Today, we will look at a super fun, surprisingly simple quilt pattern called the “Carpenter’s Star.”
The carpenter’s star quilt pattern is a great beginner-friendly pattern constructed using only one or two simple blocks, depending on the pattern.
We’ve curated a collection of gorgeous examples of the carpenter’s star quilt.
Plus, we’ll go over what exactly the carpenter’s star pattern is and how you can create your own.
- What Is a Carpenter’s Star?
- How Do You Make a Carpenter’s Star?
- 17 Carpenter’s Star Quilt Pattern Ideas
- 1. Build-A-Baby Quilt
- 2. Summer Star
- 3. Carpenter Wheel
- 4. Carpenter Star Scrappy Quilt Pattern
- 5. Modern Carpenter’s Star
- 6. Walkers Road Carpenter Star
- 7. Log Cabin Carpenter Star
- 8. Rainbow Carpenter’s Star
- 9. Bordered Carpenter Star
- 10. Floral Carpenter’s Star Pattern
- 11. Easy Carpenter Star
- 12. Earth Tone Carpenter Star
- 13. Carpenter Star King
- 14. Carpenter Star Quilt Pattern PDF
- 15. Free Carpenter Star
- 16. Carpenter’s Wheel Block Free Pattern
- 17. Rippling Star
What Is a Carpenter’s Star?
A carpenter’s star is a specific quilt design with an eight-point center star and a beautiful yet easy pointed border. It reminds me of a snowflake or a large flower.
This beautiful quilt pattern looks fantastic in a “scrappy” form. So if you have an extra layer cake bundle (10” square precuts) lying around, this would be an excellent option for you.
This quilt pattern is perfect for beginners because you only need to know how to create one or two blocks. The traditional way to make the carpenter’s star is to use half-square triangle blocks (HST) and half diamond triangle blocks (HDT), but you can easily tweak the pattern to only use HST blocks.
How Do You Make a Carpenter’s Star?
The patterns and tutorials below show you step-by-step how to make the carpenter’s star quilt pattern, but here are some of the basics to make this design.
- Step 1: Choose the pattern you would like to use.
- Step 2: Choose the fabric. You can either purchase pre-arranged fabric bundles or create your own fabric selection.
- Step 3: Cut out all the squares.
- Step 4: Create the blocks.
- Step 5: Sew the blocks together to construct the quilt top.
- Step 6: Quilt as desired. (I think straight line quilting would give this pattern a modern twist.)
- Step 7: Bind the quilt.
- Step 8: Enjoy your gorgeous creation!
17 Carpenter’s Star Quilt Pattern Ideas
We have curated a list of free and paid patterns and tutorials that are sure to make your journey to creating a carpenter’s star quilt a breeze. Remember, this is a fantastic beginner design, so don’t be intimidated when you first look at these patterns. You can do it!
1. Build-A-Baby Quilt
Here is the perfect carpenter star quilt pattern for a beginner that also provides a free tutorial. This tutorial will show you how to create a 36”x36” square baby quilt. This lovely quilt would make a wonderful gift for a baby shower, don’t you think?
2. Summer Star
This pattern really does look like summertime! The designer chose to use a wide assortment of colors and patterns, making the carpenter star design pop against the white background. This pattern gives you six different sizes to choose from, including wall, baby, throw, full, queen, and king. That’s a great deal for the price.
3. Carpenter Wheel
This quilt designer chose to use four carpenter stars on their quilt top, which is called The Carpenter Wheel quilt pattern. Using a modern color palette with a traditional quilt pattern is a great way to meld the old with the new. Also, the use of black and grey give the stars an almost 3D effect.
4. Carpenter Star Scrappy Quilt Pattern
This quilt has a carpenter star as the centerpiece and uses that border design for three more borders to create a truly exquisite design. This pattern is another great example of using scraps for this quilt style, which looks fantastic against the white background. This pattern will show you how to make a 56”x72” quilt top.
