In case you were wondering why there's just one post on this supposed blog, it's because I've migrated to elsewhere on the web & got rid of most of the content on here. I left up my car tutorial because it is popular & helpful, but otherwise moved things to my new online home. Thanks!

Saturday, August 25

Pimp Your Ride

If you want, come check me out at my new blog

Update 5/5/15 - All is still well with the fabric. It hasn't peeled or faded (as far as I can tell), but I might try taking it off & putting something new on this summer just to switch things up!

So recently, the glue holding the upholstery to my car doors had melted, and it was looking a little rough. I decided, then convinced my helpful father, that it would be easy to put a new fabric in. Surprisingly, it was! Disclaimer: any technical knowledge I picked up from my dad during this process, and I would have been totally lost without him. If you have a handy person around, convince them to help you out!

First I picked out a heavy cotton material - I'm not sure what it was (edit- helpful commenters told me it is called duck / duck cotton / duck canvas), but it was almost like a thin canvas. A yard and a half was more than enough for my car.

This was the first photo of the day, so excuse
my lack of skills & the blurry thumb in the corner. 

The other super important supply was this adhesive (3M Headliner & Fabric Adhesive) - I bought mine at Hancock Fabrics for $14. An auto parts store might carry it as well. It sprays on, and it stays tacky for up to 15 minutes, which is good because you can reposition everything and work with it for a bit before it dries. 

Other tools included an exacto knife, a plastic putty knife (a sharp metal one won't work well), painter's tape, sandpaper, scissors, a pencil, poster board or foamcore board, acetone, a rag, and an assistant. 


Rub off any old adhesive with a piece of cloth or a rag, then sand the area, then give them a little cleaning with acetone. Do this for all of the doors, so that they are all ready to go. Also cut your material to size, leaving plenty of extra room on all sides. Be careful, because not all door panels are the same size. My driver's side one was slightly smaller than the rest, I think. If you can remove any parts of the door that would be in the way, do so! The parts around my door handles came off, so we got those out of the way. 


Next, cut a template from your poster/foam board. This guy will help you not spray glue all over the enture car, so it should be larger than the space you need to cover in adhesive, but not too large.



Also important in preventing your car from being covered in adhesive is tape! Get it as far in the little divot between the foam and the plastic as possible - the putty knife can be helpful here. 




Using your template, as demonstrated by my cheerful model above, spray the adhesive on to the area. It looks all funny and bubbly, but it works perfectly, don't worry! It is crazy flammable and very fume-y, so if you were planning on doing this indoors for some odd reason, I would not recommend that. 

After trial and error, we found that it was easier to take the tape off, except for the part on the door handle, after spraying the glue, because otherwise the adhesive on the fabric sticks to it and pulls the tape off and just makes a big awkward mess. Any glue you get on there is easily cleaned up with acetone at the end. 

The next step, spraying the fabric, is a two man job, so I don't have any pictures of that. Follow the instructions on the can, which say to spray vertically and then horizontally, so that it has two coats. Let it air dry for about 30 seconds, depending on how patient you are, and then carefully line it up and place it on the car. Pay attention to how you want your pattern to line up if you have a patterned fabric. 


When you put it on, start from the center and work towards the ends to avoid wrinkles. Put as much of it on the foam as you can - it will want to stick to the door and everything else it can reach, but pick it up and smooth it down as much as possible. 


Next, use your putty knife to cram the fabric into the crevice. You have some time, since this adhesive stays tacky, but I wouldn't work at a super slow pace or it will be more difficult towards the end. 

Once your fabric is tucked into the crevice and all nice and smooth on the area it is supposed to cover, go around with a (very sharp) exacto and cut the fabric. It's okay if your cuts leave a little extra fabric, as that can be jammed into the little crack, but try to be precise! 





Doing the part around the handle is a little trickier, but not too bad. Start with a cut in the middle, where you know there is nothing under the fabric, then feel around for the edges and cut out the center of the fabric. We didn't have to be as precise here, since the plastic thing snapped back on top and helped hold the fabric in place.

Ta-daa! Put back any parts that you took off, and leave the doors open for a while. In a few hours, you can have a totally unique car. 



For anyone wondering, I'm driving a 2002 Ford Escape, and it is perfect and I love it! Well, it was imperfect when the interior was peeling off, but now it looks sharp again. 

Feel free to ask questions on anything that didn't make sense - I'm not a professional car person (mechanic? re-upholsterer?) or how-to writer, so I'm sure I've left something out! 

Thanks for reading! 

Update (June 30, 2013)
I've gotten lots of questions about how this held up, and it still looks perfect! It legitimately looks the same as in the pictures from the day we did it, so yay! Also, I was at Hobby Lobby for the first time and noticed that they had a TON of different colors & patterns of duck cotton, so now would be a prime time to try this out :)


237 comments:

  1. Would you try this on your roof? The ceiling fabric on my daughter's car is deteriorating and this would be a perfect fix!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had to email my dad for this one - as I said, I provided the crafty skills & he the technical.

      "As for their question, headliners can be done the same way but they are more difficult due to size and awkward position. The most important part is in getting anything loose from the old liner off, like glue, otherwise your new glue will just fail again quickly. You would also need to cover a lot of the interior to keep the spray from getting on any fabric in there... Acetone will get residue off of plastic parts, but not so well off anything porous. I would also try to work it half at a time, starting from the center and going either left/right or front/back. All that said, that glue you found is the best I've seen and I think it would work great."

