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A Reading by MaggieDining Chair Cushions & Pads

Eucalyptus velvet chair pads tied to an oak ladder-back, and the five numbers that make them fit

Terracotta tiles, warm oak, one cool green note and two linen bows. The photographs carry this page; the cards below carry the numbers.

The quick answer

A chair cushion with ties for a ladder-back chair needs five measurements: the front edge, the back edge, each side separately, and the depth, with the two back uprights marked on a paper tracing. A ladder-back seat is often wider at the front, so one edge measured alone makes a pad that hangs over the rails. Ties go at the back.

Read by

The Piping Queen of NewportPublished Updated 4 min read

Eucalyptus green velvet chair pad tied with linen bows to an oak ladder-back chair on a terracotta tile floorSave
A shaped eucalyptus velvet pad with linen ties softens an oak ladder-back chair in a terracotta-floored kitchen.
Cranberry velvet box cushion with off-white piping tied to a pine slat-back farmhouse chair on a sisal rug by a pine tableSave
Velvet on scrubbed pine is an easy country pairing; the off-white piping keeps the red from looking heavy.
Terracotta velvet seat pad with ivory piping and bow ties on a white painted garden armchair beside climbing rosesSave
Ivory piping and bow ties link the terracotta velvet to the chair's chalky paint. Bring a velvet pad indoors before the dew comes down.
Graphite gray velvet seat cushion with mustard piping and gray ties on a birch chair at a desk with laptop and mugSave
Graphite copes with daily desk use, and a mustard welt stops it looking corporate.
Slate blue velvet seat cushion with mustard piping and navy ties on a white chair by a floral-covered bed and window plantsSave
Mustard piping picks up the warm tones in the floral bedding, while the blue-gray body stays calm.
Plum velvet seat cushion with teal-gray piping and ties on a walnut chair at a dresser with round brass mirror and perfumesSave
Plum and teal are both jewel tones, so the contrast piping feels rich rather than loud.
Top-down view of a turquoise velvet seat cushion with off-white piping on a white slat-back chair beside a linen-draped tableSave
From above you can see how the cushion is cut to the seat, with a straight back edge that sits tight to the slats.

Morning sun on a country chair

Warm morning sun, a terracotta tile floor, a kilim, a rustic pine side table and a deep-set window: a plain country kitchen corner, and one oak ladder-back chair wearing a chair cushion with ties in eucalyptus green velvet.

The pad is cut to the seat, a touch wider at the front than at the back, and it sits about as thick as the seat rail. That proportion is why the chair doesn't look top-heavy. Go much thicker on a slim ladder-back and the cushion starts to look like a hat on a small dog.

Green is the only cool note in a warm room of oak, terracotta and pine. The terracotta jug of rosemary and lavender picks it up, so the color doesn't look stranded. Velvet's short pile shades lighter and darker as the sun moves, which gives a plain green some life.

The ties are oatmeal linen ribbons, knotted to both back uprights. Matching velvet ties would be louder; linen is quieter, and it holds the pad without marking the wood. What does the seat of your own chair measure at the front, and at the back?

Pinned by Maggie

Five pins, from the shaped pad to the jug of rosemary that repeats its green.

Pinned: Eucalyptus green velvet chair pad tied with linen bows to an oak ladder-back chair on a terracotta tile floor
  1. Eucalyptus velvet pad

    The pad is cut to the seat shape, a little wider at the front, so it doesn't hang over the rails.

  2. Side bow

    Linen ties knotted to the back upright hold the pad without marking the wood.

  3. Back tie

    A second tie on the far upright stops the pad from swinging sideways.

  4. Jug of rosemary

    Herbs in a terracotta jug repeat both the green velvet and the red floor.

  5. Kilim rug

    A patterned rug under a plain chair keeps the corner lively.

  1. Eucalyptus velvet padThe pad is cut to the seat shape, a little wider at the front, so it doesn't hang over the rails.
  2. Side bowLinen ties knotted to the back upright hold the pad without marking the wood.
  3. Back tieA second tie on the far upright stops the pad from swinging sideways.
  4. Jug of rosemaryHerbs in a terracotta jug repeat both the green velvet and the red floor.
  5. Kilim rugA patterned rug under a plain chair keeps the corner lively.

