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Top-down view of a turquoise velvet seat cushion with off-white piping on a white slat-back chair beside a linen-draped tableSave

A Reading by MaggieDining Chair Cushions & Pads

A turquoise velvet dining chair cushion seen from above, and what it can borrow from the patio

An overhead photo, a garden through the patio door and a chair pad that fits like it was drawn on. Here's what I'd take from outdoor chairs, and what I'd leave outside.

From above you can see how the cushion is cut to the seat, with a straight back edge that sits tight to the slats.

Read by

The Piping Queen of NewportPublished Updated 5 min read

The quick answer

A dining chair cushion with ties borrows the best idea from patio chairs: two ties at the back posts keep the pad in place every time the chair is pulled out. Keep velvet for chairs that stay indoors, cut the pad to the seat outline, and choose a zippered cover that washes at 86°F (30°C).

From above, a dining chair cushion's fit tells the truth

From above, a dining chair cushion can't hide a thing. This one follows the seat outline edge to edge, and its back edge sits tight against the white slats. No gap for crumbs, no lip hanging over the front. That's a pad cut from the chair, not a stock square dropped on it.

The fabric is a turquoise velvet with an off-white welt, and the welt turns square at the front corner, so the cushion reads tailored rather than pillowy. A straight welt is a kind of honesty, and you can check this one from the ceiling.

Now the room. A patio door opens onto a paved garden, and the green out there is why a saturated teal feels at home in here. Everything else keeps quiet: a crumpled, undyed linen throw on the table, oak boards, a white chair. One strong cool color, and the textiles around it left natural. Summer daylight does half the styling. What grows outside your dining room window?

I learned the other half the hard way, dear. Years ago I let a velvet chair pad spend a summer on a sunny porch, and it came back a shade paler. Velvet stays indoors. Everything else about a patio chair is worth borrowing.

Five spots on the velvet chair pad, seen from the ceiling

Five details worth a closer look, from the piped corner to the garden beyond the door.

Pinned: Top-down view of a turquoise velvet seat cushion with off-white piping on a white slat-back chair beside a linen-draped table
  1. Velvet seat top

    From above you see the cushion follow the seat outline edge to edge.

  2. Piped front corner

    A square front corner keeps the look tailored rather than pillowy.

  3. Linen throw

    Undyed linen balances the strong turquoise with a soft neutral.

  4. Garden through patio door

    Greenery outside is the reason a teal seat feels at home here.

  5. White chair slats

    The back edge of the cushion tucks tight against the slatted frame.

  1. Velvet seat topFrom above you see the cushion follow the seat outline edge to edge.
  2. Piped front cornerA square front corner keeps the look tailored rather than pillowy.
  3. Linen throwUndyed linen balances the strong turquoise with a soft neutral.
  4. Garden through patio doorGreenery outside is the reason a teal seat feels at home here.
  5. White chair slatsThe back edge of the cushion tucks tight against the slatted frame.

Borrowed from the patio, kept for the dining room

  • Ties at the back posts. Patio pads are tied because wind moves them; a dining chair pulled out at every meal needs the same, sewn into the seams on request.
  • A zippered cover. Every foam cushion has one at no extra cost, so a gravy spill means a wash at 86°F (30°C), not a new cushion.
  • A non-slip base, if you'd rather skip the bows. It grips by friction, isn't adhesive or rubber, and is safe on wood.
  • Outdoor fabric, if the chairs travel to the patio. It's water-repellent, UV-resistant and fine indoors too; velvet is indoor-only.
  • From the dining room: velvet, a box edge and a straight welt, for chairs that live by the table.
A real project

The nursery armchair measured at 5 inches

A parent in the US was replacing the cushions on an armchair headed for a nursery. Before ordering, they measured the old ones and found them about 5 in (12.5 cm) thick. So the order read: a seat of 20 x 22 x 5 in (51 x 56 x 12.5 cm) and a back of 21 x 27 x 5 in (53 x 69 x 12.5 cm).

The workshop explained the fiber and silicone-ball filling, and the parent bought one fabric-sample order to see several colors side by side. The first sample pack couldn't be traced, so the workshop sent a new one. Check the thickness on the cushion you're replacing before you pick a number off a menu. The same seat-first habit applies to every one of the dining chair cushions the workshop cut.

Sizes
Seat 20 x 22 x 5 in (51 x 56 x 12.5 cm); back 21 x 27 x 5 in (53 x 69 x 12.5 cm)

The lesson: Measure the thickness of the cushions you are replacing; comfort depends on it.

If the old armchair cushion was 5 in thick, order the new one at 5 in: thickness is the part of comfort you can measure with a ruler.

Maggie
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Buyer questions: tapers, low chairs and a set of four

  1. A common question

    Can you make a tapered seat cushion, plus a back cushion, for a covered outdoor chair?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Send a drawing with the back edge, front edge, depth and both side edges written on it, plus the back cushion size and the thickness you want. For the back cushion's height, take the seat-to-top distance and subtract the seat thickness: 19 in minus a 3 in seat gives 16 in (41 cm).

  2. A common question

    My vintage office chair sits too low for my desk. Can you make a cushion to raise it?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, for example 17 x 18 in (43 x 46 cm). Order it through the bench or the chair cushion listing, select the closest size option, and write your exact size and thickness in the personalization box.

  3. A common question

    Can I get four seat cushions, three at 26 x 30 in and one at 30 x 30 in, in black or charcoal, and how long will they take?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. The four were quoted together as one set, in black or charcoal. Production took 7 to 9 days, with 3 to 5 days for delivery after that.

On the cutting table: the turquoise velvet chair pad

CushionDining chair pad cut to the seat outline
FabricTurquoise velvet, short tight pile
PipingOff-white contrast welt
EdgeBox edge with square front corners
FasteningTies at the back posts on request, or a non-slip base
CoverZippered and removable; 86°F (30°C) gentle wash
Indoor or outIndoor only; choose outdoor fabric for patio chairs
Best forSlat-back dining chairs in bright, garden-facing rooms

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop

I once cut a lovely cushion two inches short, and I have not forgotten it. That is why the workshop goes over your measurements with you on the phone. — 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
Turquoise velvet, short tight pile
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Off-white contrast welt
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

Should a dining chair cushion have ties?

On a chair that's pulled out at every meal, ties help. They're sewn into the seams on request, usually at the two back corners to wrap the posts, though any position works. A non-slip base is the tie-free alternative. See tie placement.

Can velvet chair pads go out on the patio?

Better not. Velvet is an indoor fabric: it isn't water-resistant and has limited UV resistance, so strong sun can fade it. For chairs that move between the dining room and the patio, choose outdoor fabric, which is water-repellent, UV-resistant and fine indoors.

How do I measure a dining chair seat for a made-to-measure pad?

Measure the seat itself: width across the front, width across the back, and depth from the front edge to the back posts, plus the thickness you want. If it tapers, draw it and write every edge on the drawing. The chair cushion builder helps.

Stitch straight — Maggie

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From seat level the velvet pile catches the light unevenly, which gives it that deep, shifting teal.
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