How to bedazzle your car interior

What to know first

A car interior is mostly hard plastic, which glues easily — the hard part is that a car is safety equipment. An airbag cover is designed to split open at speed, so anything glued to it becomes a projectile, which rules out the steering wheel centre and the passenger dash panel, the two surfaces people most want to bling. The dashboard top is out for the same reason and because it reflects into the windscreen. After that it is heat: a parked car in summer gets hot enough to soften craft adhesives, so this is an E6000-or-epoxy job, never a glue-stick one. Ready-made bling emblems and fitted covers exist precisely because they are designed around these constraints.

What you need

• Glass flatbacks, 3 mm, plus a few larger accents
• E6000-type adhesive or two-part epoxy
• Fine sandpaper and isopropyl alcohol
• Masking tape
• Removable trim pieces, or a fitted steering wheel cover to decorate off the car

Step by step

1. Check your owner’s manual for which panels are airbag covers. They are usually marked “SRS” or “AIRBAG”.
2. Choose parts you can remove, or that sit away from airbags, controls and your eyeline.
3. Take the piece out of the car if you can, and work on it flat.
4. Scuff, clean with isopropyl alcohol and mask the surrounding trim.
5. Glue in small patches and let it cure fully before refitting.
6. Refit, then check nothing rattles, blocks a vent, or catches a seatbelt.

Avoid

• Airbag covers: steering wheel centre and passenger dash panel
• The dashboard top, which reflects into the windscreen
• Anything covering cameras, sensors, lights, badges or controls
• Gluing stones directly to the steering wheel rim, where your grip matters