Custom cushion covers and bench cushion covers, cut to the foam you have
Often the foam is still good and only the fabric has tired, faded or fallen out of love with the room. A new cover, sewn to that foam, is the gentlest way to change a seat.
SaveA zipper along the side panel means the caramel cover can come off without taking the bench apart.
The quick answer
Custom cushion covers are zippered, removable covers sewn to the exact length, width and thickness of foam you already own, with no filling inside. They cost less than a new filled cushion and wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle; ask for the making time with your quote. Always give the insert thickness, and measure tapered shapes front and back.
A cushion cover is the part of a cushion that lives in public. The foam inside can stay sound for years while the fabric fades by the window, takes a stain, or stops agreeing with a newly painted wall. That is when custom cushion covers make sense: new zippered covers, sewn to the foam you already have, with nothing inside.
They suit sofa seats with good inserts, bench and window seat pads, porch swing and deck box cushions, even a mini crib mattress turned play mat. One buyer in the US chose brown velvet for six sofa cushions and, because the inserts were still good, cut the quote substantially by switching to covers only. In another quote, a single replacement cover came to about 40% of a new cushion with foam.
The count is how many published readings use each family. Open a family for its swatch book, care notes and neighbors.
Box edges, piping lines and where the zipper hides
Most covers are box covers: a top, a bottom and a band around the sides, with piping at each seam or none at all. Piping is where a cover shows its tailoring. Ivory, olive and emerald velvet, each with a welt in another shade, or burgundy piping around a dusty rose weave, draw the outline the way a pencil line finishes a sketch. A clean unpiped seam suits chenille and soft textures.
The zipper sits on the back edge, facing the wall, or on the underside, and you pick the side. On bench and mattress covers it runs around two corners, an L-shaped wraparound, so the foam slides out without a wrestle. More in where the zipper goes.
Fabrics for a second life
A new cover is a chance to change the room's key. Price follows size far more than fabric, so choose for the life the seat leads.
Velvet: burgundy, aqua and emerald with a sheen that moves with the light.
Covers are cut from fabrics from a mill certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (03.T.3239). To match an existing color, order a sample and look at it in daylight. Extra fabric is sold by the yard, on rolls about 55 in (140 cm) wide, some about 79 in (2 m).
Thickness, stretch and a cover that looks full
A cover only looks tailored when the foam fills it. New firm foam is cut slightly larger than its cover for exactly this reason. When you order covers for your own foam, the cover is sewn to your numbers so it closes snugly; fitted mattress covers go 1/2 to 3/4 in (1-2 cm) under the measured thickness, because the fabric gives a little.
Compare outline and thickness before you put a standard mattress into a custom cover. One floor sofa owner in the US wanted a spare 39 x 79 in (99 x 200 cm) cover; the cushion inside was about 6.5 in (17 cm) thick, while a twin XL mattress usually starts around 8 in (20 cm). Nearly the same outline, a very different fit.
A real project
Three striped covers for three bench seats
A buyer in the US wanted new covers for three bench seats in a terracotta and red stripe story. Two were 16.5 x 46 in (42 x 117 cm) and 16.5 x 29.5 in (42 x 75 cm), with a terracotta body and a vertical stripe for the piping. The third, a narrow 11.25 x 45 in (29 x 114 cm), reversed the recipe: striped body, terracotta piping, and ties set 6 in (15 cm) in from each short end.
She already had foam, so she chose covers only and gave the one number that decides everything: the inserts were 3 in (7.5 cm) thick.
Measured
16.5 x 46 in, 16.5 x 29.5 in and 11.25 x 45 in; covers for 3 in inserts
What it taught
When ordering covers only, always give the insert thickness.
Cover mistakes we see, and the fix for each
Leaving out the insert thickness on a covers-only order. Length and width are only two of the three numbers.
Measuring a tapered cushion once, across the middle. Give the front and back widths; half an inch at the front changes the whole cover.
Washing at 30°F. The label means 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle, then air dry.
Forcing the zipper closed over a freshly washed cover. Refit it while slightly damp and never pull hard on the zipper.
Unrolling every cover in a multi-piece pack before checking one color. Check one end first, so a wrong set can go back sealed.
Cushion covers wash at 86°F, which is 30°C, not 30°F. Air dry them and zip them back on while still slightly damp.
Open any photograph large; each one has its own link and a Save button.
SaveFanned out on oak, five piped cushions read like a color card for pairing body fabric with piping.SaveThree colorways of the same nubby weave, stacked to compare. Each is a two-tone yarn mix that reads as one soft color from a distance.SaveVelvet covers in four soft colors, each outlined in a contrasting piping; the empty taupe shell sits ready for foam.SaveFour zippered covers with half-open zippers: each zipper tape matches its piping, from mustard on olive to gray on oatmeal.SaveA zipper tucked into the side seam lets the forest green bouclé cover come off for washing.SaveThe zipper runs along the side seam, so the cover comes off for cleaning while the front stays clean-lined.SaveThe pebbled sage surface has no loops for claws to hook into, and tabby hair settles into its grain instead of standing out.SaveThe sea green weave has a pebbly surface, and the corner is sewn square so the cushion keeps its shape.SaveAt this distance you can judge the corner seam: straight, flat and without a corded edge.SaveReordered with zebra on top, the stack shows how the boldest print pulls the eye first.SaveA deeper rose than the blush version, framed by the same burgundy cord.
