A barn quilt is a large piece of wood painted to look like a quilt block and hung on the exterior of a barn, house, garage, or other building. The idea of painting quilt patterns directly onto wood and then hanging them on barns originated in Pennsylvania and spread to other colonies. Barn quilts are simple geometric shapes, typically made of solid colors that compose a simple geometric pattern of squares, rectangles, and triangles. They are painted on wood and hung on buildings, and although most are traditionally displayed on barns, they can be and are hung on various buildings including homes, cabins, yard barns, and even stores. The common barn size is an 8ft X 8ft panel, but they have also been created and used in other sizes such as 4ft X 4ft, 2ft X 2ft, and even 1ft X 1ft for indoor display. There is no limitation in design or colors, and most artists follow the quilt design, but some have added representations of farm life or agriculture vision.

Barn quilts have become popular again, with more and more becoming visible. Quilt trails have been developed in many states. After a number of barn quilts have been displayed in an area, a map is developed that guides the viewers to the location. The map will have an address, maybe a picture of the square, and a name or explanation. Barn quilts are meaningful quilt patterns that are painted on a barn, and each barn quilt has a story behind it. They are a homegrown art form that combines a few aspects of traditional Americana: barns, quilts, and road trips.