      Delete
    2. can also scrap off the insulation and paint (spray paint or use car enamal paint ) do funky designs.

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    3. Depending on your car, you can take the headliner out and cover it with fabric and then put it back in. My boyfriend did this to his Saab and it looked great. I don't know anything about getting the headliner out and then back in but if you figure that out just use the same method as above except since the headliner is out of your car, you can just wrap the edges of the fabric around the back of the headliner and glue it down. Then let it dry completely and put it back in. Good luck!

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    4. Uhm... you can remove (carefully) the entire headliner. Depending on the year model of the car, it should be pretty easy. New cars have clips holding it in but older cars use the dome light and visors to hold it in. you want to be very careful not to break the panel unless you know for sure you can get a replacement.

      Once you have it out, put it somewhere easy to reach. A table outside or in the garage should work. Get all the gunk off it, like her dad said. Hancock Fabrics sells headliner padding, just get a couple yards or whatever is sufficient for your car. Spray the headliner form and the foam and apply the foam from the center out. Get it smooth, allow to dry, and use an exacto or razor to trim the excess. Repeat with your fabric. Wrap the fabric around the edge about an inch or so to prevent it coming off around the edges later on.

      To trim around holes, do as she did here and start in the middle and feel for the edges.

      If you search YouTube I'm sure you can find a good video tutorial. You can also look for specific videos from the Trucks! tv show on SpikeTV. My husband watches this religiously and I've seen them do headliners.

      Delete
    5. Angie4.1.13

      I replaced my headliner in my old vehicle for about $50. I went to a more industrialized fabric store and bought the foam back fabric, and took the headliner completely out of the car. It was so much easier than to try and vacuum up all the old foam/adhesive after scraping it all off while still in place!

      Delete
    6. Anonymous24.1.13

      Look around for someone to do your headliner for you. I got a professionally installed headliner on my old 95 Honda Accord for about 140.00 and it looks brand new. Totally worth it.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous30.9.13

      I just relined my truck's roof interior in a similar way. I didn't go completely to the edges as they were not damaged, but the center areas had a lot of tears and scratches. Using a tube of fabric glue (Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive) from Hancock Fabrics and a heavily patterned cotton print (washed first), I cut out easy to handle squares and circles with pinking shears. I ran a good bead of glue along the edges, several spots of glue in the center and basically decoupaged the roof interior (after cutting down the liner that was damaged - revealing the foam underneath). Because of the busy (but very attractive) pattern, I could do small sections overlapping each other and it looks great. I absolutely love it. The glue stuck beautifully to the foam and instantly adhered so there was no frustrating holding it up, waiting for the glue to take hold. I worked outside with the doors opened and then left the windows open for about 3 hours afterward and there was no smell left (very little whilst I worked as well). I don't have pics yet, but will soon.

      Delete
  2. Does the adhesive leave a smell in the car?

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    Replies
    1. Not after you initially air it out. I left mine with the doors open for an hour or so after we finished working, and I haven't noticed any smell since.

      Delete
  3. Abbie Donaldson5.9.12

    I have the same car and its doing the same thing yours did. i think i might actually try this!!

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    Replies
    1. Do it! The cuteness is worth the small amount of work it takes.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6.11.12

      Thats so funny I have the same car and it was doing the same thug! Love my escape but seems they need to fix the problem of the upholstery falling off the doors!

      Cute idea!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous25.11.12

      I have a 2001 Red Ford Escape, bought the fabric yesterday and waiting for my dad to get here!!

      Delete
    4. i just got a 2008 escape and already want to try this even though there is now problem! time for a trip to the fabric store :)

      Delete
    5. Anonymous5.12.12

      I also have the same car and this is so cute!

      Delete
    6. Those door panels come off same as the headliner. It makes it a lot easier to do. However, the doors are a lot more complex than the headliner. If you remove it, keep track of all the little parts and where they go.

      Delete
    7. So very thankful you posted this. I have a 2006 Ford Escape and mine did the same thing. Can't wait to see the end product!

      Delete
    8. Anonymous27.1.13

      My 2002 Escape did the same thing, so did my cousins.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous8.2.13

      I have this same car and the same thing is starting to happen to me! Its winder now, so I hesitate to glue down the fabric when I cannot easily air out the fumes. My girlfriend also has the '01 Focus and she wound up just pulling hers off, I wonder if this is a flaw of this make/model?

      Delete
    10. Anonymous15.7.13

      Thank you so much for posting this, I am going to do this for my 1992 OLDS88. Awesome idea to customize and make it my very own. :)

      Delete
    11. Anonymous26.9.13

      My '07 Mustang is doing the same thing. Maybe a Ford thing? I figured it was the humid Houston weather.

      Delete
  4. Hey there! Just wanted to let you know we featured you in our Favorite Find Fridays post over at Whimsically Homemade. We used one of your pictures and linked back to you. If that's a problem let us know and we'll remove it immediately. Thanks for your great inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have a Ford Escape too and the fabric on the doors is starting to peel off. Will try this! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous7.9.12

    Wow..my escape did the same! Going to have to try this!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What adhesive did you use? You mentioned it was important but didn't give a name.
    I've seriously got to do this to my Jeep.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7.9.12

      there's a link where it says "adhesive"
      click on that and it'll take you right to the info

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Anonymous! I'm a visual learner, so I thought the picture & info on the 3M site would be more helpful than just a name.

