---
title: "Chair Cushion in Green Stripe on Rattan: Choosing the Edge"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/green-graphic-stripe-rattan-armchair-box-cushion/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Margaret Holloway, The Piping Queen of Newport"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/"
published: "2026-02-23"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "chair cushion with ties, chair cushion, outdoor cushions, custom cushion covers, custom size cushion, made to measure cushion"
---

# A green graphic-stripe box cushion on a rattan armchair, and how to choose a box, knife, rounded or angled edge

*Edges are chosen by the seat underneath, not by the picture on your phone. One rattan armchair, one deep box, and the reasons in order.*

> **The quick answer:** A rattan armchair with an open spindle seat needs a box-edge chair cushion about 3 in (8 cm) deep, because a thin knife-edge pad rides on every spindle. Pipe a busy pattern in its darkest shade, as the forest green cord does here. Save ties for flat, slippery seats, and choose rounded or angled corners to follow the chair's own outline.

![Thick green striped outdoor box cushion with white branching lines and dark green piping on a rattan armchair](https://cushionguide.com/media/dining-chair-cushions/green-graphic-stripe-rattan-armchair-box-cushion-1600.webp "A thick box cushion in a multi-green woven stripe overlaid with white branch lines, finished with dark green piping.")

## Pinned by Maggie: stripe, cord, box and cane

Five pins, top to bottom, from the branch-line stripe to the springy cane underneath.

1. **Branch-line top**: White branch lines sit over a multi-green woven stripe for depth.
2. **Dark green piping**: Piping taken from the deepest stripe frames the busy pattern.
3. **Deep boxing strip**: A deep box hides the springy spindles and evens out the seat.
4. **Rattan spindles**: Open cane below shows why a firm, thick cushion is needed.
5. **Rattan arm curve**: Pale cane keeps the green reading fresh rather than heavy.

## Box, knife, rounded or angled: four edges for one chair

| Edge | How it looks | Where it earns its keep |
|---|---|---|
| Box | A straight side wall with a seam, often piped, at top and bottom | Open rattan and spindle seats, and anywhere depth must hide what is underneath |
| Knife | Two panels sewn at one seam, thinning toward the edge | Flat, solid seats where a slim pad is enough |
| Rounded corners | Front or all corners curved to follow the frame | Chairs with curved fronts; trace the curve on paper |
| Angled | A trapezoid, wider at the front than the back | Tapered seats; measure front width, back width and depth |

## Why this rattan chair got a box, and a deep one

Before you shop for a chair cushion with ties, look at what the cushion will sit on. This is a natural bent-rattan armchair with an open spindle seat, and spindles are springy, uneven and unkind to a thin pad. So the cushion here is a box, cut deep, close to 3 in (8 cm), to hide the spindles and even out the sit. A knife-edge pad would ride every one of them.

The fabric is a multi-green woven stripe from the outdoor acrylic family, with white branch lines drawn over it for depth. It is busy, and busy needs a frame. The forest green piping is taken from the deepest stripe in the weave, so it outlines the pattern without adding a new color. A straight welt is a kind of honesty, and a box cushion gives you two of them, top and bottom, for the eye to check.

The pale cane of the arms keeps all that green fresh instead of heavy. The plain white plaster wall behind gives the stripe nothing to argue with, and the even studio daylight shows the weave as it is.

The gallery runs the edge question outdoors: a butter and lilac seat pad on a wrought-iron chair, a teal-piped cushion on a weathered teak bench, green leaf cushions finished with herringbone welting, blue and sand stripes on an A-frame swing. Each edge follows the seat beneath it.

Ties earn their place on flat, slick seats where a cushion slides; none show here, where the deep box and the chair's arms do the settling. [Tie placement for chairs and swings](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-tie-placement-chairs-swings/) has the details, [box edge versus knife edge](https://cushionguide.com/guides/box-edge-vs-knife-edge-cushion/) has the long answer, and the [chair cushion builder](https://cushionguide.com/studio/chair-cushion-builder/) lets you try edges on screen. What is under your chair cushion, dear: slats, spindles or solid wood?

## A 13 3/4-inch cushion for a stone stool

A buyer got in touch wanting a single square cushion, 13.75 x 13.75 in (35 x 35 cm) and 2 to 3 in (5 to 8 cm) thick, for a stone stool, in either a linen (L-07) or a velvet (915).

Small, simple, square, and still not cheap, which surprised the buyer. The workshop explained that shipping dominates the cost of small sizes, so they can't be listed at a small price. The lowest price it could give for one piece, shipping included, was ordered through the smallest listing size with the exact measurement written in a note.

The arithmetic is plain: a lone small cushion carries a shipping-driven minimum, and several pieces share it. If you have four stools, ask about four. The [dining chair cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/dining-chair-cushions/) show sets, the [outdoor acrylic](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/outdoor-acrylic/) pages show the cloth, and [dining chair pad measurements](https://cushionguide.com/guides/dining-chair-pad-measurements/) come before any tape measure.

