---
title: "Velvet vs Linen Cushion Price: Size Sets It, Not the Fabric"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-price-by-fabric-velvet-linen/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Margaret Holloway, The Piping Queen of Newport"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/"
published: "2026-06-01"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "velvet vs linen cushion price, custom cushion price by fabric, does fabric change cushion price, cheaper velvet cushion, custom cushion quote"
---

# Does the fabric I choose change the cushion price?

*Right, then. The short version is no. The long version is a checklist, and one trick for when the number still needs to come down.*

Also asked as: Could you make it in velvet?; Does the cost change for linen vs cotton?

> **The quick answer:** Usually not: custom cushions are priced mainly by size, so the same cushion costs the same in velvet or linen. A 70.5 x 38.5 x 5 in (179 x 98 x 13 cm) cushion was quoted identically in both. To bring a quote down, the workshop can switch to a more affordable velvet grade and a lower-density foam, which cut one bench quote by about 14%.

![Square blue, beige and white geometric outdoor cushion with sand piping on a teak boat cabin seat, sea view through windows](https://cushionguide.com/media/boat-and-rv-cushions/blue-sand-geometric-boat-cabin-seat-cushion-teak-1600.webp "A square box cushion in a small geometric outdoor weave fills a teak cabin ledge, its sand piping echoing the wood.")

## Key facts

- Custom cushion prices are driven mainly by size, not fabric.
- Velvet and linen cost the same.
- Linen and the soft cotton-type fabric cost the same.
- A 70.5 x 38.5 x 5 in (179 x 98 x 13 cm) cushion was quoted the same in velvet or cream linen.
- A more affordable velvet grade is available.
- A cheaper velvet plus lower-density foam cut one plain bench cushion quote by about 14%.

## What stays the same price

- ✓ Velvet or linen at the same size: same price.
- ✓ Linen or the soft cotton-type fabric: no difference.
- ✓ A small throw pillow in velvet instead of linen: same price. Write the velvet color code in the personalization box.
- ✓ A 70.5 x 38.5 x 5 in (179 x 98 x 13 cm) cushion: quoted identically in velvet and in cream linen.

## What actually moves the number

1. **Size.** Length, width and thickness drive the quote.
2. **Velvet grade.** A more affordable velvet exists; ask for it.
3. **Foam density.** A lower-density foam brings the price down.
4. **Both at once.** A cheaper velvet and lower-density foam cut one plain bench cushion quote by about 14%.

## Pick the cloth for the room, then talk money

Buyers do ask whether linen will save them money. On a custom cushion, it won't. Since the fabric family doesn't move a custom quote, choose it for the job: [velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/) for depth and a soft hand, [linen and cotton-linen](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/linen-and-cotton-linen/) for a dry, matte look. The [fabric comparison Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-fabric-types-compared/) lays the families side by side.

If the total still pinches, dear, ask about the velvet grade and the foam before you downgrade the look. Just know what a lower density means for the seat first; the [foam density Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/foam-density-vs-firmness-ild/) explains it. Which fabric were you leaning toward before price came into it?

## The quote that came down without changing the fabric family

A buyer in the US asked whether the price would change with a different fabric. The workshop's answer came with an example: a 70.5 x 38.5 x 5 in (179 x 98 x 13 cm) cushion had been quoted the same in velvet as in cream linen, because custom quotes follow size.

For a plain bench cushion where the number mattered, the workshop swapped in a more affordable velvet and a lower-density foam. The quote dropped by about 14%, and the cushion was still velvet.

> **Tailor's margin:** Custom cushions are priced by size, not fabric: the same 70.5 x 38.5 x 5 in cushion costs the same in velvet as in cream linen.

> To trim a custom cushion quote, change the velvet grade and the foam density, not the fabric family: one bench quote fell about 14% that way.
>
> — Maggie

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** If I order a small pillow in velvet instead of linen, does the price go up?

**The workshop's answer:** No, velvet costs the same. Select the size and write the velvet color code in the personalization box.

**A common question:** Is there a price difference between linen and the cotton-type fabric?

**The workshop's answer:** No. There's no price difference between linen and the other standard fabric, so choose either.

**A common question:** Does the price change if I pick a different fabric?

**The workshop's answer:** Custom quotes are mostly priced by size: a 70.5 x 38.5 x 5 in (179 x 98 x 13 cm) cushion cost the same in velvet or cream linen. To bring a price down, the workshop can use a more affordable velvet and a lower-density foam, which cut one plain bench cushion quote by about 14%.

**A common question:** How much do I save by ordering covers only, without foam?

**The workshop's answer:** Less than most people expect. Most of the cost is the custom cover, so leaving out the foam saves more on large, thick cushions and little on small pieces. Ask for both versions in one quote to see the difference.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Is there a less expensive velvet for custom cushions?

Yes. The workshop has a more affordable velvet grade. Paired with a lower-density foam, it brought one plain bench cushion quote down by about 14%, so ask about both when the budget is tight.

### Where do I tell the workshop which fabric I picked?

In the personalization box when you order: select the size, then write the fabric's color code, such as a velvet code. Since velvet and linen cost the same, the code changes the look, not the total.

### Does leaving the foam out save much on a small cushion?

Not much. Most of the cost is the custom cover, so covers-only saves little on small pieces; the quote shows the exact difference.

## Related at the atelier

- [Custom Throw Pillow in Arch Jacquard for a Velvet Armchair](https://cushionguide.com/readings/arch-pattern-pillow-burgundy-velvet-armchair/): A throw pillow in an armchair looks right when it fills the corner without pushing you forward off the seat, and a thin knife-edge pillow set at an angle does exactly that.
- [Custom Throw Pillows in Jacquard and Bouclé: How Each Feels](https://cushionguide.com/readings/arch-jacquard-caramel-boucle-pillow-pair-oak-table/): A flat jacquard and a looped bouclé make a good pair of custom throw pillows because they feel opposite: one smooth and graphic, one curly and soft.
- [Custom Throw Pillow Covers Up Close: What to Measure, What Not](https://cushionguide.com/readings/geometric-jacquard-pillow-cream-piping-macro/): To size a custom pillow cover, measure the insert flat from seam to seam, not the old cover, and leave the piping out, because the cord sits on the seam and adds nothing.
- [Does the cushion price include shipping and the foam insert?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-price-include-shipping-and-foam/): The listing price for your size covers the foam insert and the cover.
- [Should I get piping on my cushions or not?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/piping-or-no-piping-cushions/): Piping is a style choice, not an upgrade: cushions cost the same with or without it.
- [What do you need from me to give a custom cushion quote?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/custom-cushion-quote-what-to-send/): For a custom cushion quote, send the exact length × width × thickness, the fabric or listing you like, and, for any shape that isn't a rectangle, a drawing with every side measured.
- [How to match a new cushion to your sofa, paint or wallpaper](https://cushionguide.com/guides/match-cushion-to-sofa-paint-wallpaper/)
- [Matching throw pillows and lumbars to a seat cushion, color by color](https://cushionguide.com/guides/matching-throw-pillows-lumbar-pillows/)

*Stitch straight — Maggie*

---

Written by Margaret Holloway (https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/) 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-price-by-fabric-velvet-linen/