      Delete
    3. Thanks! I didn't notice the link.
      Great tutorial Becca. I've definitely been inspired.

      Delete
  8. WOW! super impressed! My first car in high school could have used this treatment! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, that is what my escape is! I hope it lasts forever though, because it is the perfect car for me (:

      Delete
  9. I just bought my first car and the interior is pretty dodgy. I'll have the most amazing interior after I try this, my friends will be quite jealous. Thank you for the wonderful inspiration, I always love new ideas.

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    Replies
    1. You are welcome! My friends are jealous too.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous8.9.12

    My husband started driving our escape when we bought a van and all of his doors are doing this! Hopefully, I can find some "husband approved" fabric and someone to help me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There were plenty of solid colors of the same kind of fabric when I was shopping, so hopefully one of those will work for you (:

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    2. you could always pick a sports team... LOL

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    3. Anonymous17.4.14

      Depending on color of car, camo wold work.

      Delete
  11. so super awesome!! can't wait to try this, thank you so much for sharing your craftiness!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are welcome! I looked all over for a tutorial to do this to my car, but everything was about putting back the old fabric, which wouldn't work for me.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous8.9.12

    Well done!!!!
    Regards,
    Not so anonymous Jo

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  13. Anonymous8.9.12

    Nice job. What was the glue brand/type?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is 3M, and it is called something weird that has the word "foam" in it. If you click on the word "adhesive," there is a link to the website that shows you a picture & info about it.

      Delete
  14. This absolutely amazing! The idea is great, your car looks so cool after this. I do DIY too and you are now on my favorite blogs list.

    www.daretoDIY.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm on my way over to your blog to check it out as wel.

      Delete
  15. I need to do this for my car!!! I have a VW Beetle that did the same thing. Thanks for all your tips!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. How stinkin' CUTE!!! I'm bummed I don't have any fabric on my door panels now to cover, but am thinking chevron seat covers might be in my cars future!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17.10.12

      i would love to see a tutorial on the seat covers

      Delete
  17. Anonymous9.9.12

    You know this could work on my 1997 Lincoln Continental. Never thought about improving the inside. Great Idea.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous9.9.12

    You know this could work on my 1997 Lincoln Continental. Never thought about improving the inside. Great Idea.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous9.9.12

    Thanks for the tutorial. I have to do my headliner. While I'm at it, I was thinking about doing the doors as well in something fun.

    ReplyDelete
  20. 1. I have a 2003 Escape and the heat melted the door lining too. It's nice to see that I'm not the only one.

    2. Yesterday, literally, I bought spray adhesive and tried to glue the old fabric back on. If it falls off again, I'm totally doing this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous19.9.12

      I've tried to re-glue mine so many times, but it just keeps coming back off

      Delete
  21. Anonymous9.9.12

    Wouldn't it be easier to just spray the fabric with the adhesive after you cut it out? This would avoid the template you would have to make? And would avoid all the taping with the painters tape.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous10.9.12

      Spray adhesive doesn't work well when you spray just the fabric.

      Delete
    2. The instructions on the adhesive said to spray both surfaces. If you were super neat with spraying, you could avoid using the template thing, but we didn't want to get it all over the windows or anything. Also, cutting the fabric after it is on makes it easier to wedge it into the crack and makes it look neater overall, I think.

      Delete
  22. Anonymous10.9.12

    Love it! Same car , same problem here!! I glued the old fabric back though! I wish I would have seen your idea before , most definately would have tried it' it looks awesome!!! Great job!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. This is great, thank you the tips. DH wants me to make a quilt for a Bucket-T he is building but this would be so much better and I wouldn' have to do all the work.

    ReplyDelete
  24. In these times of tragic instances of human trafficking of teenagers, I am really offended by your casual use of the word 'pimp'. I hope it isn't your daughter/granddaughter/friend who is the next unsuspecting victim lured into bondage by one of these horrible individuals.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I appreciate that you took the time to post something that really made me think, and I'm sorry if someone you know has been affected by human trafficking. I was on a debate team in high school and we talked a lot about the importance of language, so this brought back a lot of thoughts on the philosophy behind that.

      Delete
    2. Joanna12.9.12

      I'm totally going to force my car into underage prostitution! Woo hoo! But seriously... LOL... wonderful tutorial with fabulous execution.

      Sorry that the word police feel the need to intervene. I believe the word is HOMONYM. Pimp has multiple meanings and it's quite clear that your tutorial had not a whole lot to do with human trafficking and/or prostitution.

      Don't let Ms Linda up there take away from the fact that you've done a wonderful job and don't let the word police influence your future blog posts. It's creative use of language that makes blogs interesting and fun... along with content. If you worry about being PC all the time you'll find your posts getting a tad boring.

      Delete
    3. mysoldierswife2.10.12

      Really? REALLY?? Oh the pain these people cause me when they say stupid $*** like that. I didn't even notice the word until Linda oh so kindly pointed it out.

      This tutorial is AMAZING and I am going to have to sneak past my hubby and def using it! Thanks so much!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous3.11.12

      Why do some people have to bring such a serious and negative comment to such a brilliant idea that has nothing to do with trafficking!? Linda D, do you honestly think that your comment was necessary? We are not idiots, so don't try to make this poor girl feel guilty for a phrase that is so commonly used. We are well aware of what she meant as I'm sure you are too. Did you write to the makers of Pimp my Ride, the tv show as well?
      Becca, keep rocking the awesome ideas! Absolutely brilliant! Kinda wish my interior would fall apart just so I could try this. Do you think it would work if I did it over existing fabric that is still intact?

