How to make barn quilts?

How to make barn quilts?

Barn quilts are gorgeous pieces of art that add character to your home or barn. Every day more and more is popping up, making the outside of a home look spectacular. Small barn quilts can be placed on houses, while larger ones look great on machine sheds or large barns.

There is a large variety of barn quilt patterns that make selecting one a hard task. Just when you think that you have found the barn quilt designs that will look the best for your home, you see another barn quilt pattern that you love.

Barn quilts were created by Donna Sue Groves. She did this in honor of her mother. Since this time, the barn quilt fascination has spread to 40 states.

Perhaps you will follow Donna Sue Groves and make one to honor a loved one that has passed. Or maybe you will give one to a loved one that means a lot to you. You could paint matching ones for members of your family too.

To make a barn quilt for yourself or to give as a gift, you will need to gather the following materials:

  • Pressure-treated wood, cut in the measurement you desire
  • 2 x 4s to brace the back when hanging
  • Outdoor marine paint in the colors of your choice
  • White outdoor marine paint for the base color
  • L-brackets
  • Pencil
  • Measuring tape
  • Painter’s tape
  • Paintbrushes
  • Paint rollers
  • Quilt block patterns for barns
  • Paint sealer of your choice

Once you have all of your supplies ready, you will need to follow these steps to create an amazing barn quilt design.

  • Step One
    Begin by sanding the board to ensure that it is smooth. The better the sanded, the better the paint will look once it has hit the board.
  • Step Two
    Paint the board with two coats of Marine White. Be sure to allow the paint to dry between each coat. Thin coats are better than thicker coats. If two coats do not look like it is enough, go ahead and add a third coat.
  • Step Three
    Using a tape measure or ruler, measure out your pattern onto the dried board. If you are using a pattern that is complicated, the painter’s tape may come in handy here.
  • Step Four
    Begin painting. If you are not steady with a paintbrush, consider using a smaller paintbrush when close to lines to get crisp, clean edges. The painter’s tape that we talked about in step three comes in handy for this. It may be easiest to use a large brush to fill in with, and then the small paintbrush to fill in when close to the lines.

    One tip that we can offer you is that when painting over white paint, it is sometimes hard to cover. Certain colors will need many coats.

  • Step Five
    While the paint is drying, you can work on making a frame for the barn quilt. This will make it very sturdy when hanging it up. Screw 2 X 4s together to make the frame, and then use the L-brackets so they are secured together.

    Frames are essential to barn quilts. Not only will this provide the quilt with a protector so it will not warp in the elements, but it also allows for screws to be screwed into the frame rather than the quilt itself.

  • Step Six
    Spray the dried barn quilt with a sealer of your choice to help protect it from the elements. Once the sealer has dried, attach the barn quilt to the frame and hang up where desired.

Barn Quilt Ideas

There are so many amazing barn quilt blocks that we have seen. Many of the barn quilt patterns represent something about the family. Barn quilt blocks may have a few colors or many colors. It is all up to the painter on what they wish to accomplish.

The Log Cabin quilt block pattern for bars is a popular one. This pattern is many rectangles all in a square fashion. Once painted, these rectangles will look amazing hanging up on a barn or a house.

We also love many other barn quilt patterns for sale. The Snail’s Trail is a quilt that has a different look to it with curved lines, which we love. We like the simplicity of the Morning barn quilt pattern and the Lone Star barn quilt patterns offer a look that is traditional. For those that love flowers, a Sunflower pattern would look amazing when finished.

If you are a first-time painter, consider the Maple Leaf barn quilt block pattern. This is a simple look that will look amazing once it is finished.

Other popular barn quilt patterns for sale currently include The Rolling Pin, the Windmill, State Fair, North Star, Pinwheel, Iowa Star, and Tree of Life.

Colors that can be used for barn quilts can be anything. Perhaps you wish to pay homage to your state’s colors. Or maybe you want to use red, white, and blue for America. Other great color choices that look amazing together include green and yellow, blue and yellow, red and yellow, brown and green, black and blue, red and black, and yellow and black. You may even wish to find a pattern that uses a bunch of colors and incorporate everyone in your family’s favorite color.

Barn quilts do not need to be just for a barn. We have seen them in houses too. Garages with peaks look great with a barn quilt attached to it. Perhaps you have different outbuildings. You may consider painting one for each outbuilding to give them a personality of their own. If you are not sure about hanging it, you can also have a barn quilt on your front porch, leaning against the house. They can be hung on fences, placed on patios or decks, or attached to a pole to be used as a garden decoration. The possibilities are endless when it comes to where you can put a barn quilt.