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The Cutting Table · a common question

Can I iron my cushion covers to get the shipping creases out?

Also asked as:It arrived very wrinkly, typical for linen?The wrinkles never passed.

A new cover travels folded tight, and the first morning light across it shows every line like pencil on paper. The creases are temporary, my friends; the heat you choose is not.

Answered by

The Colorist of New Orleans · · Updated

The quick answer

Yes, you can remove creases from cushion covers with steam or an iron on a low setting, and shipping creases also fade on their own over time. Be careful with the linen-look range: it's a synthetic fabric that looks like linen, and a hot iron can melt it instantly. Steam, or a properly lowered iron temperature, is the safe route.

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Key facts

  • Creases from compressed shipping are normal and temporary.
  • Steam or careful ironing speeds up crease removal.
  • Iron only on a low setting.
  • The 'linen' range is a synthetic linen-look fabric, not natural linen.
  • A hot iron can melt the linen-look fabric instantly.
  • Covers machine wash at 86°F (30°C) max on a gentle cycle, air dry, and iron on low if needed.
  • Compression creases usually fade within 1-2 weeks (often 7-10 days) as the foam expands.
  • Most cushions regain their shape within 24-72 hours of unpacking.

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A fabric reads one way at noon and another at dusk. Mention your light, and the workshop will weigh it with you. — Élodie

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 'linen' range is a synthetic linen-look fabric, not natural linen.
Foam
Compression creases usually fade within 1-2 weeks (often 7-10 days) as the foam expands.
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.

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Why a new cover arrives creased

Covers are compressed for shipping, and compression leaves fold lines. They're normal, and they fade as the cover settles on its cushion. In a sunny room they read louder than they are: low, raking light turns a soft fold into a shadow.

The word to watch is 'linen'. That range is a synthetic linen-look fabric, not natural linen, and heat is where the difference shows. Real linen vs linen-look explains how to read the label, and the washing Pattern covers the rest of the routine.

How do I take shipping creases out of a cushion cover?

  1. Give it time

    Put the cover on its cushion and let it settle. Compression creases fade on their own.

  2. Steam to speed it up

    Steam relaxes shipping creases and is the safe route on the linen-look range.

  3. If you iron, turn it down

    Use a properly lowered temperature. A hot iron can melt linen-look fabric the moment it touches.

A real project

The cover that met a hot iron

A buyer in the US wrote to the workshop after ironing a new 'linen' cushion cover. The moment the iron touched it, the fabric melted. The range is a linen-look synthetic, and a hot iron is simply too much for it.

The workshop offered a replacement cover at a reduced price. The lesson stayed on the cutting table: steam, or a properly lowered temperature, and nothing hotter. Which cover is waiting on your ironing board?

Shipping creases in a new cushion cover fade on their own; steam or an iron on a low setting only speeds things up.

Élodie
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    My covers still have creases from shipping. Will they go away?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Wrinkles from compressed shipping are normal and fade over time. To speed it up, steam the covers or iron them carefully.

  2. A common question

    Can I iron my linen cushion cover?

    The workshop's answer

    Carefully. The 'linen' range is a linen-look synthetic, and one buyer's cover melted instantly under a hot iron. Iron only at a properly lowered temperature, or use steam for compression creases.

  3. A common question

    What temperature and cycle do I wash the covers on?

    The workshop's answer

    Unzip the cover, turn it inside out and machine wash at 86°F (30°C) max on a gentle cycle with mild detergent and no bleach. Air dry instead of tumble drying, and iron on low if needed.

Questions buyers ask next

Is the 'linen' cushion fabric real linen?

No. The range sold as linen is a synthetic linen-look fabric. It looks like linen but reacts to heat like a synthetic, which is why steam or a low iron is the rule for creases.

Can I put a fabric protector spray on the covers?

Yes, you can apply a fabric protector spray yourself once the covers arrive. Most of the protection comes from washability: the covers unzip and machine wash at 86°F (30°C).

Will a spin in the dryer shake out the creases?

Skip the dryer. The covers should air dry, and a cover with a non-slip base can't take tumble drying at all. Steam or a low iron handles the creases instead.