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A Reading by HarlanBolster Pillows

A heathered crimson bolster pillow, tucked between white daybed slats

Harlan reads one red bolster through the end of a daybed and answers the fastening question: what holds it, where the zipper goes, and when ties earn their keep.

The quick answer

A bolster pillow on a daybed seldom needs ties: the slatted end, the back panel and the seat cushion hold it in the corner on three sides. The real fastening choice is the cover's zipper, best kept on the side facing the wall. The standard diameter is 8 in (20 cm) on a 19.75 in (50 cm) bolster.

Read by

The Elder of High PointPublished Updated 5 min read

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What holds a bolster when nothing is tied

Look at this one through the slats, my friend, the way a daybed shows it to the room.

The bolster pillow lies in the back corner of a white beadboard daybed. The slatted end stops it rolling sideways. The back panel stops it rolling back. The seat cushion holds it from below. Three sides of a box and not a tie among them, which is why a daybed bolster seldom needs fastening at all.

What it does need is a good closure. A bolster cover comes off for cleaning, and the zipper has to live somewhere. I put it along the length, on the side that faces the wall, and never across the round end that looks into the room. The Pattern on zipper placement gives the full reasoning.

Ties earn their keep on a chair or a porch swing, where the cushion moves when the body moves. On a daybed the frame does that work. For the seats where it doesn't, the Pattern on ties and non-slip bases sorts it out. The same three-sided hold works on a slatted IKEA daybed; see the Hemnes daybed covers.

Pinned by Harlan: four points seen through the slats

Four pins, from the piped end of the crimson bolster to the pale oatmeal seat that makes it glow.

Pinned: Crimson heathered linen-look bolster with self piping on a pale daybed cushion, seen between white wooden slats
  1. Piped end

    Fine self piping reads as an outline rather than a trim.

  2. Heathered weave

    Mixed dark and light red threads give depth to a plain color.

  3. White slat

    Framing through the slats shows where the bolster tucks in.

  4. Oatmeal seat

    A pale seat makes the crimson glow.

  1. Piped endFine self piping reads as an outline rather than a trim.
  2. Heathered weaveMixed dark and light red threads give depth to a plain color.
  3. White slatFraming through the slats shows where the bolster tucks in.
  4. Oatmeal seatA pale seat makes the crimson glow.

On the cutting table: one red bolster

ProductBolster pillow for a daybed corner
FabricLinen-look weave, heathered crimson
PipingSelf piping, fine and tight on the round end
Standard diameter8 in (20 cm) on a 19.75 in (50 cm) length
Fuller option10 in (25 cm) diameter on request
FasteningNone needed; the daybed frame holds it
ClosureZippered cover, zipper toward the wall
Best forWarming an all-white daybed in winter

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Have it made

Have 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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Linen-look weave, heathered crimson
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Self piping, fine and tight on the round end
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

Why a heathered crimson, and why the piping is self

The cloth is a linen-look weave in crimson, heathered, which means darker and lighter red threads run together. A flat red can look painted on. A heathered red has depth, the way an old brick wall has depth in low sun.

The piping on the end is self piping, cut from the same cloth. It sits fine and tight around the circle, so it reads as an outline, not a trim. A seam is a promise, and a round one is the hardest to keep. The fabric has to ease around the curve without a single pucker.

The rest of the picture is quiet on purpose: white slats, white beadboard, a pale oatmeal seat. Winter daylight comes in gray and short, and one warm bolster is enough to heat the whole daybed. Two would argue. Would one red piece do the same for your room?

A real project

Old covers as templates? Photographs work better

A buyer messaged the workshop needing replacement covers for a two-seat bistro set: two seat cushions of 22.75 x 23.5 x 3.5 in (58 x 60 x 9 cm) and two backrests of 18 x 24 x 4 in (46 x 61 x 10 cm). They offered to ship the old covers as templates. The workshop asked for photos or drawings instead, which tell a cutter what he needs to know.

They wanted off-white. The workshop explained that one outdoor code, T-02, runs closer to pure white, and suggested T-04, M-01 or S-29 for a softer cream. The buyer ordered samples and chose T-04 from the swatch in hand, not from a screen. Because the sizes were standard, the price came straight from the listing.

A cover, a bolster, a bistro cushion: they all start the same way, with a good photograph and honest numbers. The Pattern on ordering fabric swatches covers the rest.

Buyer questions: covers alone, matching bolsters, a washable topper

  1. A common question

    Can I buy only the cover, no foam, even at an odd thickness?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, through the custom zippered cover listing. Pick the closest size range and write your exact measurements, thickness included, in the personalization box; the price shows on the listing. A 5.5 in (14 cm) thickness isn't used for full cushions, but for a cover only it's no problem.

  2. A common question

    Can you make bolsters to match my cushion, and how big across should they be?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Matching bolsters about 19.75 in (50 cm) long were made and paid through a separate custom link after the main order. The standard diameter is 8 in (20 cm), which the craftsmen find looks best on that length, and 10 in (25 cm) can be made if you prefer.

  3. A common question

    Can the quilted sofa topper go in the washing machine, and what's inside it?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, it's machine washable at 86°F (30°C) or below. The filling is silicone balls, which the workshop describes as antibacterial.

A daybed bolster seldom needs ties: the slatted end, the back panel and the seat hold it on three sides, so the thought goes into where the zipper faces.

Harlan
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Questions buyers ask next

On a daybed bolster, which side should the zipper face?

Toward the wall or the back panel. The round piped end faces the room and should stay clean, so a zipper along the length on the hidden side keeps the closure out of sight and the cover easy to remove.

Does a bolster on a daybed need ties to stay put?

Usually not. A slatted end, a back panel and the seat cushion hold a bolster in the corner on three sides. Ties matter more on chairs and swings, where the cushion moves with the person sitting on it.

What does heathered mean on a cushion fabric?

A heathered weave mixes darker and lighter threads of one color, so the surface has depth instead of reading as a single flat tone. It also hides small marks and lint better than a plain solid does.

Can I order a bolster cover alone for an insert I already have?

Yes. Covers are sold without the fill; give the exact length and diameter in the personalization note. Unusual sizes are fine for a cover on its own, even ones not used for full cushions.

Sit well. — Harlan