---
title: "Custom Cushions in Saskatchewan: Prairie Sun and Lake Cabins"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-saskatchewan/"
section: "Across the Map"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-05-20"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "custom cushions saskatchewan, custom cushions saskatoon, custom cushions regina, lake cabin cushions, farmhouse bench cushions"
---

# Custom cushions for Saskatchewan farmhouses, cabins and prairie homes

*Saskatchewan gets more sunshine than any other province, and Regina's wind hardly ever rests. Out here I build cushions plain, sturdy and tied down.*

> **The quick answer:** Custom cushions in Saskatchewan have to handle strong sun, steady wind and a long, dry winter. Farmhouse kitchen benches take ticking, poly-cotton or velvet on firm 32 kg/m³ foam, with ties where two cushions meet. Lake cabin bunks and storage benches are measured one by one. Deck cushions go in water-repellent outdoor fabric, get ties for the wind and come indoors every fall.

![Red and white ticking stripe bench cushion with red piping on a cream painted bench beside a pine farmhouse table](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/red-ticking-kitchen-bench-cushion-pine-table-1600.webp "A freestanding kitchen bench with a red ticking cushion, set against a scrubbed pine table with lemons and wildflowers.")

## More sun than any other province, and a wind that won't quit

Saskatchewan gets more hours of sunshine than any other province. Saskatoon averages about 2,350 hours a year and Regina about 2,318, and on open prairie there's not much to shade a south window. Sun like that fades a cushion from the top down, a season at a time.

The wind comes with it. By Environment Canada's 1981-2010 normals, Regina's wind averages 11.4 mph (18.4 km/h) and Saskatoon's 9.5 mph (15.3 km/h). A loose cushion on an acreage deck doesn't stay put long. It wants ties.

Winter is long and dry. January averages 6.3 °F (−14.3 °C) in Saskatoon and 5.5 °F (−14.7 °C) in Regina, and Regina's 15.3 in (389.7 mm) of yearly precipitation falls mostly in the warm half of the year. Dry cold is easy on foam. The melt, the lake damp and the mice are what hurt a cushion, and I'll come to those.

## Farm kitchens, city bungalows and the bunk room at the lake

A prairie farmhouse kitchen has a bench along the table, and it's the first seat everybody uses and the last one anybody thinks about. It takes flour, work jeans and grandchildren. [Bench cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bench-cushions/) there want a sturdy cloth on firm, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) foam, with ties so they don't walk.

In Saskatoon and Regina bungalows, the back entry does a mudroom's work with half the room. A shallow bench and a 2 in (5 cm) cushion fit where a deep one won't; the [mudroom bench hub](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/mudroom-and-entryway-bench-cushions/) has the sizes.

Then the lake. Up in Prince Albert National Park, Waskesiu Lake has a summer resort village on its east shore, and cabins dot the lake country around it. A cabin has a deck, a porch bench and a bunk room where no two mattresses match. The [boat and RV cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/boat-and-rv-cushions/) hub handles odd bunks. South of the line, the [North Dakota](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-north-dakota/) and [Montana](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-montana/) pages cover the same prairie, and the [Canada overview](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-canada/) the rest of the country.

## A blue velvet bench for an 1880 farmhouse

A buyer in Canada was restoring an 1880 farmhouse kitchen for a magazine shoot and first asked for covers only, for a bench 16.5 in (42 cm) deep. The workshop makes filled cushions, so that's what was ordered: two blue velvet seat cushions, 4 in (10 cm) thick, one 63.4 in (161 cm) long and one 45.5 in (115.6 cm), with ties at the end where they meet and along the side.

One arrived 6 in (15 cm) short. The workshop remade the 45.5 x 16.5 in (115.6 x 42 cm) piece, and the buyer kept the first one as well.

Two old lessons in that. When two cushions share a bench, tie them at the join, or the gap opens every time somebody slides in. And put a tape on both pieces the day they arrive, before the shoot, the party or the harvest crew. A seam is a promise, and so is a length.

## Prairie seats and what to build them from

| Seat | Fabric | Foam and thickness | Build notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmhouse kitchen bench | Striped ticking, poly-cotton or velvet | 2 to 4 in (5 to 10 cm) | Ties at the join and back corners; zippered cover for washing |
| City back-entry bench | Poly-cotton or performance weave | 2 in (5 cm) on a shallow bench | Non-slip base; wipe off snowmelt the same day |
| Cabin bunk mattress | Corduroy, velvet or soft poly-cotton | 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) | Measure every bunk; corner ties if two pieces make one bed |
| Cabin storage bench | Poly-cotton or outdoor fabric | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) | Split at the lid lines so each lid lifts |
| Lake deck or acreage patio | Water-repellent outdoor fabric | 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) | Ties for the wind; indoors from fall to spring |

## Wheat, flax blue and a red barn door

On the prairie the view does the decorating: wheat gold, flax blue, gravel-road gray, the red of an old barn. A farmhouse bench in red or navy [ticking](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/) on cream looks like it has always been there.

Sun is the catch. Brights fade first under a big south window, so put your boldest color where the sun can't reach it, the bunk room or the back entry, and keep the window seat in a mid-tone that ages evenly. The [window seat fading guide](https://cushionguide.com/guides/window-seat-cushion-fading-sun/) explains why.