5. Modern Carpenter’s Star
Similar to #1 of this list, this quilt pattern shows you how to make a square quilt measuring 70”x70”. This pattern boasts no “Y” seams or diamond blocks, making it a good choice for beginners. It is also fat quarter friendly for those who prefer purchasing fabric bundles.
6. Walkers Road Carpenter Star
Wow! Those blues are quite eye-catching against that grey. The gorgeous quilting that the designer used in all the blank space makes this pattern more modern and interesting. The border looks great and is made by using simple rectangle blocks and squares in the corners.
7. Log Cabin Carpenter Star
If you are a fan of log cabin quilts, you will LOVE this quilt pattern. The carpenter star blocks are constructed using the log cabin technique, and this pattern gives detailed directions on how to do this. This pattern will show you how to make a king-size quilt measuring 105” square.
8. Rainbow Carpenter’s Star
Here is a free carpenter star quilt pattern for anyone who prefers learning from a tutorial instead of a traditional quilt pattern. Not only is this a free tutorial, but it is also excellent for first-time quilters or beginners since you only use HST blocks in this tutorial. I love the choice of the designer to use a dark background to make the rainbow colors pop.
9. Bordered Carpenter Star
Here we have an elegant example of a traditional carpenter’s star quilt. The multiple borders give the quilt a finished and strong look but still allow the centerpiece to shine. The use of only three colors for the entire quilt top makes this design timeless.
10. Floral Carpenter’s Star Pattern
Isn’t this design breathtaking? The large carpenter star in the center of the quilt top allows the designer to feature gorgeous floral fabrics with sweet designs. This pattern offers three different sizes to choose from: tabletop centerpiece, throw, and queen.
11. Easy Carpenter Star
With an effortless, no-frills design, you can use this pattern to create a small 48” square quilt, or you can use it to make a quilt similar to #3 with four carpenter stars on the quilt top. The pattern includes all fabric requirements and instructions for block construction.
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12. Earth Tone Carpenter Star
Earth tones look fabulous in the carpenter’s star pattern, as illustrated in this quilt by MaryQuilts. She brilliantly chose to use half rectangle blocks for the border, which almost look like trees. This free tutorial will show you how to make a quilt top approximately 56”x68”.
13. Carpenter Star King
This pattern designer has created a modern take on the carpenter star using a unique fabric selection. This free pattern will give you the fabric and block requirements to create a 104”x104” king-size quilt top. Since the pattern is free, there aren’t any block construction instructions, but HST blocks are easy to create.
14. Carpenter Star Quilt Pattern PDF
The borders of this quilt pattern stand out and add a fun, playful dynamic to the overall design of this quilt. The designer chose to use bold sashing for the borders, giving this a modern flare. The pattern provides you with two sizes to choose from: throw and queen.
15. Free Carpenter Star
Here we have another beautiful example of the carpenter star quilt pattern, but the designer uses strong, masculine colors this time. They also mixed traditional feather and straight line quilting to give this quilt a more modern feel. This free pattern will help you create a throw-size quilt.
16. Carpenter’s Wheel Block Free Pattern
If you want to try out the carpenter star block before making a large quilt, or if you want to make a mini quilt using this pattern, then this free pattern is perfect for you. This pattern gives detailed instructions for cutting, construction, and color options.
17. Rippling Star
Another beautiful, scrappy carpenter’s star design, this pattern gives you a second star border that mimics the “ripple” of water. This pattern only uses HST blocks and is fat quarter friendly. It also gives you four different sizes to choose from so you can make one for every occasion.
This traditional star quilt pattern can be tweaked and adjusted to make some gorgeous quilts, and I think this collection shows just that.
Whether you want to make a quilt with one large carpenter’s star in the center or use multiple carpenter star blocks for one quilt top, you can use this pattern to create something truly unique you will cherish for generations.
Whether you are a beginner or seasoned quilting veteran, this quilt pattern is sure to speak to you and make you remember why you fell in love with quilting.
Happy Quilting!