Cardinal Barn Quilt Pattern
A folk-art cardinal at rest — a beloved barn quilt for the Midwest and Northeast.
Member: Choose your size, borders & colors + personalized Paint Maps
Free: Complete 2' × 2' drawing grid + measurements
Planning the board? Use the sizing calculator for exact cell and border measurements, or read the paint color guide before you buy paint.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Grid
- 5 × 5
- Colors
- 6
- Suggested board sizes
- 2′ × 2′, 4′ × 4′
Get the Free 2' × 2' Cardinal Pattern Plan
A complete, printable drawing plan: a large 2' × 2' grid diagram with every measurement you need, plus an example colorway.
What's in your free plan
- 2' × 2' drawing grid diagram
- Layout measurements
- Layer diagrams when applicable
- Example colorway + paint equivalents
- Measuring and marking instructions
Personalized Paint Maps — the diagrams showing exactly which pieces to paint each color — come with Designer Membership.
Want to make it your own?
Customize the size, borders and colors — and get personalized Paint Maps — with the Barn Quilt Designer.
Customize in DesignerFree plan vs. Designer Membership
The free plan gives you everything you need to draw the standard 2' × 2' barn quilt. Membership lets you make the plan fit your project.
| Feature | Free Plan | Membership |
|---|---|---|
| Printable 2' × 2' drawing plan | ||
| Layout measurements and grid markings | ||
| Measuring and marking instructions | ||
| Layer diagrams when applicable | ||
| Example colorway and paint equivalents | ||
| Choose your barn quilt size | ||
| Add or change borders | ||
| Customize colors | ||
| Automatically recalculated measurements | ||
| Personalized Paint Maps | ||
| Save and edit designs | ||
| Unlimited personalized plan downloads | ||
| Build your own patterns for the designer |
Want to make it your own?
Customize the size, borders and colors — and get personalized Paint Maps — with the Barn Quilt Designer.
Customize in DesignerAbout the Cardinal block
The Cardinal is best understood as part of quilting’s long tradition of drawing inspiration from the natural world rather than as one standardized historic block with a single origin. Birds, flowers, trees and animals were frequently translated into quilt designs, and those motifs changed as makers adapted them to different piecing and appliqué techniques.
Modern cardinal blocks continue that tradition, turning the bird’s unmistakable silhouette and bright coloring into bold geometric designs especially well suited to wall hangings and barn quilts.
Learn more about the history
Tips for painting a Cardinal barn quilt
Use one true 'cardinal red' — don't dilute. A small black mask around the beak makes the bird snap into focus.
Ready to design your Cardinal?
Customize the colors in the online designer and download a printable paint-by-color plan with a grid diagram.
Open in the designerPainted the Cardinal? Share your photo.
We feature finished quilts from real makers in the gallery — it helps other painters see how the Cardinal looks in different color combinations.