      Delete
    5. Thanks! I think it depends on what kind of fabric - something fabric-y would probably work, where as a leather or vinyl would probably be less successful. You could also check out different kinds of adhesives that would be better for bonding fabric to fabric!

      Delete
    6. Anonymous15.11.12

      Going to do this in a week or so on my cobalt, it has just faded horibly, and I just want a fresher look,, Son in law, is on it!! lol

      Re: human trafficking, seriously, issues in our world are serious, and distrubing, of that I am certainly not minimizing.. but if you need to carry the flag on someone who is simply posting a DIY project, you are wasting your time,,, find the place it is better suited.. You appear unstable..imho..... WOW!

      Delete
    7. Anonymous30.1.13

      not to go off on a tangent, but pimps actually make prostitution safer...in the united states at least...check the statistics

      (Linda: check the prostitution chapters of Freakenomics and Superfreakenomics and then go watch some mtv2 repeats with xhibit)

      and lastly no one cares youre offended, its the internet, get used to it...no ones going to sugarcoat your browser so get over it

      (great diy post btw)

      Delete
  25. Anonymous10.9.12

    Linda, I find it offensive that you took the time out of your day to try and scold this author. Clearly you are not from this generation. Pimp, in this instance, is simply revamping and improving something, not smuggling teenagers in a trunk to be prostitutes on the Vegas strip. Her tutorial was incredibly detailed and beautifully done. Life for you must be incredibly difficult if you are offended by this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your glowing review!

      Delete
    2. Well said! And may I say I love the word "scold" I'm so using it.

      Side note..is it wrong I want to do this to my car..yet its perfectly fine?

      Delete
  26. Anonymous10.9.12

    I have a 2005 Ford Escape as well (they seem to have a big problem with the fabric coming off...) and have been wanting to try this! I am so happy you did a tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous28.7.13

      I have a 2006 Mercury Mariner - same thing happened to me, used a glue from the auto parts store, hard to work with, discolored material when dry, looks awful

      Delete
  27. Anonymous10.9.12

    Wowwww, how could someone be so offended by that word? I mean, I can understand be offended by pimps and if you were so casually talking about human traffiking or something... But MY LORD. There is a TV show called "Pimp My Ride" so I saw where you were coming from. It's true, life must be really difficult for them if they found this offensive enough to comment lol People are ridiculous... I loved it! Great job :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous10.9.12

    Cute idea, but you do know the the plastic will come off your door right?.. would have made it easier...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are right, this would have been much easier! I don't think the foam part separates from the plastic on the Escape, though, at least not on mine. Anyone else know for sure?

      Delete
    2. No, the foam part does not separate. I thought I was so smart and was going to disassemble my door to get the foam part out and redo my panels, and guess what! They don't come off. I got the WHOLE DOOR panel off and no luck! I am going to be doing this with a faux patterned leather from Hobby Lobby. Can't wait!

      Delete
  29. Anonymous12.9.12

    Oh my gosh! This is SO amazing. I am so jealous of your car and I am doing this whenever I have some time! Thank you SO much!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. wow! that looks so awesome! i wonder if i can give this a try in my car. thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Becca- I love love love this project so much that I shared it on my website. I do a feature called the Frugal Pin of the Day, where I find awesome frugal tutorial ideas (Such as yours) and share them with my readers. Here is the link if you want to check it out. Thanks so much for the AWESOME idea! Keep up the great work!
    http://anexerciseinfrugality.com/2012/09/frugal-pin-of-the-day-19.html
    -Rose
    An Exercise in Frugality

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous14.9.12

    Thank you SOOO much for this! Your car looks fantastic. I love the material. I just recently struggled with the material over my sunroof cover falling off. I made the mistake of not getting all of the old adhesive off, so now it looks like crap. I appreciate you sharing this information and next time my fabric starts falling off, I'll be on the lookout for some snazzy material.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Sanding & acetone should help with getting off the old stuff, but make sure you try the acetone on a small section first in case it causes strange chemical reactions to happen (: Good luck!

      Delete
  33. Anonymous14.9.12

    My car is a 2003 Ford Escape and my upholstery is doing the same thing on all of my doors. I haven't been able to do much but my friend showed me what you did with yours and I love it! I also got permission to do it so thanks for the great idea! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awesome! 2002-3 seems to have been a bad year for adhesive, for whatever reason. Good luck! You should post pictures somewhere once you try it (:

      Delete
  34. This is an awesome tutorial! You have a great dad that helped out with your project. I too have a super ingenious dad. He glued my door panel back 2 weeks ago and it is already falling off. I guess it is all years because I have a 2006 ford escape and mine just did the same thing this summer. Thanks for the tutorial. I was wondering how I would be able to use spray adhesive and not make my entire door sticky. And now that I've read your tutorial I know!!! Thx! I have some great turquoise canvas fabric that I'm going to try. I have same tan interior but mine is black. I may have to send you a picture after I complete mine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Turquoise sounds fun! I'd love to see how it works out.

