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How to Build a Twig Fence

Rustic Garden Fences out of Branches and Twigs

Building a twig fence for bordering your vegetable garden, around a flower bed, or to give privacy from neighbors is a satisfying and challenging project.

Techniques used can be simple - wiring twigs to the top of an existing fence of wire or wood, or more complex - building separate panels and attaching them to posts.

Building your Rustic Twig Fence

How to build a Palisade style Twig Fence

Using a wire strung between two solid objects (a house and an archway for instance) you can wire upright twigs in a palisade style.

The twigs can be woven between upright poles to form a hurdle type fence panel.

Make sure you have an odd number of uprights to weave.

Slender canes of willow or grapevines will work best for this technique.

Soaking the canes or vines in water for a few hours or overnight will make them more pliable.

Wire the twigs to a frame and then attach the frame by wire or nails to posts.

If you wire it on, then you can adjust the placement of the fence or individual panels as needed.

This option is great for a fence that is for temporary use. See more about wire techniques for crafts here.

Nailing or screwing the panels can give more strength to the fence especially if it will be in a windy area, or to keep dogs in.

Twig Lattice Fence - this one is fun to make

String a wire between two posts or trees and attach the twigs in a lattice pattern.

This provides a decorative effect.

Use sturdy wire for the main fence; recycled phone or electrical cable works well, and then tie wire used for concrete work for the attachment wire.

Handy Technique for Recycling Wire

Unwind used telephone cable or other multi ply wire with your cordless drill by putting the end carefully in the chuck, then slowly trigger the drill to unwind it.

Make sure you have enough room to stretch the wire out so it doesn't kink.

For a more formidable pattern for keeping chickens or dogs inside and for privacy, use the vertical palisade style.

Closely spaced vertical twigs will allow light and air movement while spacing the verticals further apart will make the best snow fencing, allowing the wind to go through it, not create a sail.

Ornamental vines or shrubs planted close to the fence will add more strength and look very romantic and beautiful as they grow up the support of the twig fence.

Making a twig fence adds dimension to your garden, as well as keeping out pests.

You can also use your twig fence to hang a succulent mosaic, found objects or painted barnboard signs or other garden art.