and fade resistant, which means they will retain their durability and color for years. We chose the Sailrite^® Fabricator^® Sewing Machine to sew our vinyl panels together. This straight stitch, industrial sewing machine powers through thick assemblies with incredible slow speed power and control thanks to the Workhorse^® Servo Motor.

A note on vinyl stretch factor: Construction vinyls like Morbern and Naugahyde have about the same amount of stretch on the running length and cross width, but they have more stretch on the bias. If you choose to pattern along the bias it will take more fabric, and we chose not to for this project. Instead of a construction vinyl, you could use a four-way stretch vinyl like EverSoft™ or Sunbrella^® Horizon^®, which have more consistent stretch and are a great choice for automotive upholstery. With a four-way stretch vinyl, you do not have to worry about panel orientation.

Watch the video below to see for yourself how easy this car upholstery project is. We’ve also included a comprehensive list of all the materials and tools you’ll need to tackle this DIY.