      Delete
  35. There is nothing wrong with the interior of my car (a 2007 Toyota Matrix), and I sooo want to do this! Thanks for the great tutorial and awesome idea!! Now to find just the right fabric. :-)

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  36. That is brilliant. Seriously.

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  37. OMG, you are SO COOL! Can I borrow your dad? Thanks for the idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, I am a large fan of him as well. Good luck!

      Delete
  38. Anonymous16.9.12

    01 yellow ford ecsape!!! all the door fabric i peeling off. im totally going to try this. thanks for the awesom idea

    ReplyDelete
  39. Had the same thing happen to my escape!!! Thanks for the tutorial, now I can fix it (:

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  40. Had the same thing happen to my escape!!! Thanks for the tutorial, now I can fix it (:

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  41. Had the same thing happen to my escape!!! Thanks for the tutorial, now I can fix it (:

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous17.9.12

    Wonderful tutorial! I have a 2001 ford taurus sel that has done the same thing. Maybe it is a 2000 ish ford adhesive issue. Anyways.. The sel model comes with leather seats. I was interested in knowing if your escape is leather interior as well. I want to do this very badly! But I'm
    Not sure how fabric door panels will look with leather seats.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mine is a fabric interior, so I'm not sure how the fabric would look with the leather. Maybe you could check your fabric store for some kind of fake leather that would match?

      Delete
  43. I love it! I saw this photo of your car on pinterest and my jaw dropped. I too have a 2002 Escape and the fabric on my door panels are currently falling off and it is driving me crazy! I'm so glad I saw this and can see there is hope for my car! Thank you again for posting! Wish me luck...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, good luck! I'm sure you can make your car look spiffy again in no time.

      Delete
  44. Did this and it worked excellent. Had a hard time finding the 3M adhesive it calls for so we used another 3M product they sold at the auto store for headliners, so far so good. The descriptions were great on how to. Didn't have any problems, or change anything. We actually found a curtain that we used instead of fabric, we liked the pattern better and it was nice and thick. Good luck!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad to hear that this worked out for you! Also good to know that other kinds of adhesive work as well. Thanks for sharing (:

      Delete
  45. That’s a pretty smart way of protecting the interiors of your car against scratches! It’s both cost-efficient and effective. What’s even better about it is that you can make your choice of fabric according to your taste. You can go with plain fabrics, patterned fabrics, or fabrics with other kinds of designs.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous19.9.12

    wow it's funny you have a Ford Escape, cause I have one also (2001) and the same thing happened to my car, I had to glue the fabric back on too!
    Your car looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous20.9.12

    I have a ford escape 2005 and I am having the same problem. seems like these models of ford is an issue

    ReplyDelete
  48. My husband and I just used this tutorial to re do his car door panels using a fake leather vinyl and it turned out awesome! Thank you!!

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad it worked out! It is good to know that I could upgrade to something classier someday, if I ever tire of chevrons.

      Delete
  49. Anonymous23.9.12

    Camo head liner and door panels tomorrow but I'm taking it all out of the car it's an Acura Integra so it's gunna be easy.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Great helper, good clear, notes, I have need of this to update my older auto and bring some shine back into its aging interior. Thank you,

    Robin Machado

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are welcome! I hope it works out for you!

      Delete
  51. Looks like yuou have a ford escape! Same thing happened to mine (and...I live in TX. TX Sun = No Mercy) The stuff left behind (what feels like sand paper shavingsa) is horrible and gets on my kids :( Thank you soooo much for posting this!
    Sarah

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    Replies
    1. You are welcome! I had weird green stuff shedding on me for a while, too. Make sure you sand it all off before adding any new fabric over top.

      Delete
  52. It is quite unique that even small things like a piece of fabric can also have some benefits. By using the fabric, we can make the right protection for the interiors of the car. Besides, you can choose any design you want, such as floral, plain, or striped fabric. But for me, I’d rather choose a plain with a dark color because stains will not easily be obvious.

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  53. Cool! Fabrics are now useful in decorating the interiors of our car. Through this, we can easily prevent any scratch to the doors of our car. Actually, I already did this to my old car, and I used two colors, such as purple and pink; it was awesome! I think it can be better if you use bright colors, it will look more spacious inside.

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  54. I drive a 2007 Ford Mustang, and it has leather (probably not real, but i choose to call it leather anyway) on the doors. The leather has been pealing off so horribly lately, do you think this would work to just reapply the old leather?

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    Replies
    1. I think so! If the back is fabric-like, I don't see why it wouldn't work out. Good luck!

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  55. Anonymous2.10.12

    How is the fabric holding out now? Have you had to re-glue it at all?

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    Replies
    1. It hasn't peeled or changed at all so far! I would think that the summer months might be more challenging with the heat, but so far it still looks perfect.

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  56. Anonymous4.10.12

    How long did this take to do all the doors? I have a little ford escort and I would love love love to do this!

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    Replies
    1. I don't know for sure, but I would guesstimate around 3 hours, or less.

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  57. I have an 01 Mazda Tribute & we've tried lots of things, including (currently) 3M mending tape, but this sounds like just the thing. Thanks a bunch! Can't wait to go fabric shopping!

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  58. So want to do this, I have an 2002 Escape, it had given up on the doors a while back we tried gluing them but the foam on the back of the original material think caused it not to stick so will be giving this a shot real soon already have some material in mind..my daughter had seen your Pintrest pin and thought of me !! yeah I may have a beautiful car again soon!! Cindy

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  59. Lindsey10.10.12

    Oh my gosh! I have the same car but a 03. And all four of mine are off. It is $300 to fix! This might be my way out. I hope I can do it!

