Concept Sketches · 9 scenes
Pallet sofas and daybeds: cushions cut to the stack you built
Pallet furniture is honest work, and the cushion is what finishes it. Here are nine builds from past orders, each one sized to the wood it sits on.
SaveThe quick answer
Pallet sofa cushions are cut to your own frame, so measure the finished pallet stack rather than a catalog pallet, because pallet sizes vary. In real builds, seats ran 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) of foam and backs as thin as 2 in (5 cm). Choose tufted for the hand-finished look or zippered foam for washable covers; you don't get both.
Pallets make the frame; the cushion makes the couch
Stack two pallets, sand the splinters off, and you have a frame. You don't have a couch until something soft sits on top of it, and that something has to fit the wood you actually have.
Pallet sizes differ from one supplier to the next, so nobody can cut a pallet cushion to a catalog number. Measure your own stack: length and depth across the top boards, and the height of any back you'll lean on. Indoors, most pallet sofas end up dressed like floor cushions; on a patio they join the outdoor cushions.
Pallet questions come back to three things: how thick, tufted or zipped, and covers for foam somebody already owns. The nine builds below are past orders, the sizes kept exactly. So tell me, my friend, what does your stack measure end to end?
Nine pallet builds, measured and cut
01A past project
Two pallet couches that push together into a bed
One buyer wrote in about two floor couches on wooden pallets that slide together into a double bed at night. Each cushion was 63 x 27.5 in (160 x 70 cm), sized to a sleeper about 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) tall.
The takeaway: If the couch sleeps, size the length to the sleeper first and the frame second.
02A past project
Eight tufted pieces for an outdoor pallet sofa
A buyer got in touch wanting tufted cushions for an outdoor pallet sofa: eight pieces, from about 39.4 x 31.5 x 6 in (100 x 80 x 15 cm) down to 47.2 x 15.7 x 6 in (120 x 40 x 15 cm). Thick outdoor sets add up fast, so the workshop gave a ballpark before anything was drawn.
The takeaway: On a big outdoor set, ask for a rough figure on the whole thing, then refine the sizes.
03A past project
Two inches, four inches, or maybe three
One buyer's thread went like this: do you have 2 in foam, or only 4 in? Then: maybe 3 in. The workshop standard is 4 in (10 cm), 2 in (5 cm) is the thinnest standard foam cushion, and anything between is made to order.
The takeaway: Pick thickness by the job: thin for a back against a wall, 3 to 4 in for a seat.
04A past project
Tufted, with a removable cover? Pick one
The same buyer asked what makes a cushion tufted, and whether it could come with a removable cover. A dog owner in the US asked the same about a tufted corner floor cushion. The buttons go through the filling and the cover is hand-stitched shut, so the washable choice is a zippered foam cushion without buttons.
The takeaway: Pets, kids or muddy boots: choose the zippered, untufted build.
05A past project
A homemade frame, priced two ways
A buyer wrote in with a homemade sofa frame: two seats about 60 x 30 x 4 in (152 x 76 x 10 cm) and two backs about 60 x 23.6 x 2 in (152 x 60 x 5 cm). The workshop quoted the seats alone and the full set, and the two figures sat a long way apart.
The takeaway: Ask for seat-only and full-set quotes side by side, then decide what the frame needs.
06A past project
New covers for foam you already own
One buyer wrote in rebuilding a floor sofa around foam they already had: covers for floor cushions about 39.4 x 78.7 x 7 in (100 x 200 x 18 cm), plus matching squares. Covers are cut to the numbers you send, so the workshop needs the bare foam measured, not the old cover.
The takeaway: Measure the bare insert and write 'covers only' in the request.
07A past project
Two single mattresses turned floor sofa
One buyer wrote in with two single mattresses, about 31.5 x 78.7 x 7.9 in (80 x 200 x 20 cm), laid out as a floor sofa. They wanted dark-brown corduroy covers. With mattresses, the workshop asks for the tape at the thickest point and whether you want one cover each or one around both.
The takeaway: Photograph the tape on each mattress at its widest and thickest point.
08A past project
A concrete couch treated like a pallet
A buyer messaged the workshop with a concrete built-in couch: three seats of 23.6 x 27.6 x 4 in (60 x 70 x 10 cm), one back of 83 x 13.8 x 2 in (211 x 35 x 5 cm) and two 23.6 in (60 cm) cylinders for the ends, all in mint linen. Concrete or pallet, the frame doesn't care; the cushion is measured off the finished surface.
The takeaway: Break a long seat into equal pieces and let one long back tie them together.
09A past project
Pool benches and the water in the buttons
A family in the US wanted tufted floor-style cushions for benches by a pool and fire pit: one 125 x 20.5 x 3 in (318 x 52 x 7.5 cm) and two at 86.75 x 20.5 x 3 in (220 x 52 x 7.5 cm). The workshop warned that tufting lets water in even with outdoor fabric and steered them to non-tufted foam. The 125 in run was made in two pieces.
The takeaway: Outdoors, leave the buttons off, and plan where a very long run splits.
