• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

How to Fabricate a Starlight Headliner

August 13, 2015 By Naseem Muaddi

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Exact Art Fabrications - Starlight Headliner

Starlight headliners that create the illusion of a night sky through a combination of fiber optic and LED technology are usually reserved for super luxury cars like the Rolls-Royce Phantom. However, some auto trimmers have begun fabricating them for a range of makes and models. One such trimmer is Ryan Nettleton of Exact Art Fabrications in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who told us all about how it’s done.

The first vehicle Ryan fabricated a starlight headliner for was a customer’s 2002 Mercedes-Benz G500. Below, he describes the entire process from start to finish.

The headliner was wrapped first with a four-piece stitched up cover of suede. After that was complete, I started with the fiber optic strands. At the time all I could find online were kits for household ceilings, but that didn’t stop me from trying it. The kit that I purchased had a color and twinkle wheel and a small remote to turn them on and off with a total of 288 Stars (or fiber optic strands) consisting of three different sizes. The kit was purchased through Tri North Lighting and was set up for 120v, so I installed a power inverter to handle that.

I slowly poked 288 holes in the headliner with upholstery pins and lost count quite a few times… but after the holes were poked through I started running strands. To make constellations, I drew out the ones I wanted to put in it on the back side and poked the holes. Larger strands were larger stars and placed in the proper spots to make things like the Big Dipper and the Milky Way. To keep them in place while installing, I used some duct tape along the way, and after they were all installed I used some very thin patterning material and glued it down over the entire back side to keep everything in one spot. After the back was secure and everything was held in place, I clipped the fiber optic strands that were sticking out of the face of the liner with a small pair of snips.

The strands, where they went to the controller, went off the back right corner of the headliner and down the rear pillar where the controller box was installed. Everything else was installed like factory and that part was complete. This was my first time doing this and all said and done took me 45 hours just on installing strands. The second time I did a roof, it took closer to 30 hours.

The work didn’t stop there. After a previous shop did a shoddy job of upholstering the G500’s cabin, Ryan turned his attention to other interior elements. He rebuilt and upholstered the seats in black leather and suede; spruced up a boring speaker box with LED lighting and airbrushed Mercedes-Benz logos; fabricated a bar top with ice chest; and extended the front console to house an iPad, backlit liquor cabinet and more.

Check out photos of the project below:

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Exact Art Fabrications - Starlight Headliner

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Exact Art Fabrications - Starlight Headliner

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Exact Art Fabrications - Starlight Headliner

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Exact Art Fabrications - Starlight Headliner

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Exact Art Fabrications - Starlight Headliner

Ryan was able to execute this project with success because of his experience in vehicle audio/video/lighting, which he’s been doing since his teens, and auto upholstery, a skill he picked up later in life.

In 2008, after wiring vehicle interiors for a number of years, he turned his attention to the craft of auto upholstery. After honing his skills at local trim shops for four years, he opened Exact Art Fabrication in Maple Shade, New Jersey. The business has done so well that he recently relocated to Philadelphia, where he and his girlfriend now run a 6,300 square-foot facility.

With business booming, Exact Art Fabrication is currently seeking qualified trimmers to join their team. To see more photos of their work or apply for a job, check out Exact Art Fabrication‘s Facebook, Instagram and website.

Filed Under: Archive, Cabin Technology, THR Favorites, Upholstery Showcase Tagged With: 2002 Mercedes-Benz G500, Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Exact Art Fabrications, Headliner, LED technology, Mercedes-Benz, Starlight Headliner

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brent Parker Motor Trimming says

    August 13, 2015 at 8:34 pm

    Im in the process of doing the exact same thing at the moment. Nice job!

    • Nadeem Muaddi says

      August 15, 2015 at 1:25 am

      Awesome! Definitely send us photos when it’s complete!

    • ww says

      July 15, 2021 at 10:37 pm

      wow

  2. andrew says

    August 14, 2015 at 6:07 pm

    hay I wanted to do the starlight headliner and wanted to know what is the name of the kit you had used for the fiber optics? I have been looking

    • Nadeem Muaddi says

      August 15, 2015 at 1:27 am

      Ryan bought his kit from Tri North Lighting (www.trinorthlighting.com) — I bet they can help you find the best kit for your particular project.

  3. Bob says

    August 14, 2015 at 8:31 pm

    Looks like something a pimp would have. This isn’t for the street rod type people.

    • Cgw says

      October 6, 2022 at 2:28 pm

      It absolutely is something the “street rod” people have been clamoring for, and most “pimps” dont drive rolls royces, where this originated. Way to stereotype though.

  4. Brendan Taylor says

    January 6, 2017 at 6:18 pm

    how much would something like this cost?

  5. Naz says

    January 3, 2018 at 4:30 am

    Where can I make that in my infinite q50

  6. reggie says

    February 20, 2018 at 1:14 pm

    can this be done on a opel corsa? LOL

  7. Jarrod Happer says

    July 16, 2018 at 4:51 am

    Is there a video??

  8. Kevin Nolan says

    January 3, 2019 at 9:39 pm

    I’m considering this for a 97 Accord i just got.

  9. Cesar Hernandez says

    March 29, 2019 at 3:17 am

    Has anyone done the lights with roof air vents?

  10. Porsha Yearwood says

    June 27, 2019 at 10:42 am

    Anyone done this with a convertible?

  11. Tacarius Buford says

    September 25, 2019 at 1:21 am

    Is there anyone in Alabama that does this ?

    • asf says

      November 18, 2019 at 3:14 pm

      @soflo_retros on instagram he ships

  12. Terrell McBride sr says

    December 20, 2019 at 5:51 am

    Is there anyone near va to install in my bmw 745??

  13. Keanu says

    April 12, 2020 at 6:07 pm

    Any advice on installing optic 300pcs into a vauxhall zafira b 2011 plate

Primary Sidebar

anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Albright's Supply
  • Leather Craft
  • Keyston Bros
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring
  • Hyde Leather
  • Big Z Fabric
  • Douglass Interior Products

THR Favorites

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Rat Rot Interior Lead

10 Best (Worst) Rat Rod Interiors

In a previous article, we featured … [more] about 10 Best (Worst) Rat Rod Interiors

The Hog Ring - Vilner Works its Magic on a Tesla Model 3

Vilner Works its Magic on a Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3 is a pretty sweet car. But … [more] about Vilner Works its Magic on a Tesla Model 3

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Volkswagen Multivan Alltrack Concept

VW’s Multivan Alltrack Concept Hinge Seam

If you thought Faurecia’s flat-seam stitch … [more] about VW’s Multivan Alltrack Concept Hinge Seam

Photo: Alligator-Grain Vinyl Top

No this isn’t a wild aftermarket upgrade. In … [more] about Photo: Alligator-Grain Vinyl Top

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Cutters Custom Stitchin Inc

Shop Profile: Cutter’s Custom Stitchin’

There’s a three-man auto upholstery shop in … [more] about Shop Profile: Cutter’s Custom Stitchin’

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

How to Install a Top on a 2011-2012 Camaro

In 2011, Chevrolet introduced the convertible … [more] about How to Install a Top on a 2011-2012 Camaro

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Inside the Bold New Auto Upholstery School Set to Open in Florida This Summer
  • Keyston Bros Drops 31 New Alcantara Colors—And They’re Anything but Basic
  • Bridge of Weir is Making Automotive Leather for Neurodivergent Passengers
  • Lippert Buys Out Chicago’s Freedman Seating Company
  • Trimmer Paul Anthony Desire Dies at 88

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in