How I Designed and Painted My Own Barn Quilt

May 14, 2026

I've always loved seeing barn quilts out in the wild. We even have one hanging outside the sandwich shop I work at! Arkansas also has a whole Facebook page dedicated to barn quilts in Arkansas called Arkansas Quilt Trails.

A barn quilt is a large, painted wooden panel featuring a geometric quilt pattern that is mounted onto the exterior of a barn, house, or other structure.

I knew I wanted to paint one for my sewing shed, especially since the outside is just so drab and boring. I played with some ideas of doing a square block, but eventually, I was inspired by some earrings I bought at the sandwich shop I work at (which is also an art gallery) and decided to recreate that design of flying geese on my barn quilt!

How to Make a Barn Quilt

Supplies

plywood, cut to size of choice
white base coat paint
acrylic paint
paintbrushes
painters tape
yardstick
pencil
glossy indoor/outdoor clear coat spraypaint

Instructions

Cut your plywood to the size you want it to be. Typical sizes for barn quilts are 4'x4' or 8'x8' square, but I chose to just use a piece of rectangular plywood that I had in my garage. It is odd measurements, but I made it work... for your piece of mind and making it easier, I advise going with something actually measured exactly.

Sand your plywood down to give it a smooth surface. (I also did not do this and regret it... live and learn.)

Cover your plywood in a base coat of white paint. You may need to cover it 2-3 times to get it opaque.

Take your yardstick and pencil to measure and mark out your design. Take the painters tape and begin to tape off the sections you will paint first.

Paint these in the color of your choice, again you may need more than one coat. Let dry fully between painting and changing out painters tape to a new section.