DIY Painted Barn Quilt

How to take a scrap wood pallet and paint to make a DIY Barn Quilt for your fall decorating

Hi there! If this is your first time here- Welcome. I am so glad that you found me. My name is Jackie, and sometimes I feel like I Can’t Blog. But I am learning and growing with each and every post. I am a t-shirt and jeans kind of woman, who loves tacos, my kids, my puppies, and my Man. Maybe in necessarily in that order. You can read more about me on my page- 10 Facts about Jackie

Today I have teamed up again with the talented Terrie of Decorate and More With Tip for another DIY blog hop. Last month we all worked on DIY Sunburst Mirrors– check mine out here. This months project are really good- I had a little sneak peek. You are not going to want to miss Terrie’s project this time around- it’s a really good one! Be sure to check out her post, as well as all the other ladies in this month’s challenge at the very end of this post.

The theme for the September DIY Challenge is to use Scrap Wood to make a Fall Decor item. We all have that pile of scrap wood in the garage- you know, just in case. Why not use up some of it and make a fun fall decor item? Count me in!

This project has been on the to-do list for a while

I just love quilt patterns. I love the simplicity, and yet they can also be very elaborate too. I have made a couple of quilts before- nothing too complicated. It’s just amazing to me how small cuts of fabric can be pieced together to make these amazing patterns and pictures! Then a couple of years ago I learned about Barn Quilts and of course made a Pinterest board.

I have made a few craft projects with quilt patterns before. They were pretty easy and fun too! You can check out these posts to see how I did them:

• A Thrifted Makeover: A Corkboard? Yup!
• A Painted Quilt?
• Another Painted Quilt

This blog hop project came just around the time I was thinking about making another painted Barn Quilt for my front porch. I love it when the universe tells you it’s time to do something.

DIY Barn Quilt 101

There are many different approaches to making a Barn Quilt. I am going to show you how I made mine for my front porch.

Supplies needed:

• Scrap wood- I used a scrap wood pallet that we had collected, but you could use a flat piece of wood. Or nail a few scrap pieces together to make your quilt body.
• Paint- I used outdoor grade white and black paint.
• Paint Brushes- I used an old 2″ brush for the white, and a flat craft brush for the black
• A pencil or marker- I used an old Sharpie marker.
• A level or straight edge
• A quilt pattern or photo to refer to- I used a pattern that I found on Pinterest. Check out that pin and more on my board- …Hit the Side of a Barn…

Step 1: paint the base coat

I used a scrap wood pallet for my Barn Quilt. I have used pallets before, but if this is your first time- please do your research! My pallet had been heat-treated, so I knew it was safe to use. Check for the symbols stamped on the wood and search for their meanings. Not all pallets are made the same.

Using white paint I gave the pallet just one coat of paint. Already my pallet was looking good!

Step 2: draw a grid of squares

Next using your pencil or marker and level draw out a grid of squares. My pallet was 40″ x 48″- so I made my grid with 4″ squares. Marking off every 4″ inches and then drawing the lines.

Step 3: paint out your quilt pattern

Referring to my pattern I found on Pinterest, I then painted out the squares making the quilt pattern. I didn’t use tape I just went freehand, but you could always tape off the squares if that would make it easier for you.

Above you can see that my lines are not perfect, and I even had a small drip. But I am not bothered by any of it. Embrace the homemade aspect of crafting! That’s where the love is- in the imperfections.

Step 4: step back and admire your work

It was really that simple! Knowing that I was going to use this outdoors, I didn’t sand the wood pallet. But if you wanted to- go for it! I also used paint designed for outdoors, so I didn’t seal my project. But of course, an added step of a sealer over the paint is always an option.

Time to take your DIY Barn Quilt to the front porch!

I am really pleased with how my DIY Barn Quilt turned out. The bold black and white pattern are so classic, and yet very modern. Paired with an old enameled bucket filled with grass and cabbages. A modern take on an old farmhouse look.

There you have it! My painted DIY Barn Quilt. What do you think? I love it.

Now go and check out what the rest of the ladies have been up to below:

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