One of the most commonly used barn star patterns is made of tin. The barn star usually consists of a five-sided star made with tin that is bent and welded into the arms of the star. The stars can be painted in any color you desire, though more "rustic" colors such as a barn red, country blue or white are commonly used. Once the star is formed, use the color that matches your barn or home to paint the star. If you want a more rustic look, use a fine-grain sandpaper to sand and remove some bits of paint. Stars can be hung traditionally, over the barn door, or arranged in varying sizes on the sides of the barn. Often, if a homeowner has no barn, she can arrange varying tin stars along the wall of her house over the garden to create her own art piece.
A "hex sign" is a painted star, often five-pointed, though sometimes containing more points to make it more like the shape of a hexagon. To paint a barn star, either on your barn over the main opening or on a canvas to be framed, you'll need outdoor acrylic paint and a lot of creativity. Historically, German immigrants who were considered more "fancy" would paint these types of stars. Your star can contain elements that pertain to you or your family. Painted hex sign barn stars have contained images of birds, flowers, spiritual symbols or other designs pertinent to your ancestry. You can include geometric designs and colors that reflect your home palette in order to make a painted barn star your own.
For a more Victorian "gingerbread" look, you can make painted barn stars out of wood. Design your star on a pliable piece of wood, and have the design cut out to make a three-dimensional effect. Wooden stars can be flexible in design because you can paint them and attach them to the barn, use them as holiday decorations both inside and outside of your home, and create designs that range from the primitive to very intricate. You can use painted wooden barn stars as a wreath object for your front door, or on smaller scale as holiday ornaments, candle holders or just as lovely accents to any wall or table.