Realistic upholstery is a phenomenal detail that helps bring your diecast model car to life. Some model car collectors might want to change the upholstery in your model car to stretch your crafting skills, touch up damaged or faded parts, or simply give the model a more authentic look. As with any model car project, changing the upholstery requires patience, care, and extreme attention to detail. Prepare for success with this brief overview of what to know when changing your diecast model car upholstery.

Working With Leather Upholstery

Leather seats are a sleek and attractive addition to any car. If you want to add leather seats or replace the existing leather upholstery in your model car, you’ll need a small piece of leather, glue, and a fresh blade for cutting and skiving.

The thinner your piece of leather is, the easier it will be to work with. You can skive a piece of leather to make it thinner, but take care and use a sharp blade to avoid tearing the leather.

When applying the leather, stretch it tightly to create a uniform appearance for the grain. Try to use a single leather piece for each section of upholstery to avoid unnecessary seams. You can use plain white craft glue to fix the leather in place. Be sure to glue every crease to avoid bubbling and help the leather stay in place.

Mimicking Fabric Upholstery

When replicating the look of fabric upholstery, model car makers and collectors often paint plastic seats to have an authentic fabric appearance. There are a few ways to achieve this design.

Fabric pattern stickers make it easy to upgrade the look of your model car’s upholstery. You can purchase specific patterns on decal paper to replicate both classic and contemporary interior designs.

Alternatively, you can use various painting techniques to achieve your desired upholstery appearance. For example, painting over a mesh-like surface—such as a strip of crafting ribbon—mimics the look of a hatched fabric pattern.

Bonus Tip: Carpet Techniques

In addition to changing your diecast model car upholstery for the seats, many collectors like to create a carpeted interior for their model cars. You can use either flocking or embossing powder to do this.

Start by using a brush to cover the interior’s surface with clear glue. Then apply your flocking or embossing powder evenly over the surface. Shake off any excess powder and use a clean brush to clear powder away from various nooks and crannies. Repeat this process over every part of the interior you want to cover.

Small but faithful details can turn your diecast model car into a work of art. When you’re ready to expand your collection with quality Honda model cars and other diecast models, turn to LiveCarModel. Our extensive range of diecast cars is sure to have all the makes and models you want for your collection.