## Buyer questions: tall covers, shaped seats and barstools

**A common question:** Can you make a replacement cover for an ottoman cushion that's 25.5 x 25.5 x 12 in (65 x 65 x 31 cm)?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, as a custom order, because covers that tall aren't standard. Covers up to 6 in (15 cm) high fall within the standard sizes and cost less for the same footprint.

**A common question:** Could you make a custom seat pad shaped to fit my rocking chair?

**The workshop's answer:** The shop asked for the seat width, depth and thickness, a photo and a drawing of the shape, then reviewed them with its craftsmen. It declined: a pad that must fit a shaped seat exactly is too risky to make from measurements alone without the chair in the workshop. Simple rectangular cushions for the same buyer were quoted as usual.

**A common question:** Can you make small square barstool covers, without the cushions inside?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Covers about 14 x 14 in (36 x 36 cm) can be made without foam in a chosen fabric, such as T-318. Just say how many you need.

## On the cutting table: the rattan armchair seat

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Cushion | Box seat cushion for a bent-rattan armchair |
| Fabric | Outdoor acrylic (660): multi-green woven stripe with white branch lines |
| Thickness | Close to 3 in (8 cm), deep enough to hide the spindles |
| Edge | Box, with a deep boxing strip |
| Piping | Forest green, taken from the deepest stripe |
| Chair | Natural bent rattan with an open spindle seat |
| Backdrop | Plain white plaster wall, even daylight |
| Small singles | Shipping sets a minimum price; several pieces share it |
| Best for | Vintage rattan, sunroom and covered porch chairs |

> On an open rattan seat, a box cushion close to 3 in (8 cm) deep hides the spindles. A knife-edge pad would ride every one of them.
>
> — Maggie

> **Tailor's margin:** Pipe a busy stripe in its darkest shade. The forest green cord keeps a leafy chair cushion pattern from bleeding into pale cane.

## Questions buyers ask next

### What is the difference between a box-edge and a knife-edge chair cushion?

A box cushion has a straight side wall between its top and bottom panels, so it holds a crisp, even thickness. A knife-edge cushion is two panels sewn at one seam and thins toward the edge. Box suits open or uneven seats; knife suits flat, solid ones.

### When does a chair cushion need ties?

When it sits on a flat, smooth seat and slides as people sit down, or on a chair that gets moved often. Ties usually go at the back corners and wrap the back uprights, where they hold the cushion without showing from the front.

### Why does one small cushion cost more than its size suggests?

Shipping dominates the cost of small sizes, so a single small cushion carries a minimum price no matter how little fabric it uses. Ordering several at once spreads that cost across the pieces.

### How do I measure a chair seat with rounded front corners?

Measure the width at the front and at the back and the depth from front to back, then lay paper on the seat and trace the curve. A photo of the seat with the tracing and numbers on it helps the workshop check the shape.

## Related at the atelier

- [Chair Cushion With Ties: Reading the Box Edge and the Corners](https://cushionguide.com/readings/multi-stripe-teak-dining-chair-pads-stone-courtyard/): A chair cushion with ties fits best as a box-edge pad cut to the seat's real shape, with its back corners stopping just short of the uprights so the ties wrap cleanly.
- [Chair Cushion with Ties: Herringbone Stripe, Before and After](https://cushionguide.com/readings/bold-herringbone-stripe-teak-lounge-chair-balcony/): A low, armless teak lounge chair becomes a real lounge chair once it gets a full box seat cushion and a separate tied back cushion.
- [Chair Cushions in Sage Stripe: Slim Box Pads for Teak Armchairs](https://cushionguide.com/readings/sage-stripe-teak-armchair-pads-climbing-rose-wall/): An upright teak armchair wants a slim box-edge chair cushion, not a deep lounge pad, so your elbows stay level with the arms.
- [Can you copy my existing chair seat and back cushions?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/replicate-chair-seat-back-cushions/): Existing chair seat and back cushions can be replicated from photos of the chair and the measurements of each cushion.
- [Where does the zipper go on a trapezoid cushion, and will the foam come out?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/trapezoid-cushion-zipper-placement/): Ask for the zipper on the shorter back edge and the workshop puts it there, so the long front edge stays clean.
- [Where does the zipper go on my cushion, and will it show?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-cover-zipper-placement/): The zipper goes on the cushion's back edge, the one against the wall, window or chair back, or on the underside, and it comes standard on every cover at no extra charge.
- [How to order a custom cushion size that isn't in the size menu](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-size-cushion-not-on-menu/)
- [Cushion tie placement for chairs, porch swings and benches](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-tie-placement-chairs-swings/)

*Stitch straight — Maggie*

---

Written by Margaret Holloway (https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/) 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/readings/green-graphic-stripe-rattan-armchair-box-cushion/