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  60. I have a 2005 Escape. All 4 of our doors have started peeling. We ended up doing something similar but gluing a very thin vinyl instead of fabric. I have read the Escapes seem to have this flaw...

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  61. Anonymous20.10.12

    How did it do with the Summer Months? I live in Arizona and unsure if this Adhesive can handle high temps!

    -Hot in AZ

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    Replies
    1. Well, the only real heat it had to last through August in Virginia Beach, but nothing has peeled at all so far. The adhesive is specifically designed for auto interiors, so it is supposed to withstand heat. I suppose the original adhesive was supposed to do that as well, but I don't see any indication that the heat is going to hurt it.

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  62. Anonymous29.10.12

    OMG...I have a 2002 Escape and the same thing happened! Thanks for this great idea!

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  63. that fabric you are using is called "duck cloth", its a cross between basic cotton and canvas, very durable! (I work at Hancock Fabrics)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! Glad I picked something appropriate for the job.

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  64. Thank you for this. My interior is not peeling but little hands have created quite a mess of my doors. I'm going to try this soon! The glue looks kind of bumpy. Does it dry smooth?

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    Replies
    1. Yep! The glue is sort of bubbly, but once you smooth and press the fabric on that goes away.

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  65. Anyone know where that fabric was purchased or the name of it? I know it's a chevron print.

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    Replies
    1. I got it at Hancock Fabrics, but it was on clearance when I bought it. Someone else said that they type of fabric was "duck cloth," if you want to look for something similar!

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  66. haha oh my gosh ur dad is hilarious he should be a model! Thanks for this great tip my car definetly needs a spruce up!!!! have a great day!

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  67. Wow! It’s like nothing happened. Your dad has a very impressive do-it-yourselfer talent, Becca. The idea of covering up the upholstery with a well designed paper wrap is clever, as it really did cover all the scratches made. There were literally no signs of the damage done with your door. The fabric did not just improve the look of your car door; it also transformed the whole interior of your car as well.

    Nicole Vickers

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  68. Anonymous13.11.12

    my 2002 escape did the same thing! it sucks! i took it to a professional, but their job didnt last 6 months. thanks for showing me a way to fix it on my own!

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  69. This is seriously cute!

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  70. Anonymous6.12.12

    Hey Becca, Im j/c how long ago you did this and is it still holding up. THanks!

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    Replies
    1. Hey, mystery person! I did this in August, so about 4 months ago, and they still look just like they do in these pictures (: I'd imagine if you had dogs or children frequenting your backseat, they might get dirty or scratched up, but otherwise I think they'll hold for a while. Best of luck!

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  71. I have a new Ford Fiesta, so everything is still brand new, but I'm going into the garage now to see if the fabric pieces will come off.. if so I'm totally going to cover them with some cute fabric! This is awesome!

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  72. Anonymous14.12.12

    Great idea! My door fabric in my subaru is dull and just blah. This is great. Thank you for your help. Sorry about rude people who have nothing better to do with his or HER time than to focus on a slang term. Anyways, thank you for the instructions and photos!

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  73. how can i get my interior off, if it isn't starting to peel yet?

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  74. Do you think you could do this with the seats? I have a Ford Focus, and I would love to redo the drab old fabric. I haven't even able to find seat covers I actually like.

    If not, I'll just have to do this. Its SUCH an adorable idea!

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  75. I am doing this today... literally. i was thinking about trying this and then I saw your post and it convinced me. Thank you!

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  76. This is a fantastic post, and I was so excited to see that someone had asked about the headliner, as this was precisely what I was considering using this as inspiration for! My one concern would be that the heat of the metal of the top of the car would get too hot & the glue would melt in the summer. Since your dad seems to be so knowledgeable on car interior redecoration (lol) I figured I would toss it out there to see if you or he had an opinion on the matter.

    Thanks again for such a brilliant tutorial!!!

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  77. I just stumbled across this on Pinterest, and the entire reason I clicked was because I recognize that door! I, too, have a 2002 Ford Escape where the door upholstery adhesive gave up this past summer. I've had it taped up with packing tape in the interim, but I love this idea. Once the weather warms back up, I need to give it a try!

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  78. Well I did it today I Pimped my own ride a 2002 Escape but blue I love love love it I am going to do the back doors too so they all match now need to find instructions on making my visors match saw them on web some where and can not put finger on them again..thanks so much for publishing this I love my new look I chose blue and green paisley.

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  79. Well I Finally got around to doing the big plunge and got my door panels changed over thanks so much for this tut. I did not quite follow everything you did but I am kinda a fly by the seat of my pants kinda girl it still worked out and the doors look great going to do the back ones too. My Escape is blue so I used a green cream and blue paisley also marked you on my blog after posting the pics so u and another girl get a mention. Thanks Cindy

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  80. Can I borrow your dad? He's awesome! Great project, and I love the fabric you chose.

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  81. Anonymous17.1.13

    If you want to do this with a headliner you need 3M brand spray adhesive max or professional strength. Anything else will fall down with the windows down on the highway.

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  82. Charlotte20.1.13

    I am definitely going to do this in my truck! The fabric is fine in it...but I gotta make it cuter..after all, its a girls truck!

