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By FoamOrder | December 23, 2020 | 4 Minute Read
Home / Foam Utility / How to Create a Custom Cushion Pattern or Template
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Household indoor and outdoor cushions experience a lot of wear and tear over the years, and they eventually lose their shape and need replacement — usually in 4 to 7 years depending on the quality of the foam. But what do you do when you can’t find the same uniquely shaped cushion to fit your chair or sofa? The options are to create a cushion yourself or ask someone else to make a cushion.
Whichever option you choose, FoamOrder.com has you covered. We’ve been making custom cushions for more than 20 years using the highest-quality foam. All you need to do is provide us with a custom cushion template or pattern. From there, we’ll quickly craft you a replacement cushion to your exact specifications. Or you can order foam sheets from our California factory and use them to cut your own foam for DIY cushions
You need a pattern when the custom cushion you are ordering isn’t a perfect square, rectangle, L-shape, T-shape or another standard geometric shape. A cushion template is simply a piece of paper or plastic that serves as a pattern for the shape of the custom bench cushion or furniture you’re ordering. We also can use the pattern and cushion dimensions to make cushion covers if needed.
Templates are quick and easy to make — you’ll probably be able to do it in under three minutes. In this guide, we show you how to create a cushion pattern using items you likely already have around the house. Once you’ve completed the template and sent it to FoamOrder.com, we can manufacture custom-made cushions using the foam type, thickness, batting and cover fabric you desire.
You’ll only need a few items to make your cushion template: a marker, a pair of scissors and a large piece of sturdy paper or plastic (or a light piece of cardboard). Craft paper is ideal and readily available at local supply stores if you don’t have it on hand, but even a newspaper will suffice.
If you have a non-deformed cushion in very good condition that matches the one you want to replace, use this to create your template. If not, it’s important to make the template using the existing cushion cover or the space the old cushion occupied so the shape and dimensions are accurate.
Your second step is to place the paper over the seat, making sure there’s plenty of overlap all the way around. Push the paper firmly into the creases and use the marker to draw a line through those creases. The line doesn’t have to be perfect; it just serves as a guide for cutting in the next step. Be sure to account for the cushion overhang on the front of the seat. We’ll need the rough measurements as well to provide pricing based on the size of the cushion. You can check out handy measurement methods here.
Lastly, choose which of our materials to use for the construction of the cushion. Whether you’re after an identical cushion to replace the old one or you’d rather upgrade it, we have a wide selection of foam options and firmness levels and dozens of fabrics for the upholstery cover.
If you’re also ordering a fabric cover, note where the zipper should go directly on the pattern by writing “zipper here” and drawing a hashed or squiggly line. Once you place your order, you can write your order number right onto the pattern to keep it from getting lost or misplaced.
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