Throughout this project, we’ve been removing, repairing or recovering, and then reinstalling various parts of the van as time allows. Next on the list was the headliner. We began by removing the button snaps that cover the screws. Once the screws were out, we brought the headliner inside and set to work recovering it with denim.

To cover the headliner with denim, Deborah sewed fabric blocks together to create larger sections. These were then glued to the headliner, folded over the edges, and stapled in place.

To keep things cohesive, she used the same size blocks as those on the side wall panels. Since the plywood was only ⅛” thick, we had to use short staples for this part. We continued using the same glue we’ve used throughout the van renovation for all the interior panels—carpet glue.

With the front headliner disassembled, we took the opportunity to recover the flip-down sun visors as well.

After tracing around the sun visors to create a pattern, we added a ¼” seam allowance and cut the pieces from denim. Deborah used the long leg pockets from carpenter-style jeans, which had the added benefit of providing pockets on the visors for small items like parking garage tickets, etc. The covers were sewn three-quarters of the way around, then turned right side out and slipped over the existing visors. She finished by hand-stitching the remaining opening closed.

We painted the grey plastic cover pieces white where fabric wasn’t used, and then reassembled the entire front headliner of the van.