A Rustic Garden Blog

If you haven’t spent much time around barns, you may or may not be aware of what a barn star is. But if you have been exposed to farm and barn life, it’s more than likely that you’ve come across these decorative and interesting products. Barn stars are objects that come in a wide variety of sizes and decoration. Whether painted or made of cast iron, they are used to decorate a barn. However, they add no structural value to the building.

Rather, they are often considered to be lucky. In this way, they are somewhat akin to hanging a horseshoe in your home or over any given doorway. Common among German-American communities, some believe these barn stars are used as the particular mark or hallmark of a particular builder. Because they don’t add any structural support or integrity to the building, they are often added after the fact of construction.