DIY Patriotic Barn Star: A Creative Summer Project for Your Home

Looking for a meaningful summer DIY that adds charm and Americana flair to your home? This DIY Barn Star is the perfect creative project to celebrate the 4th of July, decorate for the season, or bring farmhouse-style warmth to your space year-round.

This project uses one of my favorite DIY surface kits here at Steel Roots Market—a handmade, laser-cut MDF barn star that you can completely customize with paint, stain, stencils, and personal style.

 What You’ll Need:

• Steel Roots Market Barn Star Kit

• Acrylic or chalk paint (red, white, navy blue, or colors of your choice)

• Painter’s tape

• Wood glue or craft glue - Titebond Wood Glue

• Mini star stencil (mine was from Amazon) -  Stencil Set for stars 

• Small brushes or sponge applicators

• Claw tooth hanger (optional, for wall mounting) - Link for Claw tooth hangers

• Outdoor sealer (if using on a porch or patio)

✨ Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1: Plan Your Design

Before you dive into paint or glue, decide how you want your finished star to look. Do you want to highlight certain colors? Add a stencil? Use layered textures or a more distressed finish?

You can choose to paint each point individually before assembling, or glue everything together first and then paint the whole piece.

Pro tip: If you’re going for clean lines and bold contrasts, paint before gluing. If you prefer a rustic blended look, assemble first and layer on your paints.

Step 2: Paint the Points

For this project, I started by separating the pieces into color groups:

• I painted all the white points first.

• Then I moved on to the red pieces.

• For the top left corner, I used navy blue to create a classic patriotic block.

To keep your lines crisp, use painter’s tape to mask off sections. This helps prevent color bleed and gives you that sharp, clean look.

Step 3: Add a Stencil

Once the navy paint was dry, I added a mini star stencil to the blue corner to create a classic Americana flag-style pattern. The stencil I used was from Amazon, but you can use any small star pattern or even stamp individual stars with a brush or sponge.

This is a fun way to make your star totally unique to your home’s style—you could also:

• Add floral or scroll stencils for a cottage look

• Use vintage-style stamps

• Create a layered paint effect with wax or distressing

Step 4: Glue It All Together

Once the paint is fully dry, glue each point onto the etched backing board provided in the kit. The layout lines make it super easy to align everything correctly.

Use wood glue or strong craft adhesive, and allow to dry completely under slight pressure.

Step 5: Seal and Hang

To protect your finished star:

• Use a clear matte or satin topcoat sealer if keeping indoors.

• If you want to display it outside (like on a covered porch), seal with an outdoor-grade polyurethane spray.

• Reapply every season for added protection.

For hanging, simply add a claw tooth hanger or D-ring to the back. You can also lean it on a shelf, mantel, or hutch for a cozy vignette.

 Style Inspiration:

This barn star fits beautifully into:

• 4th of July vignettes with flags, vintage books, and ironstone

• Farmhouse summer displays with greenery and rustic wood tones

• Covered porch decor paired with lanterns or baskets

• Cottage Americana themes using softer blues and faded reds

• Neutral versions painted in white, taupe, and sage for year-round use

 Ready to Make Your Own?

Our DIY Barn Star Kit is handmade and laser-cut to order in our studio. Each kit comes with:

• A precision-etched backing board

• All 10 pieces pre-cut from quality MDF

• Ready for paint, stain, and creative play

🎨 Available now at SteelRootsMarket.com
✨ Please allow 2–4 business days for production—each piece is custom cut with care.