The Cutting Table · compared on the table
How do I measure a curved chair seat, like a rocking chair, barrel back or horseshoe chair?
Also asked as:Shaped wooden seat: how should I measure it?Can I send a photo of a paper template?
With paper, a pencil and a phone camera. A curve is just a list of honest measurements you haven't taken yet.
SaveThe quick answer
To measure a curved chair seat, make a paper template: lay paper on the seat, trace the edge, cut it out and write the widest width and front-to-back depth on it. Photograph it flat from directly above with a tape measure visible; there's no need to mail it. Without a template, send width, depth, where each curve starts and ends, and a top-down photo.
Get a quote for a chair cushion with ties
What to send, by seat shape
| Seat | Must send | Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Shaped wooden rocking chair seat | Paper template labeled with widest width and depth, photographed from above beside a tape measure | One or two extra edge measurements, if asked |
| Barrel-back rattan chair | Width and depth, e.g. 17 x 18 in (43 x 46 cm), plus a top-down photo of the whole seat | A tracing of the seat for the curve |
| Horseshoe or U-shaped seat | Width, depth, where the curve starts and ends on each side, and how deep it runs | A photo of each chair |
| Oval wicker loveseat | A simple drawing with all measurements and a photo of the seat | Matching 16 x 16 in (41 x 41 cm) pillows on the same quote |
Key facts
- A paper template traced from the seat is the recommended method.
- Write the widest width and the front-to-back depth on the template.
- A photo from directly above with a tape measure visible is enough; don't mail it.
- Horseshoe seats need width, depth, where the curve starts and ends on each side, and how deep it runs.
- Send a top-down photo of the whole seat and a photo of each chair, plus thickness and fabric.
- The craftsmen check rounded or oval shapes and confirm before you order.
- Matching throw pillows can be quoted together.
Have it made
Have Nate’s workshop cut this for you
Every edge and both diagonals, to the nearest 1/4 in. If the numbers do not close, the workshop will say so on the call. — Nate
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.
The paper template, in five moves
Lay paper on the seat
One piece large enough to cover the whole seat, edge to edge.
Trace the edge
Follow the outline with a pencil all the way round, curve included.
Cut it out and label it
Write the widest width and the front-to-back depth on the template itself, in inches.
Photograph it from directly above
Lay it flat with a tape measure visible in the frame, camera square to the paper.
Send the photo, keep the paper
No need to mail the template. The craftsmen may mark straight sections on your photo.
Why the photo has to be square, and the tape in it
I spent ten years on car seats, partner, and the lesson carries: a curve shot at an angle lies about its shape. Shoot the template from directly above and the tape measure becomes the scale bar, so the craftsmen read your curve in real inches.
Add a photo of each chair, your thickness and your fabric or color. Rounded and oval shapes are checked and confirmed with you before you order. One honest limit: a tightly shaped rocking-chair seat was once declined as too risky without the chair in the workshop, while another went ahead once its paper template was photographed.
The rocking chair template Pattern goes step by step, and rocking chair cushions shows finished ones. What does your seat measure at its widest point?
A rocking chair cushion template doesn't need to travel: trace the seat, write the widest width and depth on it, and photograph it beside a tape measure.
Nate
Buyer questions
- A common question
How should I measure a curved wooden rocking chair seat?
The workshop's answerMake a paper template: trace the seat edge, cut it out and write the widest width and front-to-back depth on it. Photograph it flat from directly above with a tape measure visible; no need to mail it. The craftsmen may ask for a couple of extra edge measurements.
- A common question
Can you make a cushion for a vintage barrel-back rattan chair?
The workshop's answerYes, including the semicircular back shape. Send width and depth (e.g. 17 x 18 in) and a clear top-down photo of the whole seat; a tracing of the seat is even better for the curve.
- A common question
My chair seat is rounded at the back. Can you make a horseshoe-shaped cushion?
The workshop's answerYes. Send a clear drawing with the width, the depth, where the curve starts and ends along each side, and how deep it runs, plus a photo of the chair. The shape is confirmed with you before you order.
- A common question
Oval cushions with rounded corners for a wicker loveseat, plus matching pillows?
The workshop's answerYes. The craftsmen check the shape first from a simple drawing with all measurements and a photo of the seat. Matching 16 x 16 in square pillows with matching piping can go on the same quote.
Questions buyers ask next
What goes into a quote for a set of horseshoe chairs?
A photo of each chair, a simple sketch with measurements or a template, your preferred thickness and your fabric or color. Photos of the actual chairs help get the curved cut-outs right, and the quote and production time follow.
Can the same template method work for an odd-shaped window seat?
Yes, any size and shape. Draw it on paper with every side measured, photograph the drawing and the space, and the workshop redraws the shape for your confirmation before quoting.
My corner bench meets at 45 or 120 degrees. Is that a curve job?
No, it's an angle job. At a 90-degree corner, one long and one short rectangle is cheaper and fits better. Mitered 45-degree joins or other non-square corners become trapezoids, ordered with a full drawing.