If you can't decide, my friend, lay three swatches on the sill for a week and see which one you still like on Sunday. Which color would your kitchen pick?

## Opening the cabin in May, closing it in fall

1. Victoria Day weekend is when cabins come out of winterizing. Air the place out before you touch anything soft.
2. If mice wintered over, don't sweep or vacuum the droppings. Follow the Public Health Agency of Canada steps in the questions below.
3. Check every cushion for nesting before it goes back on a bunk. Unzip and wash covers at 86 °F (30 °C); replace foam that's been chewed into.
4. In fall, wash the covers, dry everything completely, and store cushions off the floor in a breathable cover.
5. Better still, bring them home to town for the winter. Nothing stored damp, nothing sealed wet.

## Buyer questions: benches, bunks and cabin storage

**A common question:** Our cabin storage bench has lift-up lids. Can the cushion be split to match them?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The cushions can be divided at the lid lines so each section lifts with its own lid. Send a clear drawing with every edge measured. If the sections aren't identical, say about 1.5 in (4 cm) different in depth, each one needs its own drawing: front, back, both sides and the depth at each end.

**A common question:** Can you make cushions for the top bunk in our camper?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Two velvet cushions of 71 x 28 in (180 x 71 cm) were quoted at the pictured 12 in (30 cm) thickness. In the velvet chart, #4 is a dark beige and #13 is a beige.

**A common question:** If I stack two cushions to make a taller bed for the kids, will they slide apart?

**The workshop's answer:** It works. Ties can be added at the corners so the stacked cushions tie together. It's a custom setup, so there are no ready photos of it.

**A common question:** Can you put ties on two bench cushions so they stay together and don't slide?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Ties can go on the end where the two cushions meet, and on a side so they can be tied to the seat.

**A common question:** The cushion arrived flat and misshapen. Will it come back?

**The workshop's answer:** Cushions are tightly vacuum-packed, so they often look flat on arrival. They usually regain their full shape within 24 to 48 hours; for one opened that same day, the advice was to allow 3 to 5 days. If it doesn't recover, send photos or a video.

> A prairie cushion should be plain enough to last and tied down enough to stay.
>
> — Harlan

> **Tailor's margin:** Pencil each bunk's size on its underside. Next spring you'll order the replacement without hunting for a tape measure.

## Saskatchewan cushion questions

### Does Saskatchewan sun fade cushions faster?

It can. Saskatchewan gets more hours of sunshine than any other province, about 2,350 a year in Saskatoon, and UV is strongest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Draw a blind at midday and turn window cushions each season so they fade evenly.

### How do I keep patio cushions from blowing away on the prairie?

Order ties at the back corners, and a non-slip base for smooth seats. Regina's wind averages 11.4 mph (18.4 km/h), so cushions on an open acreage deck or a lake dock should be tied on, and brought in when a storm is forecast.

### How should I clean up mouse droppings near cabin cushions?

Don't sweep or vacuum. The Public Health Agency of Canada says to wear rubber gloves, spray droppings and nesting material with 1 part bleach to 9 parts water, let it soak 10 minutes, then wipe up with paper towels. Deer mice are one of the carriers.

### What thickness suits a farmhouse kitchen bench?

Usually 2 to 4 in (5 to 10 cm); the 1880 farmhouse bench above used 4 in (10 cm). Check that the new seat height still suits the table, and tie two cushions together where they meet so the join stays closed.

## Related at the atelier

- [Custom cushions for North Dakota farmhouses and prairie homes](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-north-dakota/): Custom cushions in North Dakota work hardest indoors: a wipe-clean mudroom bench cushion by the door everyone uses, and corduroy or velvet window seats where the low winter sun comes in.
- [Custom cushions for Iowa farmhouses, porches and mudrooms](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-iowa/): Custom cushions for Iowa homes should be built for the swing between humid summers and hard winters: firm, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) foam, tight weaves and zippered covers.
- [Porch swing cushions for Arkansas porches, cabins and lake houses](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-arkansas/): Porch swing cushions in Arkansas should be made in water-repellent, UV-resistant outdoor fabric with ties at the back corners, because spring brings the state's worst storms and most of its tornadoes.
- [Star Floor Cushion in Mauve Corduroy for a Sunlit Toddler Room](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mauve-corduroy-star-pouf-sunlit-toddler-room/): A star floor cushion in mauve corduroy suits a sunny white toddler room when it sits out of direct midday sun, where the pile keeps its color.
- [Window Seat Cushion in Mustard Triangle Print on a Walnut Ledge](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mustard-triangle-print-cushion-walnut-window-ledge/): A mustard triangle-print window seat cushion ages well in a busy family room when its piping is solid mustard, the deepest color in the print.
- [Chair Cushion With Ties for Guests: Cranberry Velvet on Pine](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cranberry-velvet-tie-cushion-pine-farmhouse-chair/): A chair cushion with ties suits a farmhouse table that seats guests because two pairs of ties, one at the side posts and one at the back posts, keep a thick pad square on smooth pine while people…
- [Choosing cushion fabric: seven families compared for real homes](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-fabric-types-compared/)
- [High-density foam, memory foam, latex or fiber: which cushion fill?](https://cushionguide.com/guides/high-density-foam-vs-memory-foam-latex/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-saskatchewan/