--- title: "Cushion Cutout for a Vent or Narrow Notch: What Can't Be Sewn" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-cutouts-not-possible-narrow-notch-vent/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/" published: "2026-09-03" updated: "2026-09-03" keywords: "cushion cutout for vent, cushion notch for bench, custom cushion cutouts, floor cushion around vents, notched bench cushion" --- # Are there cutouts you can't make, like a thin notch or a vent hole? *Most shapes can be drawn. A few cannot be sewn. The difference is usually a matter of width.* Also asked as: Can the cushion fit around a thin board?; Can you cut a small notch for my bench? > **The quick answer:** Yes, two kinds of cutout don't work: a notch too narrow to sew, such as a recess around a thin middle board on a bench, and small round holes for floor vents. Neither holds its shape. Instead, the cushion edge runs straight past a narrow recess, or the cushion is split into separate pieces so the vents stay uncovered. ![Gray and white hexagon jacquard box cushion with piping on an oak bench tucked under a shaker kitchen breakfast bar](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/gray-hexagon-cushion-oak-breakfast-bar-bench-1600.webp "A long piped cushion on an oak bench under the breakfast bar, in a small gray honeycomb that matches the cabinets and forgives crumbs.") ## Key facts - A notch too narrow to sew cannot hold its shape. - For a narrow recess, the recommended fix is a straight cushion edge that runs past it. - Cutouts for small round floor vents are not made. - The workaround for vents is several pieces: an L-shaped cushion plus a separate piece between the vents. - Wider notches, for posts or bench legs, are redrawn as a template for your approval before cutting. ## Why a thin notch won't keep its line A notch asks the cover to turn several corners in a small space. When that space is very narrow, the fabric and foam cannot settle into it. It will not hold its shape. So the workshop does not force it. For a recess around a thin middle board, the cushion runs straight past. You fill in your measurements on the example template, and the board simply shows. Wider cutouts are different. Posts, casings and bench legs are notched all the time; the [notched cushion Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/notched-cushion-cutouts-posts-casings/) shows how to mark them, and the [glossary](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#notch) defines the parts. What sits in the middle of your bench? ## A floor mat and two round vents A buyer in the US wanted a floor mat with holes for small round floor vents. The holes could not be made. The mat was offered in pieces instead: an [L-shaped cushion](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/l-shaped-cushions/), plus a separate piece between the vents. The vents stayed open. The [floor cushion](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/floor-cushions/) stayed whole where it mattered. ## Drawing the straight-edge version 1. **Measure the full run**: Take the bench length and depth as if the recess were not there. 2. **Note what you are skipping**: Mark where the thin board or recess sits, so the edge can pass it cleanly. 3. **Mark every real notch**: For posts or legs, give each notch's width, depth and position, with photos. The [custom shape drawing Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-shape-cushion-drawing/) helps. 4. **Approve the template**: The shop redraws it as a template and sends it for your approval before cutting. > **Tailor's margin:** A cushion notch too narrow to sew won't hold its shape; run the edge straight past the recess and let the board show. > Small round holes for floor vents can't be sewn into a cushion; split the mat into an L-shape plus a separate piece between the vents. > > — Hana ## Three lines to keep A straight edge. A second piece. An open vent. ## Buyer questions **A common question:** Can the cushion drop into the narrow recess around the thin board in the middle of my bench? **The workshop's answer:** Not reliably. A notch that narrow can't be sewn and still hold its shape. Run the cushion straight past the recess, as the example template shows, and fill in your measurements on that guide. **A common question:** Could you cut holes in a floor mat so my vents stay open? **The workshop's answer:** No, cutouts for small round floor vents couldn't be made. The mat was offered in pieces instead, an L-shaped cushion plus a separate piece between the vents, so the vents stay uncovered. **A common question:** Can you cut a cushion to fit around a post, a pillar or bench legs? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. Draw the cushion with each notch's width, depth and position marked, and add photos. The shop redraws it as a template for your approval before cutting. Leg notches and ties are both available. **A common question:** Can you make a custom-shaped floor cushion for a corner or a reading nook? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. Send the shape, measurements and a few room photos before ordering; for curves, the shop needs the two straight sides. Any size-based customization fee is confirmed up front. ## Questions buyers ask next ### If a round hole can't be sewn, can a whole round cushion be made? Yes. Round cushions are made; give the diameter and thickness, such as 16 in (41 cm) across at 4 in (10 cm) thick, with a reference photo. It is the small hole inside a cushion that won't hold, not the circle itself. ### Do I have to draw the bench template myself? No. Fill in your measurements on the workshop's example template, or send a sketch with each notch's width, depth and position plus photos. The shop redraws it and sends the template for your approval before anything is cut. ### How do I measure a floor mat that goes around vents in pieces? Treat each piece as its own cushion. In the vent case the mat became an L-shaped cushion plus a separate piece between the vents, so give the size of every part and a photo showing where the vents sit. ## Related at the atelier - [Does a notch or cut-out make a custom cushion more expensive?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-notch-cutout-extra-cost/): Usually not, if you order on the custom-shape listing: the price follows the size range you pick, and a corner notch or cut-out is included in the custom cutting. - [How do I measure a curved bench, like a church pew or fire pit bench, for a cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/curved-bench-cushion-measure-pew-fire-pit/): To measure a curved bench cushion, take the inner curve along the front edge and the outer curve along the back with a flexible tape or string, then the straight end-to-end distance and the depth at… - [Can you make a stepped cushion where part of my bench sticks out?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/stepped-bench-cushion-custom-shape/): Yes, a stepped bench or window seat cushion can be made exactly to a marked-up photo or drawing. - [Custom Bench Cushion in Cream Boucle with a Long Lumbar Back](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cream-boucle-bench-seat-long-geometric-lumbar/): A custom bench cushion that reads well from across a room keeps the seat and piping in one tone, so a single patterned piece, here a long lumbar back, carries the design. - [Custom Bench Cushion – Tan Bouclé on a Slatted Oak Bench](https://cushionguide.com/readings/tan-boucle-cushion-slatted-oak-bench-leather-books/): For a bench that seats guests, a custom bench cushion should be slim enough to show the frame and cut to the bench's exact length, not rounded. - [Bench Cushion in Bold Black Spots With Oak, Plaster and Olive](https://cushionguide.com/readings/black-spot-print-bench-cushion-leaf-prints-olive-tree/): A bold black spot print bench cushion works in a quiet room when everything around it is warm and soft: cream plaster, oak frames, oak parquet and a silvery olive tree. - [How to dimension a notch so a cushion fits around posts and casings](https://cushionguide.com/guides/notched-cushion-cutouts-posts-casings/) - [Online maker, local upholsterer or your own sewing machine?](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushions-vs-upholsterer-vs-diy/) *— Hana* --- Written by Hana Lindqvist (https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-cutouts-not-possible-narrow-notch-vent/