CushionGuide
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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

My cushion cover is creased from the vacuum packing. Will it smooth out, or should I iron it?

Also asked as:The fabric looks like it has scratchesHow do I get the crinkles out?

A cushion squeezed flat for the trip arrives looking like a sail left bundled in the locker. Give it air and warmth first, friend. The fabric knows the way back.

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The Weather Man of Casco Bay ·

Warm sand box cushion with natural white piping on a chunky oak bench, olive velvet pillow, palm print and chevron parquetSave
A warm sand cushion softens a solid oak bench in a paneled Parisian room, with one olive velvet pillow for color.

The quick answer

Yes, creases from vacuum packing relax on their own, usually within about a week, and within 7-10 days for a deep center crease. The foam is back in 36-48 hours (36-72 hours for corners and L-shaped pieces); the fabric follows. Ironing isn't needed, but a low-heat steamer held a little away speeds it up. Unpack promptly, because sealed boxes set deeper wrinkles.

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Key facts

  • Creases and scratch-like lines are normal after vacuum sealing.
  • Fabric creases fade within about a week as the foam re-expands and the cushion is used.
  • A deep center crease settles within 7-10 days.
  • Foam re-expands in 36-48 hours; corners and L-shaped pieces take 36-72 hours.
  • A warm, well-ventilated room helps the fabric relax.
  • Ironing isn't required; a low-heat steamer held away from the fabric speeds things up.
  • Boxes left sealed for days, or long vacuum storage, set deeper wrinkles that can take a few weeks to fade.

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Have Callum’s workshop cut this for you

Short list: size, sun hours, how fast it has to dry. The workshop goes through it with you. — Callum

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
A warm, well-ventilated room helps the fabric relax.
Foam
Fabric creases fade within about a week as the foam re-expands and the cushion is used.
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

The first week, in order

  1. Open the box the day it lands. Snip the bag's edge away from the fabric and tear it by hand; no knives near the cover.
  2. Give the foam 36-48 hours, and 36-72 hours for corners and L-shaped pieces. The first 72 hours pattern walks through it.
  3. Keep it in a warm, well-ventilated room. Fabric relaxes faster in warmth and moving air.
  4. Use it. Creases fade as the foam fills out and the cushion gets sat on.
  5. Smooth corduroy by hand along the ribs; brush velvet along the pile.
  6. Steam only if you're impatient: a handheld steamer on low heat, held a little away from the fabric.

What not to do

  • Press a hot iron straight onto the fabric. Low heat suited to the fabric, held off it, is the most it needs.
  • Leave the box sealed for days. Compression wrinkles set deeper the longer they sit.
  • Store the cushion vacuum-packed beyond 2-3 weeks, and never more than a month.
  • Re-measure before the foam has fully expanded.

Why the lines look like scratches

Vacuum sealing presses fabric hard against itself, and the fold lines catch light like scratches on a hull. They aren't cuts. The 36 hours in the instructions is for the foam; the fabric keeps its own clock, about a week, depending on temperature and room conditions.

If a section still looks wrong after it settles, send a photo; replacement covers are offered for pieces that still look defective. The glossary covers vacuum packing and pressure marks. How long did yours sit on the porch before you opened it?

Creases from vacuum packing aren't damage: they relax in about a week, and a low-heat steamer held a little off the fabric beats pressing a hot iron.

Callum
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    My cushion arrived creased and not quite the right size. Is that the vacuum packing?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Cushions need up to 72 hours, often 3 to 4 days, to regain full size, and the scratch-like lines are compression creases that fade within about a week. Re-measure only after it has fully expanded.

  2. A common question

    My cushion arrived with a crease down the middle. Should I iron it?

    The workshop's answer

    No need. Creases from compressed packing relax by themselves within 7-10 days.

  3. A common question

    How long until a vacuum-packed cushion has its full shape, and how do I lose the wrinkles?

    The workshop's answer

    Allow at least 36-48 hours, and 36-72 hours for corners and L-shaped pieces. Smooth corduroy by hand along the ribs, or use a low-heat handheld steamer held away from the fabric. Still worried after 48 hours? Send a photo.

Questions buyers ask next

Is the 36 hours on the instructions for the fabric or the foam?

For the foam: 36-48 hours, or 36-72 hours for corners and L-shaped pieces. Fabric creases run slower, about a week, depending on the room's temperature and air.

Can I keep a cushion in its vacuum bag until I need it?

Not for long. Open it on arrival and don't keep it compressed beyond 2-3 weeks, never more than a month. Foam sealed for over a year can crumble.

What if a crease is still there after two weeks?

Send a photo. Creases after long storage can take a few weeks to fade, but if a section still looks defective once the cushion has settled, replacement covers are offered for those pieces.