A Christmas cushion is a cushion cover printed with a festive design, such as a reindeer, snowman or snowflake, swapped onto the sofa for December. A three-seater sofa takes three Christmas cushions, or five at most, in the standard 45x45 cm size. The sections below cover how many to use, what size to buy, and which colours go with red.
How many Christmas cushions go on a sofa?
Use two cushions on a two-seater, three on a three-seater and five on a corner sofa. Odd numbers look relaxed and even numbers look formal, so pick based on the room rather than a rule. Only one or two of them need to be Christmas prints.
Here's the layout that works on most sofas:
| Sofa | Total cushions | Christmas prints | Plain cushions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armchair | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Two-seater | 2 | 1 or 2 | 0 or 1 |
| Three-seater | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Corner sofa | 5 | 1 or 2 | 3 or 4 |
Put the printed cushion in the middle of a three-seater and the plain ones at each end. On a corner sofa, the printed cushions go in the corner where both sections meet, because that's where the eye lands first.
What size are Christmas cushion covers?
Most Christmas cushion covers in the UK are 45x45 cm (18x18 inches), the standard size for sofa cushions. Smaller 40x40 cm covers suit armchairs and window seats, and rectangular 30x50 cm covers work as a lumbar cushion in front of square ones.
Our Christmas cushion covers are 45x45 cm in soft faux linen, with a concealed zip along the back. They come in 5 designs (Christmas at Cottage, Jingle Bells, Reindeer, Snowflake and Snowman) and in packs of 1, 2 or 4. They're covers only, so you keep using the pads you already have. If your pads have gone flat, our cushion pads and inserts come in sizes from 30x30 cm to 75x75 cm.
Covers pack flat, which is the other reason they beat buying whole Christmas cushions. In January the covers go in a drawer and the pads go straight back into your everyday covers.
What colours go with red Christmas cushions?
Red Christmas cushions sit best with 4 colours: cream, forest green, navy and soft grey. Cream and grey calm red down, while green and navy make it feel traditional. Avoid pairing red with bright pink or orange, which clash under warm evening lamplight.
- Cream suits pale sofas and keeps the look light. It's the safest choice if you're unsure.
- Forest green gives the classic Christmas pairing and works well with a real tree in the room.
- Navy is more grown-up and looks good against a grey or blue sofa.
- Soft grey works on a dark sofa, where cream would look stark.
Texture matters as much as colour. A plain cushion in knit, velvet or boucle next to a printed faux linen cover makes the arrangement look chosen rather than bought as a set.
If you're dressing the bedroom too, our guide to when to put Christmas bedding on and how to style it uses the same idea: one print, plain colours around it.
Written by the Adam Home team at Ensor Mill, Rochdale.
