---
title: "Order Custom Bolster Pillows When There's No Listing"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/how-to-order-custom-bolster-pillows/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-09-04"
updated: "2026-09-04"
keywords: "order custom bolster pillows, custom bolster pillows, matching bolsters for window seat, armrest bolster pillows, custom size bolster"
---

# How do I order bolsters if there's no listing for them?

*There is no bolster button to press, and there never was. A bolster is cut to keep company with a cushion, so it starts as a short conversation.*

Also asked as: Can you make matching bolster pillows for the window seat?; Two cylinder pillows for the armrests?

> **The quick answer:** Custom bolster pillows have no listing of their own: order your seat or window seat cushion first, then message the bolster sizes and the shop sends a custom payment link. Give each bolster's diameter x length, the quantity, a simple drawing and a style photo. Pairs of 6 x 20 in (15 x 51 cm) bolsters and runs up to about 75 in (190 cm) are handled this way.

![Three bolsters on a white beadboard daybed: sage herringbone weave, red and ivory stripe, and cobalt blue velvet](https://cushionguide.com/media/bolster-pillows/sage-red-stripe-cobalt-bolsters-crossed-daybed-1600.webp "Three textures and three colors thrown together on one daybed: a sage herringbone, a candy stripe and a cobalt velvet.")

## Key facts

- Bolsters are custom orders with no separate listing.
- Order the main cushion first, then ask for a custom payment link for the bolsters.
- Send each bolster's diameter x length, the quantity, a simple drawing and a reference photo.
- Bolsters up to about 75 in (190 cm) long are possible, enough to run the length of a bed used as a sofa.
- Matching armrest cylinders for an outdoor daybed swing are ordered through the same kind of custom link.
- Round armrest bolsters are about 8 in across as standard, with 10 in possible, and any diameter can be ordered.

## What goes in the bolster message

| Send this | Example | Why the cutting table needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter x length | 6 x 20 in (15 x 51 cm) | Sets the size of the insert and the cut of the cover |
| Quantity | A pair, one for each end | Both are priced together on one custom link |
| A simple drawing | A pencil sketch of the seat with the bolsters in place | Shows where each one sits against an arm or a wall |
| A reference photo | The style you like, piped or plain | Settles the look before any fabric is cut |
| The cushion it belongs to | The window seat or daybed back cushion you just ordered | Keeps the fabric and piping matched |

## Why a bolster waits for its cushion

A bolster is a companion piece. It borrows its fabric, its piping and often its length from the cushion beside it, so the workshop wants that cushion settled first. Order the seat or [window seat cushion](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/window-seat-cushions/) through its listing, then write in with the bolster details.

The shop answers with a custom payment link for the [bolster pillows](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bolster-pillows/) alone. That is how a buyer in the US got two 6 x 20 in bolsters to match a window seat, and how two cylinder pillows were cut for the armrests of an outdoor daybed swing, matched to its back cushion.

Length is rarely the trouble, my friend. One bolster ran about 75 in (190 cm), the full length of a bed pressed into service as a sofa. If the diameter has you stuck, the [bolster size Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bolster-pillow-size-diameter/) walks through it. A seam is a promise, and that promise starts with your numbers.

What will your bolsters lean against, an arm, a wall or a window frame?

## Bolster pillow checklist before you press send

- ✓ The main cushion is ordered through its own listing.
- ✓ Diameter and length are written for every bolster, in inches or centimeters.
- ✓ The quantity is stated, even if it is just a pair.
- ✓ A pencil drawing shows where each [armrest bolster](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#armrest-bolster) sits.
- ✓ A photo shows the style you want, piped or plain.
- ✓ If a bolster must stay put, ask for a strap or hook-and-loop tape; they come loose as standard.

> **Tailor's margin:** Bolsters have no listing of their own: order the cushion first, then send diameter x length, quantity and a sketch for a custom link.

> A bolster borrows its fabric and piping from the cushion beside it, so order the seat cushion first and the bolsters second.
>
> — Harlan

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Could you make bolsters to go with my window seat cushion?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. There's no separate listing, since bolsters are custom orders. Order the window seat cushion through its listing, then send the bolster sizes, quantity, a simple drawing and a reference photo, and the shop sends a custom link. A pair of 6 x 20 in (15 x 51 cm) bolsters was handled exactly this way.

**A common question:** I'd like two cylinder pillows for the armrests, matching the back cushion on my outdoor daybed swing. Possible?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The two matching cylinders were priced together and ordered through a custom payment link.

**A common question:** Can I have a round bolster at each end of the window seat to use as an armrest?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Armrest bolsters are made in the seat's fabric and piping, one per end, usually cut to the seat depth. They come filled, in indoor or outdoor fabric, and the set can be mocked up before production.

**A common question:** Will the bolster roll away, or can it be fastened down?

**The workshop's answer:** Bolsters come loose, with no straps, as standard. On request the shop adds a strap to hold one on a mattress, or hook-and-loop fasteners to fix armrests to the base. Perfectly flat ends aren't possible.

## Questions buyers ask next

### How long should an armrest bolster be for a window seat?

Armrest bolsters are usually cut to the seat depth, so a 20 in (51 cm) deep seat takes a bolster about 20 in long. Put that length and your chosen diameter on the sketch you send.

### Can throw pillows be made in the same fabric as the bolsters?

Yes, in any color and size, as covers only or filled with shredded foam or solid foam. Each piece has a minimum production price, and adding pillows to the original package costs less than ordering them later.

### Can a single bolster be made as long as a bed?

Yes. A bolster about 75 in (190 cm) long has been made to run the full length of a bed used as a sofa. Give the exact length and diameter, and it is quoted through a custom link.

## Related at the atelier

- [What diameter should a bolster pillow be?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/bolster-pillow-diameter-size-guide/): A bolster pillow should be 8 in (20 cm) in diameter for most seats; that is the workshop standard and the size the craftsmen say looks best on a bolster about 20 in (50 cm) long.
- [Can I get round bolsters as armrests at each end of my window seat?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/round-bolster-armrests-window-seat-bench/): Yes, bolster armrests for a window seat are made to match the seat's fabric and piping, one for each end, usually as long as the seat is deep.
- [Can you make bolster pillows to match my bench cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/matching-bolster-pillows-for-bench-cushion/): Yes, bolster pillows are made to match a bench or window seat cushion in the same fabric and piping, at any diameter and length.
- [Bolster Pillow Fabrics: Six Cloths and How to Order Them Right](https://cushionguide.com/readings/six-bolster-pillows-velvet-corduroy-stripe-studio-stack/): To order a bolster pillow right the first time, give the workroom the length, the diameter and the exact fabric code, not a color name.
- [Bolster Pillows in Striped Cotton: Measuring a Window Daybed](https://cushionguide.com/readings/four-striped-cotton-bolsters-window-daybed/): To measure for a bolster pillow, take the inside length of the daybed or seat where it will lie, measured on the frame rather than the old pillow, then choose the diameter by how high you want to…
- [Bolster Pillow Stripe Widths: Pinstripe to Wide, Read by Hand](https://cushionguide.com/readings/four-bolster-stripe-widths-pinstripe-to-wide-daybed/): Choose a bolster pillow stripe by viewing distance: a pinstripe reads as plain texture from across a room, a narrow or medium stripe adds rhythm at arm's length, and a wide stripe becomes the…
- [Bolster pillow sizes: choosing diameter and length for a seat or daybed](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bolster-pillow-size-diameter/)
- [Reading nook bolsters, back pillows and a seat depth that invites a nap](https://cushionguide.com/guides/reading-nook-cushion-bolsters/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) 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/how-to-order-custom-bolster-pillows/