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  83. Nice job, looks very professional. To keep the glue from melting (again), you might want to get the car windows tinted. This can really reduce heat buildup, especially if you park it outside a lot or live in a warm climate.

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  84. Anonymous19.2.13

    I really love this idea! Where did you find your fabric?

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  85. Anonymous25.2.13

    Did you say you removed the painters tape after you sprayed the glue but before you laid down the fabric? Am I understanding that right?

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  86. Anonymous5.3.13

    will this work on a console? my console looks horrible and i was looking for something to do with it? i love this idea

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  87. Anonymous1.4.13

    AWESOME IDEA, will have to try this when if the need ever comes up....sounds like Ford needs to know that this is an issue.

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  88. Anonymous2.4.13

    I have a VW Beetle and for the past year since I have had it, I have struggled with keeping the sides on and up. I suggested doing something like this to my mom and she thought it was weird. Little does she know, she will be my help as I prove her wrong. Thank you!!!

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    Replies
    1. Haha, good luck in enlisting her as a helper! I think this would be extra cute in a beetle, especially since they are usually fun colors & there has to be cute, colorful fabric out right now for spring!

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  89. Wow, now I wish I had upholstery on my doors!! Looks better than new! Awesome!!

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  90. Anonymous12.4.13

    OMG I totally love this idea n I'm gonna do it!!! The interior of my car is shot, the previous owner left major internal damage (but she runs like a dream, so what can I say?) lots of water stains on the side panels. So this is AMAZING! I'm sure my son will want to help too, at least pick out the fabric, he's a lil young for the spray part. Thanks n keep up the good work! Blessings! ~Tee

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  91. Anonymous30.4.13

    i have the same car and did mine as well took about 2 hours but totally worth it! Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Yay! If you want to send a picture or two, I can try to add them at the end of the post :) becca.aimee (at) gmail.com

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  92. Anonymous1.5.13

    I'm wanting to do this to my car now, but the fabric isn't damaged, I just want that pop of color. Would it be difficult to remove the fabric since the adhesive isn't damaged?

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    Replies
    1. I honestly have no idea! If it doesn't come off easily, maybe you could try to find some sort of solvent/chemical to make it easier ? I would try to call a body shop and ask them :)

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  93. Anonymous5.5.13

    Thank You So Much For Sharing This! I Drive A 2004 Malibu That Has Same Problem! Bethany From NC!

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  94. Anonymous10.5.13

    Hi! About the adhesive, just go to Hancock Fabrics and tell them what you need it for, and they'll know what to sell to you. I work in one of their stores, but I hesitate to name the brand in case the manufacturer has a problem with it. But our associates are trained to know what you need for your project. I wish success to all who try this! We also sell headliner fabric for the ceiling of the car, which calls for this same spray adhesive that is formulated for use on projects like this.

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  95. So How did you get your old fabric off first?

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    Replies
    1. It was already peeling off when I started because it was old and Ford used pretty bad glue in 2002, from what other people have said. If yours isn't, I would ask at a fabric store or maybe an auto shop if they have any tips!

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  96. Miranda Ventura29.5.13

    Would this work on a car that did not originally come with fabric on it? My car is just i guess plastic where you put the fabric, I'd love to do this to my Sebring convertible!

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  97. Anonymous7.6.13

    ¡Me encanta! ¡Cuando tenga coche lo haré! :D

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  98. This is really a superb work. you can change the totally look of car doors . I really like your work.

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  99. Very nicely viewed. I would add a few things. It is easier to pull the foam off than you think...and it adheres better and longer. However, it is not quite as soft.

    And it is very easy to remove the door panels. So many tutorials on the web that I won't show it here. But the door panels come off with two or three screws, then pop it off....unplug the electronics if you have them and you are done.

    But I appreciate the design you used....really nice.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, & thanks for the tip in case others want to try it :)

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  100. Anonymous10.6.13

    Do you think this could be done to a car visor? The fabric on mine is beginning to fall off.

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    Replies
    1. I think so, but I would be careful with the adhesive if you can't remove the visor. Also, at least based on what my visors look like, I'm not sure how beat you could get it to look. good luck if you try!

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  101. We used batting, and 3m super77 spray adhesive and it adhered perfectly. waiting until it dried and then put on the material. Looks terrific. Even did the center consol as we had material left over. all matches now.

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    Replies
    1. Congrats! I still have some left over material as well, and I haven't thought of a use for it yet!

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  102. I do think it can be done to a visor but I think you would have to remove the visor and that can be pretty tough if you don't know what you are doing. Wish I had seen it first....might have gone ahead and tried it also. But with the spray adhesive, definitely better take the visor off.

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  103. How is this holding up now? Still in tact? I need to do something like this to my car but am concerned about if falling off all over again. Very cute though!!

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    Replies
    1. Mine is still going strong! Also, now would be a great time to do this - I've seen tons of cute duck cloth fabrics in stores lately.

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  104. Wow, thank you so much for this! I'm sure I will use it in the future :)

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  105. I had the same thing happen to my old car (1993 Oldsmobile Royale). I approached the problem with a little easier idea. I used heavy cardboard to put my fabric on first then I used Gorilla Glue to attach it to the doors after I sewed the fabric onto the cardboard. To be very honest, I never thought of gluing the fabric directly to the doors themselves but no matter my idea worked just fine.

