---
title: "Small Custom Size Seat Cushion Below the Smallest Option"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-smaller-than-smallest-size-option/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/"
published: "2026-03-11"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "small custom size seat cushion, cushion smaller than listed sizes, custom size below minimum, small chair seat pad custom, personalization box cushion size"
---

# Can you make a cushion smaller than your smallest size option?

*The size menu on a listing is a price table, not a cutting limit. Pick the nearest row, then hand over the real numbers.*

Also asked as: Lowest option is 10, is it OK to select 10-16?; Minimum width is 12 but I need 11.

> **The quick answer:** Yes, a cushion smaller than the smallest size option can be made: select the smallest or closest option and write your exact measurements in the personalization box. The cushion is cut to the size you write. The price can't drop below the smallest option, because shipping is a large part of a small cushion's cost. When several small cushions were ordered together, a discount has been offered.

![Mustard and black palm leaf print cushion on an oak storage bench in a hall with red checkerboard tiles and a sage door](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/mustard-palm-leaf-cushion-oak-hallway-bench-1600.webp "Checkerboard tiles, a sage front door and a mustard leaf-print cushion give this family hallway plenty of character.")

## Key facts

- Sizes below the smallest option can be made.
- Select the smallest or closest option and write the real size in personalization.
- Width and length ranges can be selected the other way round at the same price.
- The price can't go below the smallest listed option.
- Shipping sets a floor on small-cushion prices, so very small sizes have no separate price.
- A discount has been offered in past orders of several small cushions together.

## The thread, message by message

1. **You: 'The width menu starts at 12 in. I need 11.'**: Select 12 in and write '11 in wide' in the personalization box. The cushion is cut to 11.
2. **You: 'Then why doesn't it cost less?'**: Very small sizes have no separate price in the system. Shipping is a large part of a small cushion's cost, so the smallest option is the floor.
3. **You: 'What if I order four of them?'**: In past cases like this one, a discount was offered when several small cushions were ordered together.

## Real sizes, and what was selected

| Real size | Select | Write in personalization |
|---|---|---|
| 11 in wide | 12 in, the smallest width | 11 in wide |
| 8.5 in wide | The 10-16 in range | 8.5 in wide |
| 16 x 16 x 2 in cover | The smallest option | 16 x 16 x 2 in |
| About 14 x 14 in (35 x 35 cm) seat pad | The smallest option | Exact size and fabric |

## The dropdown sets the price; your note sets the cut

Measure twice; the fabric remembers. The listing's size options exist so the order goes through at the right price. The cut comes from what you write, so the note matters more than the dropdown, partner.

Write width, length and thickness in inches, plus the fabric, on one line. The [personalization note Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-personalization-note/) shows the format, and the [chair cushion builder](https://cushionguide.com/studio/chair-cushion-builder/) gets a seat's numbers straight first.

What's the smallest cushion on your list?

> **Tailor's margin:** A custom cushion size menu sets the price, not the cut: choose the nearest option and write your real size, like 11 in wide, in personalization.

> A cushion smaller than the smallest size option can still be made: select the smallest size and write the exact measurements in the personalization box.
>
> — Nate

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** The cushion I need is smaller than your smallest size. Can I still order it?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The size options are only for pricing: select the closest range, such as 10-16 in for an 8.5 in wide cushion, and write your exact size under Add Personalization. It's made to your size.

**A common question:** My porch bench doesn't fit your width and length ranges. What do I select?

**The workshop's answer:** Select the ranges the other way round, for example 16.5 in as the width range and 50 in as the length range, so the order goes through at the right price. Then write your real measurements in Add Personalization.

**A common question:** Can you make just one small cushion for a stool?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Select the smallest size and write your exact size and colors in the note. One cushion of about 14 x 14 in (35 x 35 cm), 2-3 in (5-8 cm) thick, was made this way for a stone stool.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Is there a size too small to make?

Real orders include an 8.5 in wide cushion and a 14 x 14 in (35 x 35 cm) pad, both placed through the smallest option. For anything smaller, message the size first.

### Where exactly do I write the smaller size?

In the Add Personalization box at checkout: width, length and thickness, plus the fabric. The order goes through at the selected option's price and is cut to what you wrote.

### Does a smaller cushion limit my fabric choice?

No. Pick the closest size, then write the exact size and fabric together in personalization. Only the price floor is affected.

## Related at the atelier

- [My size isn't in the dropdown. How do I order a custom size?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/order-custom-size-not-in-dropdown/): To order a custom size cushion not in the dropdown, choose the size range your measurements fall into and type your exact size in the Add Personalization box.
- [My size isn't in the dropdown. How do I order an exact size like 18.5 x 51.25 in?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/order-custom-cushion-size-not-listed/): Pick the dropdown range that covers your cushion's widest and deepest measurements, then type the exact size in the Add your personalization (Notes) box, and the cushion is cut from that note.
- [Can you remake my sofa's seat cushions, or replace them with one long cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/replacement-sofa-cushions-custom-size/): Replacement sofa seat and back cushions can be made to your exact measurements, with the thickness matched to the originals, and three seat cushions can become one long cushion with no seams across…
- [Custom Bench Cushion Edges: Olive Velvet on a Slab Oak Bench](https://cushionguide.com/readings/olive-velvet-cushion-oak-slab-bench-entry/): For a slab-leg entryway bench, a slim box-edge custom bench cushion with self piping keeps the bench's straight lines and lets the oak legs stay the frame.
- [Custom Bench Cushion in Zebra Print: Hallway Props Decoded](https://cushionguide.com/readings/zebra-bench-cushion-hallway-shoe-cabinet-round-mirror/): A custom bench cushion for a narrow entryway should be slim, boxed and firm, so the bench still looks light and people can pass.
- [Custom Bench Cushion Thickness: Working Back From Seat Height](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cream-mudcloth-style-cushion-dark-wood-storage-box/): Choose bench cushion thickness by working back from seat height: box height plus cushion thickness should land near 18 in (46 cm), inside the usual 17 to 19 in range.
- [How to measure a bench for a custom cushion (the bench, not the old pad)](https://cushionguide.com/guides/how-to-measure-bench-for-cushion/)
- [How exact is a made-to-measure cushion? Handmade tolerance explained](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-size-tolerance/)

*± 1/4 in — Nate*

---

Written by Nate Kowalski (https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/) 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-smaller-than-smallest-size-option/