Ohio Star Four Patch Barn Quilt Pattern
A classic barn quilt block you can customize and print as a paint-ready plan.
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
- 6 × 6
- Colors
- 5
- Suggested board sizes
- 2′ × 2′, 3′ × 3′, 4′ × 4′
Ohio Star Four Patch is one of several designs built on the classic Ohio Star nine-patch.
Explore All Ohio Star VariationsAbout the Ohio Star Four Patch block
The Ohio Star is one of the enduring stars of American patchwork. A Smithsonian Ohio Star quilt dates to about 1845, and nineteenth-century examples show the design was well established long before modern quilt patterns were commercially widespread.
Like many traditional blocks, it has appeared under more than one name; the Smithsonian also identifies the pattern as Variable Star or Eight-Pointed Star. Its simple nine-patch structure and strong geometry have kept it popular from bed quilts to modern barn quilts.
This variation keeps that Ohio Star framework but changes the geometry: corner squares become small four-patch checkerboards, giving the block a busier, pieced look around the same star.
Learn more about the history
Tips for painting a Ohio Star Four Patch barn quilt
Prime both sides of your board and seal the edges before painting to keep moisture out.
Lay out the pattern in pencil first using a grid — every shape lines up on a regular fraction of the board.
Paint the lightest color first, then work toward the darkest so any drips can be covered.
Use painter's tape along straight edges and burnish it down with a credit card to prevent bleed-through.
Ready to design your Ohio Star Four Patch?
Customize the colors in the online designer and download a printable paint-by-color plan with a grid diagram.
Open in the designerPainted the Ohio Star Four Patch? Share your photo.
We feature finished quilts from real makers in the gallery — it helps other painters see how the Ohio Star Four Patch looks in different color combinations.