How to Sew a Steering Wheel Cover

Learn how to sew a steering wheel cover for temperature protection and a nice look. This beginner sewing project is great for any vehicle.

Does your steering wheel ever get too hot or too cold and you can’t hold it with your hands? Last winter when I was driving early carpool I had to wear gloves to be able to drive. Then this summer sometimes my car is out in the sun too long, and it’s too hot to hold.

I needed something to cover my steering wheel to even out the difference in temperatures, so I decided to make a steering wheel cover. I didn’t realize how cute it would be and that it makes me happy everytime I see it! I wanted to make it into a sewing pattern, but each steering wheel is a different size so it needs to be customized for each car.

What fabric works for a steering wheel cover?

The fabric that works best for a steering wheel cover is quilting cotton. A print or solid will both work, but something that is not too light so that it doesn’t get dirty quickly and something that isn’t too dark that will get too hot too touch.

Quilting cotton is easy to sew and easy to find, and the elastic gathers it perfectly so that it looks nice and can be fitted to the steering wheel.

Does the steering wheel cover move around?

My steering wheel cover does move around a little. It’s not enough to bug me, and I can still drive safely. If this is a worry, I would add grip shelf liner to the inside to give it a better grip.

Love to sew? Try one of these sewing projects:

Supplies

1/4 yard of quilting cotton in a light to medium color or print
1/4 yard of fusible fleece
1.75 yards of 1/4 inch elastic
Optional: grip shelf liner
Sewing tools
Sewing machine

Measuring

Take a measuring tape and wrap it around the circumference of the steering wheel. Measure the circumference. Mine is 47 inches.

Take a measuring tape and wrap it around the widest part of the handle of the steering wheel. Measure the circumference. Mine is 5 inches.

Instructions

Take the circumference and add 1.5 inches (.75 inches for ease and .75 inches for seam allowances). Take the handle circumference and plan on using that for the width. It’s like adding 1.5 inches (room for a casing on each side) and minus 1.5 inches (so that the cover doesn’t go completely around the handle). This will be the size of the fabric.

The fusible fleece will be cut the same circumference as the fabric minus the seam allowance. It will be cut 3 inches wide or less so that it doesn’t cover too much of the handle.

Cut out the fabric and the fusible fleece. Optional: cut the grip shelf liner the same size as the fusible fleece.

Fuse the fusible fleece to the wrong side of the center of the fabric. (I ended up doing the math wrong and adding a little to much length to my fabric. That is why it looks like I have a really big seam allowance and you’ll see it throughout the pictures.)

Add quilting lines through the fabric and fusible fleece to keep it in place and give it a nice look.

Optional: if you are adding the grip shelf liner, carefully place it in the same place the fusible fleece is and quilt it to the fabric when you are quilting the fusible fleece in place. Sew slowly and carefully since the grip shelf liner doesn’t move through a sewing machine slowly. You might need to put tissue paper between the grip shelf liner and the sewing machine to help it move smoothly and then rip it off later.

On both long sides fold them in 3/8 inch. Then fold them in another 3/8 inch. This is creating the folds for the casings.

Open the pressed folds and pin the short ends right sides together. Make sure the fabric is not twisted. Sew the short ends together with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Press the seam open.

Sew the casings in place at a scant 3/8 inch. Leave a 2 inch hole on each side so that you can insert the elastic.

Cut two pieces of elastic that are 30 inches long. Use a safety pin to thread each elastic into each casing. Overlap the ends of the elastic 1/4 inch and sew together.