How to Estimate Yardage for Cushions

Set your cushion on a clean, flat work surface.

Measure the cushion's length twice. Write down the measurement. If you're measuring a rectangular cushion with an irregular shape to accommodate a sofa or chair arm, measure only to where the protruding segment begins, as if it's not there at all. Then the height measurement will be less than the actual length of the cushion and you can measure the irregular piece on its own.

Measure the cushion's width twice and write down the measurement. If you're measuring a rectangular cushion with an irregular shape to accommodate a sofa or chair arm, measure only where to the protruding segment begins, as above.

Measure the irregular piece's length and width twice. Do not measure any segment of the cushion you've already measured, or you'll have an inaccurate yardage count.

Measure the cushion's thickness twice, and write the measurement down.

Multiply the cushion's length times its width -- not counting any measurements for irregular sections. For instance, a cushion measuring 12 inches long and 6 inches wide gives you 72 inches total. Write this number down. Repeat the step for any irregular portions as well, and write those down as well.

Measure a circular cushion from the seam on one side to the seam on the opposite end for its diameter. Write that number down. Divide the number by 2, then multiply it by itself. For instance, if the diameter measures 12 inches, divide it by 2 to get 6 inches. Multiply 6 times 6 to get 36 inches. Multiply this number by π, or 3.1416, to get approximately 113 inches. Round up to 114 inches to ensure you have enough fabric.

Multiply the cushion's thickness by its total length, adding the length from any irregular pieces. Write that number down. Multiply the cushion thickness by the cushion width as well, also adding any width measurements from irregular portions. Add those two numbers together.

Multiply this number by 2 so you'll have enough fabric for the front and back of the cushion. Add the cushion's thickness area to that number for a final measurement of how many inches you need.

Convert your inches into feet. For instance, a cushion with a total of 240 inches for all measurements is equal to 20 feet. Divide this number by 3 to convert it to yards, which is 6.6. Round up to 7 to be safe. Fabric bolts typically measure 45 or 60 inches, or 1.25 to 1.67 yards. Subtract the fabric's width, either 1.25 or 1.67, from your total yard count, in this case 7. For this example, you get 5.33 to 5.75, so 6 yards of fabric would work for your cushion.