Wooden barn quilts are everywhere right now, and for good reason—bold geometry, cosy timber, instant impact. In this tutorial, DIY Wooden Barn Quilt Wall Art from Scrap Plywood, I’ll show you how I turned leftover plywood strips into a striking geometric wall art.

I jumped into barn quilts feet-first—my very first project was a full king-size headboard (classic me). I used the leftover pieces from that project to create this simpler design and walk you through an easy, repeatable method. It might look intricate, but it’s very straightforward, as you’ll see in this step-by-step tutorial.

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DIY Wooden Barn Quilt Wall Art from Scrap Plywood

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Materials & tools

• 12 mm plywood sheet for the square base
• Plywood offcuts/strips for the pattern (consistent thickness)
• Measuring tape, carpenter’s square, ruler/straightedge, pencil
• Table saw (ripping strips) and push stick
• Mitre saw set to 45° (cutting triangles/chevrons)
• Orbital sander with 220-grit discs
• Wood stain(s) or paint, and rags/brushes
• Painter’s tape
• Hot glue gun with quality glue sticks or wood glue + pin/brad nailer
• Circular saw (to trim edges flush)
• Iron-on wood veneer edge banding (optional, for clean sides)
• Stanley knife/utility knife (to trim veneer)
• Satin clear sealer (spray polyurethane or clear acrylic)
• D-rings and picture wire or a French cleat (for hanging)
• Safety gear: eye protection, hearing protection, dust mask/respirator, clamps

Creating a basic barn quilt design

A barn quilt is a timber mosaic made from strips of wood cut at 45° to form simple shapes that slot neatly together. You can vary the strip widths and lengths, but keep the thickness the same so the surface stays even. Most patterns begin with a star at the centre. You repeat the same 45° units around that star, growing the design outward. Only when you reach the outer edge of the square do you add different pieces—small squares, triangles or diamonds—to complete the border.

Across the designs shown above, the geometry is the same shape repeated in different sizes. In the first design, every single piece is identical; the pattern appears because of how the pieces are oriented and how the wood is stained or painted. In other words, colour placement and rotation create the “quilt” effect, not a pile of complicated cuts.

Wood needed

This project is perfect if you’ve got lots of scrap wood lying around. It doesn’t matter if some sheets are a little bowed—once you cut them into small pieces, it’s not noticeable. Keep the thickness consistent for a neat finish; for this build, I used 12 mm plywood. Sand both faces before you start cutting, rather than sanding dozens of small pieces later. I used an orbital sander with 220-grit paper.

Rip your strips

Set the table saw fence to 50 mm. Rip enough strips in one go so every piece matches in width. Consistency now gives crisp lines later.

Cut the angles

Set your mitre saw to 45°. Cut shapes from the strips. You can vary lengths, but keep the angle consistent. Use a stop block so repeated cuts match.

You can vary lengths, but keep the angle consistent. Working out how many pieces to cut per project is hard to judge. I work mine out by cutting about one-and-a-half times the amount of wood as the base. You can always use the scraps in your next project or create scrap-wood wall art similar to this.

Prep the square base

Cut a square backer to the size you want. Draw a centred grid: diagonals corner-to-corner, then light guidelines at 90°. These lines anchor the pattern and keep it straight. I use recycled wood for all my projects; once it’s prepped and covered, you won’t see the old damage. A decent-sized barn quilt is typically 60–90 cm.

Dry-lay the design

Start in the centre. Place two 45° pieces to form an arrow/chevron. Mirror it to build a star.

Keep laying pieces like a jigsaw, working outwards. Mix in triangles and diamonds if you like. Let pieces overhang the edge. We’ll trim later. Do not glue yet.

Stain for contrast

Lift pieces and apply stain as you go. Staining the wood before glueing it down makes life easy. Plywood absorbs stain unevenly, especially from mixed batches. Embrace the variation, or use a pre-stain conditioner for a more even tone. Shuffle pieces until you like the flow. Here’s why sanding both sides comes in handy: if you don’t like the colours, flip the piece and use the other side. Just note it may not slot back into the exact spot, so keep a few extra pieces on hand.

Glue it down

I tested a few methods. Hot glue won for speed and grip on plywood. Use quality sticks; cheap sticks can pop. Press each piece firmly for a few seconds.

Nail guns work too, but nails can show and need filling. Start in the middle and work outwards.

Filling in the gaps

A triangle-shaped piece, a small square, or an offcut of the existing shape should fill any gaps.

Cutting away the overhand

I didn’t photograph this step, so I’ll show the process using the headboard barn quilt. When the pattern is complete, run painter’s tape along the cut lines to reduce splintering. Clamp a straight scrap as a fence, then run a circular saw around all four sides to square the panel. The result looks clean and professional and makes framing easier.

Finish the edges

Skip the frame for a clean, modern look. Cover edges with iron-on veneer tape. Use an old iron on dry heat. A cotton rag between the iron and veneer protects the face

. Press, cool, then trim flush with a sharp utility knife. Sand lightly.

Seal and hang

Spray two light coats of satin polyurethane, sanding lightly between coats if needed. Fit D-rings and wire, or use a French cleat for heavier pieces. Hang out of direct sun to reduce fading.

More Barn quilt ideas

Once you start, barn quilts are addictive. I’ve kept experimenting with new patterns and finishes—here are some of the other pieces I’ve made.

I repurposed an outdoor table and gave it a barn quilt makeover.

You can also play around with the texture to create a different effect, like I did with this Shou sugi ban finish

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