Five numbers for a ladder-back seat, and where each goes wrong

Write them on a paper tracing of the seat, in inches. The dining chair pad pattern has the diagram.

MeasureHowWhere it goes wrong
Front edgeStraight across, corner to cornerTaken at the back instead, so a tapered pad hangs over the front rails
Back edgeAcross the back of the seat, both uprights markedUprights left off, so the ties land where there is nothing to tie to
Left sideFront corner to back cornerAssumed to match the right side
Right sideMeasured on its ownCopied from the left; old chairs are not always square
DepthFront to back through the middleMixed up with thickness, which is how tall the pad stands
A real project

Eight velvet pads and a one-week wish

A buyer in the US needed eight velvet seat cushions, each 17 x 18 in (43 x 46 cm), piped and tied, in color 904, and hoped to have them within about a week. The workshop's ordering advice was practical: choose the 18 x 18 in option and write 17 x 18 in the note, because the exact size is what gets cut.

Eight pieces earned a batch discount, and ties were no trouble. The calendar was the trouble: the earliest delivery was about two weeks out. Planning ahead is the only fix for that.

Sizes
17 x 18 in (43 x 46 cm), eight pads
Fabric
Velvet, color 904, with piping and ties

The lesson: One batch of eight custom pads earned a discount but still sat about two weeks from delivery, so plan events ahead.

Buyer questions: ottomans, old chairs and covers only

  1. A common question

    Can I buy only the ottoman for the floor sofa, and what size is it?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. The ottoman is 39 x 39 in (100 x 100 cm), made in the color you choose, brick for example, to match a sofa you already own. It doesn't need metal bars.

  2. A common question

    Can you make tie-on cushions for vintage ladder-back dining chairs?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Send a photo, the quantity and the sizes on a simple diagram, including the left and right side edges. Ties go at the back to hold the pads, and the covers are removable and washable. One set of four 4 in (10 cm) pads measured about 11 in (28 cm) along the sides, with 13 in and 14 in (33 and 36 cm) across the two ends.

  3. A common question

    Can you make zippered covers only, to fit foam I already have?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes; send the foam sizes. For a porch swing, covers with extra-strong zippers were made for a 55.25 x 27.75 x 4 in (140 x 70.5 x 10 cm) seat and a 50 x 13 x 4 in (127 x 33 x 10 cm) back pad, with no inserts.

A ladder-back chair seat can be wider at the front than at the back. Measure the front, the back and both sides, and mark the two uprights on a tracing.

Maggie
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On the cutting table

CushionShaped dining chair pad, box edge, a touch wider at the front
FabricEucalyptus green velvet, short pile
PipingSelf piping
TiesOatmeal linen ribbons, knotted to both back uprights
ThicknessAbout as thick as the seat rail, so the chair doesn't look top-heavy
What to sendA paper tracing with both uprights marked, plus every edge in inches
CareIndoors only; zippered cover washes at 86°F (30°C) max on gentle, air dry
Best forFarmhouse kitchens and oak ladder-back sets

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop

Numbers first, fabric second, piping last. Jot down what you have, and the workshop will go down the list with you, item by item. — Maggie

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
Eucalyptus green velvet, short pile
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Self piping
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

Questions buyers ask next

How thick should a ladder-back chair pad be?

Thin enough to keep the chair's lines. A pad about as thick as the seat rail adds comfort without making a slim chair look top-heavy. One set of vintage ladder-back pads was made 4 in (10 cm) thick; compare with your rail before choosing.

Why use linen ties on a velvet chair pad?

Linen ties are quieter than matching velvet ties, and they hold the pad to the back uprights without marking the wood. Ties can be sewn into the seams at the corners or the back, in any position you mark on the tracing.

Is velvet practical for kitchen chairs?

Yes, indoors. It is a polyester performance velvet with a short, tight pile that is easy to spot-clean, and the zippered cover washes at 86°F (30°C) on gentle. It is not water-resistant, and the pile shades lighter or darker with the light.

What if my dining chairs are not all the same size?

Measure each one. Every cushion size is its own order line, and several lines are made and shipped together. Write which pad belongs to which chair, so a slightly wider seat gets a pad of its own.

Stitch straight — Maggie