Two inches to twelve: what each thickness is for
Try your numbers in the foam firmness finder, sketch the frame in the bench cushion builder, and read the floor cushion thickness Pattern for the long version.
| Thickness | Where it showed up | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in (5 cm) | Backs on a homemade frame, 60 x 23.6 in; the thinnest standard foam cushion | Backrests against a wall |
| 3 in (7.5 cm) | Pool and fire-pit benches, 20.5 in (52 cm) deep | Outdoor bench seats; the middle a buyer landed on |
| 4 in (10 cm) | The workshop standard; seats on a homemade frame and a concrete couch | Everyday sitting on a pallet sofa |
| 6 in (15 cm) | An eight-piece outdoor pallet set; the velvet floor seat | Deeper sitting with a fuller look |
| 7 to 8 in (18 to 20 cm) | Own-foam floor sofa; two single mattresses | Floor sofas that double as a bed |
| 10 to 12 in (25 to 30 cm) | The deep-base floor-couch model; thicker costs more | Sitting higher off the floor |
Tufted or zipped: you get one, not both
A tufted cushion is handwork from start to finish. It is filled with densely packed polyester fiber, the buttons run clean through, and the last seam is closed by hand. It sits firm, about 6 to 7 on a 1-to-10 scale, and it looks like furniture. A seam is a promise, and that one isn't meant to be opened.
A zippered cushion is foam in a cover that comes off. Every foam cushion gets a zippered, removable cover at no extra cost, with the zipper on the back edge or underneath. No buttons, no French edge, but it washes. The tufted versus plain Pattern lays the two side by side.
For cloth, corduroy and linen both turn up in these builds; outside, choose from the outdoor fabrics. Buttons on a hardworking cushion loosen now and then. Keep the spares that come with the order and re-sew one early, before the tuft goes slack.
A pallet sofa cushion is cut to your finished stack, not a catalog pallet, and 4 in (10 cm) of foam is where most seats start.
Harlan
Pallet and floor-couch questions
- A common question
What's inside a tufted floor cushion? Is there foam in there?
The workshop's answerNo foam core. Tufted cushions are filled with what the workshop calls silicone-ball fiber: polyester hollow fiber rolled into small clusters that feel soft like cotton rather than foam. It's packed densely, the standard mix can include some cotton, and the cushion is sewn closed by hand. The workshop will send a photo of the fill if you ask, and foam fill is offered as an alternative on some orders.
- A common question
Can I get the tufted cushion with a zipper so I can wash the cover?
The workshop's answerNo. A tufted cushion is filled, tufted with buttons that pass through the filling, then hand-stitched closed, so the cover can't be opened or removed, and the buttons can't be made detachable. For washable covers, the workshop makes the same size as a plain foam cushion with a zippered removable cover in your size and color, without the tufting or the French edge.
- A common question
My pallet frame sits low. Can the cushion be 8, 10 or even 12 inches thick?
The workshop's answerYes. Floor cushions and mattresses are made 5, 6, 8, 10 or 12 in thick (up to 30 cm) for higher seating, sleeping or floor-couch use; even the largest 48 x 48 in (122 x 122 cm) corner cushion has been quoted at 10 in. Thicker costs more, so ask for a quote with your size, and expect to be asked what the extra height is for.
- A common question
Are tufted cushions squishy like a bean bag, or firm?
The workshop's answerFirm. The workshop rates them about 6 to 7 on a scale where 1 is very plush and 10 is a firm bed you barely sink into. There's no sponge inside; the tightly packed fiber feels soft to the touch but holds its shape for daily sitting or even sleeping. They're heavy because they're so densely filled. For more support, ask for extra filling or a thicker cushion.
Have it made
Have an idea like this made — ask Harlan’s workshop
Fabric has a temper and foam has a memory. Better to settle both in a conversation than to guess at them alone. — Harlan
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.
Questions buyers ask next
What pallet size should I give when ordering pallet sofa cushions?
Your own, measured. Pallet sizes differ between suppliers, so the workshop doesn't cut to a standard pallet. Measure the finished stack: length and depth across the top boards, plus the height of any back you'll lean on, and send those numbers with a photo.
Can cushions for an outdoor pallet sofa be tufted?
They can be made in outdoor fabric, but the workshop advises against it: tufting lets water in even through outdoor fabric. For a pallet sofa that sees rain, choose non-tufted foam cushions with zippered covers, and store them indoors during the long off-season.
Do floor and pallet cushions arrive ready to use?
Yes. Floor cushions arrive fully filled and sewn closed; you choose the color and size. Vacuum-packed pieces, especially corners and L-shapes, can take 36 to 72 hours to fully recover, and patting them helps. The first 72 hours Pattern walks through it.
How long can a single pallet sofa cushion be?
Very long runs are made in sections. A 108 x 40 in (274 x 102 cm) floor cushion was made as two 54 x 40 in (137 x 102 cm) pieces, and a 125 in (318 cm) bench cushion in two parts. Equal sections are easier to make, ship and handle; see one piece or two.
