A Step-By-Step Guide For Making Barn Quilts.
You are mistaken if you thought that barn quilts came into existence just recently. They have been around for hundreds of years. However, a few changes have erupted due to advancement in technology, among many other reasons. For instance, during the early days, farmers would use varying types of folk art to decorate their barns. They selected blocks depending on their meanings. The popularity of the barn quilt gained momentum yet again at the beginning of the 2000s. This time around, decorations weren’t only done on the barns’ sides, but also on garages and houses.
Are you interested in barn quilts? Have you been wondering how to make a barn quilt? You’ve come to the right place.
Here is a useful guide:
A barn quilt is simply a quilt pattern that is painted on to plywood and then attached on one side of a barn. As already mentioned, it can also be attached on stores, garages and anywhere the owner see appropriate.
- Gather all Your Tools:
You will require the following tools: chop saw, ruler, level, paint brushes, cordless drill, and measuring tape. The materials you will need include:
- Plywood
- Stain
- Lumber (if possible 1× to remain lightweight)
- 50 exterior screws measuring 11/4”
- 6 bolts of 5”
- Board for ledger at installation (2×8)
- Paint samples
- Painters tape
- Sandpaper
- To get the board ready for painting, sand it really well until you obtain an ultra smooth look.
- Once you are satisfied with the smoothness of the board, get down to paintwork. Apply two layers of white marine paint. Some people choose to use no borders to maintain utmost simplicity.
- Using a ruler and a pencil, measure and mark the pattern. One of the most popular trends entails dividing the board into 1/3s. From there, you draw straight lines across, and then draw diagonal lines to connect the corners. The outcome is a star.
- If you come up with a complicated pattern, consider using taping the edges to simplify your paintwork. Some people chose not to tape. Consider choosing a contrasting color for the star. Also, be careful with your selection of the size of your brush, especially if you are a perfectionist. Painting the corners and the edges can be quite tricky. You might spend a considerable amount of time on them if you don’t have the right brush. Choose something smaller that can stay inside the lines in these two areas. Try applying 3-4 layers of the paint, so it looks really great.
Do not worry if your edges and corners do not come out as perfectly as you would have wanted. Since you will be hanging it on a building, it will be almost impossible for anyone to notice slight uneven lines and mistakes. Prepare to practice your patience during painting because you have to take breaks to allow the paint to dry before applying another layer.
- Building a frame – to give your barn quilt some stability, construct a frame on its backside. L-Brackets should do. The frame keeps potential warping at bay amidst the ever-changing weather. The presence of a frame also makes it easy for you to drill the artwork on the wall, instead of digging into the quilt itself and consequently ruining all the hard work. While adding the frames to the quilt may appear like additional work, you will appreciate the integrity of the structure as well as the flatness.
- The final step entails attaching your finished work to the wall.
Pro tip: Understand that you aren’t limited as far as the size of the barn quilt is concerned. It all boils down to a person’s taste and preference. Some people want small quilts, while others prefer big ones.
If you want to make a big one, buy two boards. You will require a frame made out of 2×4” lumber to connect the two boards. Check out if the stores in your area have bigger boards if you don’t wish to go through the process of combining two small boards.
Another thing that you need to know is that there are no pattern restrictions. You can come up with whatever design you want. People have different inspirations which dictate their choice of pattern. As such, you don’t have to necessarily make a star. Use the Internet to discover hundreds of designs created by other people. Put your creativity to work and do the best that you can.
