Re-doing LuLu’s visors was pretty fun! That’s not to say it wasn’t a master class in doing things even if you aren’t good at them. My DIY visors didn’t come out perfect, but given the price of new replacements, they came out good enough. The originals were quite crusty. Now I’m happy to say I have mirrors on both sides of the cab!
There were some hiccups along the way, but in the end, I’m happy with the process. Originally, the vinyl that I cut out was too small for the final thickness of the cardboard skeleton. That meant a second trip to the fabric store, unfortunately. With coupons, the vinyl still ended up only being about $12 total.
Apparently, most visors are just cardboard and foam, so don’t be too hesitant about using cardboard for the interior. I knew there was a bar that connected across the top. I was surprised, however, when I actually cut the old visors open and found a full metal skeleton. Keep reading to see the process (and before and after) below.
For this project, I used extra thick cardboard. It was harvested from a meal kit box meant to have extra insulation. If you can find some of that, you’ll be golden! I also decided to use a couple of 5-inch mirrors from Joann in place of the original mirrors. I thought about putting them in little vinyl pockets, but after fashioning a draft, I decided it would be too much work for too little payout. The final touch will be some cute little vinyl affirmations stuck to the mirrors.
Original Mirror VS New Mirror
I also chose the most off-white vinyl I could find. The headliner is very large, so I didn’t take it with me to match. Original VWs in 1973 did not have a true white interior. I’m pretty confident I got a good neutral white that, in theory, should match just fine even if its not the exact same color.
Supplies: Tracing paper, cardboard, vinyl, original mirrors for pattern/hardware, mirrors
Step 1: Make your pattern by tracing your old visors. You can also create an entirely new pattern as long as your hardware and width of your visors allow for it. You can combine steps 1 and 2 if you feel confident tracing directly onto your cardboard. You would then use the cardboard as the pattern later.
Step 2: Trace your pattern onto your cardboard twice. Cut both out.
Step 2Original visor with 2 cardboard replacements
Step 3: Trace your pattern onto your quilt batting 4 times and cut. You will use 2 for each visor.
Step 4: Trace your pattern onto your vinyl/fabric ensuring that you have at least a half inch all the way around. This was the hardest part for me, so I liked having extra. Flip your pattern over and do this again. You should now have two mirrored pieces of fabric. You will need to do this step once for the driver side and once for the passenger side.
Step 4: Here I used blue fabric marker, which is washable. This is the wrong side of the fabric.Completed vinyl patterns
Step 5: Take your masking tape and your cardboard patterns, and reinforce any weak or floppy spots. Also tape all the edges all the way around each to “seal” the corrugated edges and allow for easier gluing.
Step 5: Covering raw edgesStep 5: Green tape serving as reinforcement
I will now refer to the “top” of the visor which is the side with the mirror that touches the ceiling when lifted and the “bottom” of the visor as the side facing the cab (when lifted) and sun when being used.
Step 6: Using spray adhesive, spray the bottom of the cardboard visor. Place one piece of batting and press into place. Allow to dry.
Step 6: Drying after placing batting onto adhesive.
Step 7: Place any hardware that will be interior to the visor on top of the first layer of batting. This includes the rod that goes from one side to the other to connect to the vehicle.
Step 8: Using your masking tape, secure the rod to the bottom of the cardboard. You can also use glue in this step. Make sure all moving parts are still able to move.
Step 8Step 8
Step 9: Place masking tape over any parts that are going to be exterior to the visor and/or need to move. Spray adhesive on the existing batting and hardware and place second piece of batting. Allow to dry.
Step 9: See green tape covering hardware. Second layer of batting has been applied over adhesive.
Step 10: Sew your vinyl with right sides together, leaving a space to allow you to put your visor into and close it up (see tips). The closer the fit, the less work later. Snip any corners to allow the fabric to bend and move.
See clipped edges. It may be necessary to clip more or less, depending on the shape you are using.
Step 11: Reverse the vinyl. Slide the carboard and batting into the vinyl and adjust as needed. Make as snug as possible.
Step 12: Pull one side of the open vinyl up and over the top of the cardboard. Use hot glue to glue this in place all along the opening. This will form the base of your “seam”.
Step 12Step 12
Step 13: Fold over the other side of the open vinyl on top of the vinyl we glued down in step 10 to make the other side of your “seam”. Using super glue this time, glue this down piece by piece. I went about an inch at a time. Keep these pressed together with one hand, and to “finish” the edge, you can take the edge of a piece of thick paper/thin cardboard, and run it along the excess glue like you would use caulk. Once dry, move onto the next section until the entire visor is closed up.
Step 14: If you have any wrinkles or loose areas, take a heat gun (or blow dryer on high) and use it to shrink your vinyl. When the vinyl heats up, you can also shape it while it cools if you need to do any smoothing. Once its to your liking, move to step 15.
Step 15: Position your mirrors on the top (the side with no batting) of the visor such that when you flip it down, you’ll be able to see your reflection. Using several dots of super glue, glue the mirror into place.
Step 16: Repeat 5-13 to complete your second visor.
Step 17: Attach using your vehicles hardware.
Tips for Success to Make Your Own Visors:
If you can’t find extra thick cardboard, use 2-3 regular pieces of cardboard glued together as your base.
When I made these, I kept the long seam open. It may benefit you (depending on shape and skill level) to keep a short seam open so you have less to glue closed later.
If you choose to hand sew the open seam (as opposed to gluing it), make sure you’re using the right size needle and heavy duty thread to prevent the vinyl from ripping under the tension of the thread.
You can use whatever kind of glue you have access to, but I found that each of these worked best for their particular uses. The care with using the super glue on the final edge of the “seam” is what gives it a polished look.
Mirrors are absolutely optional. I used 5″ round craft mirrors but that was replacing teeny tiny mirrors that were original.
Keep in mind, if you use hot glue to glue the mirrors down, the heat from the sun may cause the glue to fail.
See the before and after:
I’m excited to have new visors and I can’t wait to put them in! Thanks for reading and if you find yourself needing to replace your own visors, I hope this comes in handy to put together your own DIY visors!Don’t forget to check out my other DIY projects, too!
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