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  106. Do you know if this would work on a 2004 toyota corolla LE? I have cigarette burns from when I was younger on the door fabric and ceiling fabric and I just want them GONE! But im SO afraid that ill think something can pop off and ill break it. Any ideas of how I can check to see whats removable? Every time I go ask a body shop they tell me the same BS, "leave that kind of stuff to the professionals, dear".I know i can do it. I just want to know what I can take off safely. Any thoughts?

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure, but if you google it, I'm sure someone knows! Youtube has lots of tutorials for how to remove door panels and things like that, so that would also be a good resource. Another helpful thing I found was some sort of forum for people who drive escapes, and I'm sure there is something similar for your car as well!

      I don't know if this is what your car looks like, but here is an example of a tutorial I found by googling it :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBlXN0IxlVY

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  107. I have a brand new car and I still think that your idea is great. How cheery to pop into such a bright interior everyday. I love the fabric you picked too.

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  108. Do you have any idea how to remove the headliner? I'm having a real hard time with this in my 2002 Saturn SL. ):

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  109. Do you have any idea how to remove the headliner? I'm having a real hard time with this in my 2002 Saturn SL. ):

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  110. Anonymous9.8.13

    Thank you, the pictures are brilliant, the old '1' picture worth a thousand words in this instance was so true for me. My son's dog ate the head liner of my car and when I saw the door of your car I was ..like tada! that could work for my situation, then I read the notes and am sure this will work....

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  111. Anonymous17.8.13

    Just did this to my car last night. No helper. Super easy. If you want to do it go for it!

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  112. Omg!! I had this same problem with my Ford Escape!! I hated how ugly it looked. But the SUV began giving me other problems so I sold it to my uncle. He fixed it up but I should tell him about this to fix the door. I might do this to my next ride, though. This is very creative!

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  113. Omg!! I had this same problem with my Ford Escape!! I hated how ugly it looked. But the SUV began giving me other problems so I sold it to my uncle. He fixed it up but I should tell him about this to fix the door. I might do this to my next ride, though. This is very creative!

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  114. Anonymous7.9.13

    It must be something with the Ford Escapes because mine is doing the same thing. I was wondering how to fix it and now I have found the solution! Thanks for the idea!!

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  115. Interesting and useful information that you have provided here on your page.So great to find this post.

    Nissan GPS DVD player & Honda GPS DVD player

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  116. This is amazing for me! Great some thing new could be done on any used cars houston

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  117. Very informative blog.I really like your modern entertainment system that you had posted here,so nice to install it on a car.

    2 din DVD player & Honda GPS DVD player

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  118. What an amazing transformation. It really looks good and the process seems easy. Thank you for sharing these useful tips with us. The fabric upholstery at my car faded and I could use your advice to improve its look. This will be my nect "weekend project".
    http://anyclean.co.uk

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  119. That looks awesome! I have been needing to do some upholstery repair in Arlington Heights IL on my car. I want to do something like this now. Thanks for sharing.

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  120. This is great post ever!! Your way of describing your views is really awesome.This is really interesting i can 't wait for do this.I am gonna doing this so early.
    ________
    http://www.getsunstoppers.com/csv.php

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  121. Anonymous10.11.13

    Hey! My escape did the same exact thing, not to mention all the other recalls that this type has had and other things that do not work on it....Thanks!! Will use.

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  122. Thank you for providing clear information. I have bookmarked this article for future reference. For more information you can also follow Automotive Foam Tape Supplier.

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  123. Anonymous18.2.14

    Great instructions! Thanks. This is on my to-do list for this week now. :)

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  124. Anonymous30.3.14

    I tried a gray vinyl that had a cloth type background to restore it to what it originally looked like, But that did not work well at all with 3M spray, So I looked into what upholsterers use and other than a professional spray gun they have recommended DAP weldwood high strength spray adhesive.
    I found a gray snakeskin duck cloth online and have finished the passenger side door today, I just wanted to say that for me, It helped to take the panel out, Also it was very helpful to create a pattern with paper and pencil, then cut the material slightly larger than the pattern.
    Also, after spraying both the door and the cloth with the adhesive, and aligning it to the panel, It helped considerably to use both a plastic putty knife like you had mentioned, But also I used an old plastic credit sized card which made it easier to bend around the angles.
    After using the putty knife to jamb it in, I inserted the credit card and used it as a guide to trim the excess cloth off with the razor blade.
    Wanted to say thank you, This has help me and others immensely .


    http://imageshack.com/a/img833/8895/msp5.jpg

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing! Yours looks awesome - good fabric choice for the gray doors.

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  125. Anonymous26.4.14

    2001 Escape. Same problem. I re-glued all four door panels with the original vinyl. It didn't last. I love the fabric, but it's my son's car and I don't think it would hold up. Hancock Fabrics sells auto vinyl remnants! I saw the same tan vinyl there and didn't think to buy new vinyl. I also used the tape and got glue all over! I love the template. That is so smart! Also, the handle trim piece comes off. I didn't know that either. The whole door panel comes off too and that would be super smart. I may try that. You have to be brave and just pop the clips with a tool made for clip removal. It's available at auto parts stores. Don't get me started on Ford Escape Quality! Working on the broken sunroof track! It hasn't worked in years. We pulled out the headliner today (again, be brave and just go for it!) Bought the new metal parts to replace the cheap-O Ford plastic parts. $135. online. Tomorrow we will replace the sunroof and reinstall the headliner! Monday, I'm going to Hancock Fabrics for vinyl!

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