Spare sets, seasonal swaps and the tools
A spare set of covers is the simplest restyling I know. Floor sofa owners keep one set on while the other is in the wash, or trade ink navy for brick when the evenings turn cool. Which color would your seat wear in winter, my friends, if it could choose?
A bench cushion cover is the most common covers-only order: the foam is fine, the fabric is tired. Measure the bare insert, or the old cover seam to seam with the foam still inside, for length, depth and thickness, and send those numbers without adding anything; covers are cut to the insert and the fabric's slight stretch is allowed for. Say where the zipper should go, usually the back edge and around two corners so the foam slides out, and whether you want ties or a non-slip bottom panel, since neither is added automatically. Piping comes standard on covers and can match or contrast. Other cover makers quote tolerances such as 0 to 1 in under the ordered size, so ask how close yours will come.
Zippered cover or stretch cover
Zippered cover cut to size
Stretch (elastic) cover
Fit
Cut to your insert's exact size
Stretches over a range of sizes
Look
Crisp, tailored edges and piping
Softer; can wrinkle on firm box cushions
Best on
Firm foam benches and seats
Soft, rounded sofa cushions
Washing
Unzip and machine wash
Pull off and machine wash
From the workshop
Yes, zipper-only
No; buy ready-made
Buyer questions
A common question
How do I get a price for replacement cushion covers?
The workshop's answer
Use the cover-only listing: pick the size range for each piece, for example two seat covers and two back covers, and the price shows with any running discount already applied. Write the exact sizes, main fabric code and piping code in personalization; contrast piping is fine. If only the cover is damaged, order just that. In one quote a single cover came to about 40% of a new cushion with foam.
A common question
Only one cover on my floor sofa is damaged. Can I replace just that one?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Single covers are sold when one tears or its zipper breaks, and the shop sets up a listing for the exact piece, whether base, straight backrest, corner backrest, armrest or ottoman, in the color of your set. Partial sets, such as just the two straight backrests, can be ordered too. Floor sofa replacement covers come in the standard sizes only.
A common question
What temperature and cycle should I wash the covers on?
The workshop's answer
Take the cover off the foam and machine wash at no more than 86°F (30°C); the 30 on the label is Celsius, not Fahrenheit. Use a gentle, delicate or cold cycle, the gentle program for corduroy, a mild detergent and no bleach, and turn the cover inside out if you can. Air dry, and iron on low if needed. The white non-slip bottoms on floor sofas stay out of the machine.
A common question
Can I order a second set of floor sofa covers in another color?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Buy the sofa from its listing and the shop sends a separate link for an extra cover set in the color you choose. It can ship with the sofa, or later, since the link stays active. The fillings have their own inner covers, so you can swap colors with the seasons or keep a spare set for wash day. Buying two or three sets lowers the price per set.
A common question
Can I buy the same fabric by the yard to recover an ottoman?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Samples and cut lengths are sold through the fabric-samples listing, and larger pieces through a custom order link; send the fabric code and how much you need. Extra fabric can ship with your cushions. Roll width depends on the fabric, about 55 in (140 cm) for most and about 79 in (2 m) for some, which sets how large one piece can be.
A common question
Will your replacement covers fit a teddy floor sofa I bought from another brand?
The workshop's answer
Usually, if the dimensions match. The seat covers fit 79 x 39 x 6.5 in (200 x 100 x 17 cm) pieces and the L-shaped backrest covers 39 x 39 x 15 in (100 x 100 x 39 cm), very close to the best-known designer teddy sofa. Measure each piece, especially the height; a foam-filled backrest from another maker may sit slightly loose. To match an existing color, order a fabric sample first.
Have it made
Have your cushion covers made — ask Élodie’s workshop
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
No. Tufting is possible only when the workshop makes the filling, because the buttons are sewn through cover and fill together and the piece is closed by hand. A covers-only order is made as a plain zippered cover without tufting.
How long do replacement covers take to arrive?
Custom covers without foam still need cutting and sewing, and replacement covers also need fabric sourcing and delivery. Ask the workshop for current times in writing, and if you have a date in mind, write it in the order note and message right after ordering.
Why is a new mattress cover a little shallower than my mattress?
On purpose. Fitted mattress covers are sewn 1/2 to 3/4 in (1-2 cm) under the measured thickness because the fabric stretches slightly. That small difference keeps the cover smooth once the fabric relaxes.
Which side of the cushion does the zipper go on?
The back edge, facing the wall, or the underside, and you can choose. On bench and mattress covers the zipper usually wraps around two corners in an L, so the foam slides in and out without folding.
What happens if a cover arrives in the wrong size or color?
For workshop errors such as a wrong size, reversed colors, a broken zipper, an open seam or a zipper on the wrong side, photograph the fault the day the box opens and message the workshop. Ask it to confirm the fix in writing; in past cases it was a remake, a new cover or a replacement part, often without asking for the item back.
Can you make a cover for foam I bought somewhere else?
Yes. Covers only are sewn to any size, including foam from another maker; write the foam's length, width and thickness. For shaped pieces the workshop asks for a drawing with measurements and a photo of the space.
Can a replacement bench cushion cover have ties or a non-slip bottom?
Yes. Ties can be sewn into the seams wherever you mark them, at the corners or along the back edge, and a non-slip bottom panel can replace the whole underside so the cover grips the bench by friction. Say which you want in the order note along with the foam's length, width and thickness, since neither is added automatically.
With color and care — Élodie
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Readings
Photographs read by the masters: replacement cushion covers
Real cushions made for real rooms, each read for proportion, fabric and fit.
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