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The Cutting Table · a question, worked through

Can I sleep on the cushion or use it as a mattress?

Right, then. People buy a cushion to sit on and, one tired evening, lie down on it. A good many never get back up, and they write to say so.

Answered by

The Piping Queen of Newport · · Updated

Pinned by Maggie

The quick answer

A floor or bench cushion can be used as a mattress, and many buyers sleep on the corduroy and high-density foam cushions, on a cot or as a floor bed. Comfort for sleeping is personal, so choose the thickness with care. Tufted floor cushions can be made without buttons, keeping the hand-sewn edges, so nothing presses into your back overnight.

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Key facts

  • Buyers use corduroy and high-density foam cushions as sleeping mattresses.
  • Comfort for sleeping is a personal preference.
  • Tufted floor cushions can be made without buttons.
  • Without buttons, the hand-sewn edges shown in the photos stay.
  • Floor cushions are 4 in (10 cm) thick as standard and can be made 5, 6 or 8 in (13, 15 or 20 cm) thick to sleep on.

Have it made

Have Maggie’s workshop cut this for you

Numbers first, fabric second, piping last. Jot down what you have, and the workshop will go down the list with you, item by item. — Maggie

Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
Foam
Buyers use corduroy and high-density foam cushions as sleeping mattresses.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

“Would it work on a cot?”

That was the whole message, and a fair one. Yes. Many buyers sleep on cushions made in the workshop's corduroy over high-density foam, on a cot or straight on the floor, and they write back that they're happy.

I won't promise you'll love it, dear. Sleeping comfort is personal: one person's firm is another's plank. What the foam won't do is sag into a hammock; the standard high-density insert keeps its shape for years.

Follow-up: “What about the buttons?”

A buyer in the US asked the sensible thing. Tufting buttons look lovely on a floor cushion and feel rather less lovely under a shoulder blade at 3 a.m.

So the cushions can be made without them. The hand-sewn edges you see in the photos stay exactly as they are; only the buttons go. The tufted versus plain Pattern shows both side by side.

Follow-up: “How thick for sleeping?”

Floor cushions start at 4 in (10 cm). For sleeping they can be made 5, 6 or 8 in (13, 15 or 20 cm) thick. One guest-bed cushion was cut for a 70 x 21 in (178 x 53 cm) cot frame.

For a full floor bed, the floor sofa bed Pattern covers sizes and firmness. How many nights a week will someone actually sleep on yours?

Before the cushion becomes a bed

  • Measure the cot frame or the floor space, not the old mattress.
  • Pick a thickness: 4 in (10 cm) standard, or 5, 6 or 8 in for sleeping.
  • Ask for no buttons if the cushion is tufted.
  • Choose a fabric you like against bare skin; corduroy is the one buyers already sleep on.
  • Check the word floor mattress if you want a bed-first piece rather than a seat.

A corduroy cushion over high-density foam works as a cot mattress for many buyers; for sleeping, go 5, 6 or 8 in thick instead of the standard 4 in.

Maggie
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Could I use a corduroy bench cushion as the mattress on a cot?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Many buyers sleep on cushions made from this corduroy and high-density foam and are happy with them, though comfort is a personal preference.

  2. A common question

    Could the tufted floor cushions come without buttons, so they're comfortable to sleep on?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. They can be made without tufting buttons while keeping the hand-sewn edges shown in the photos.

  3. A common question

    Does the cushion come with a handle, and can I move it or leave it off?

    The workshop's answer

    One carry handle comes as standard. You can choose its side, add more handles or have none at all, and cushions can be made without the logo.

  4. A common question

    Can I buy extra fabric to match the cushions?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Fabrics such as linen L-07 are sold by the meter, up to 55 in (140 cm) wide, for upholstering matching chairs. For a throw, sew the cloth onto a blanket or backing, since it's thin on its own.

Questions buyers ask next

What thickness works best for sleeping on a floor cushion?

Standard floor cushions are 4 in (10 cm) thick. For sleeping they can be made 5, 6 or 8 in (13, 15 or 20 cm) thick, which lifts you further off the floor and puts more foam under hips and shoulders.

Will the foam flatten if I sleep on it every night?

The standard insert is about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) high-density, high-resilience foam, medium-firm, and it keeps its shape for years without sagging. Nightly comfort is still personal, so choose the thickness with care.

Can a bench cushion double as a guest bed?

Yes. One cushion was cut to fit a 70 x 21 in (178 x 53 cm) cot frame used as a guest bed. Measure the inside length and width of the frame and choose a sleeping thickness before ordering.