When you have a standard fence, it might seem too staunch or generic next to your artistically designed home and lawn. To help your fence match your design ideals without building a new one, there are several amendments that can be made without using a lot of tools.
Although some of these project ideas are more advanced than others, all of them are suggestions that can become the curb appeal solution you have been looking for.
Beyond a simple coat of paint
Although adding a fresh coat of white paint to any fence makes it look clean, the white colour might not fit in as well with your overall curb appeal as well as another one. Instead, consider using exterior paint that will provide contrast against your current house paint colour.
For solid wooden fences you can also create a mural effect by using each individual fence post as one solid canvas.
Using the power of zip ties and decorations
Many fences cannot withstand a lot of extra weight from items hanging on them without shifting over time. However, decorations can be placed on the ground and leaned against two fences with ease. To create some extra security, use zip ties to hold the decorations in place.
Good examples are large wooden stars that are repeated in a pattern along a fence in order to provide decorations that are appropriate for the lawn.
Having fun with DIY moulded concrete features
Decorating a brick, stone or masonry fence may not be easy until you get a taste of custom concrete lawn decorations. In many instances, moulds can be purchased online, and making a small batch of concrete is easily done with a bucket and a stick.
Once the concrete is poured into the mould and sets, the end result is a decoration you can use for your current stone fence. In addition to plain concrete finishes, you can also paint concrete.
Creating a false hedge or window
When you need a strong fence but hate the way it looks, putting something in front of it is often the best solution. For example, by soaking long twigs, you can weave them onto poles to completely conceal your current fence to create a look that resembles ordered bramble.
Other ways to conceal a fence include using strips of canvas fabric to hang on the fence as if they were curtains hiding a large door or window.
Decorative screening rolls
In the same vein, you can also get rolls of decorative garden screening to attach to your fence. Simply fix them in place and your existing fencing will be hidden, replaced by something much more attractive.
It’s great for quickly creating a different feel, such as using bamboo screening to enhance an oriental theme or willow for an English country garden.
Using ropes to create decorative effects
If you want your fence to create a visual backdrop but do not have a lot of money to spend on something that will get stolen or will blow away, consider buying some rope and doing some macramé.
While it might take some tinkering with cheaper nylon rope to get the design you want, there are many simple knots that can be beautiful decorations for fences when the right type of rope or silk cord is used.
Along with making knots, other items can be used to cinch two pieces of rope together to create a netted or quilted effect. For a more dramatic effect, use a larger diameter of rope.
Choosing the right creeping plants
When you have a fence that is difficult to decorate and local neighbourhood housing codes deny your ability to decorate your fence in the way you want, the only remaining option is to pick something that will grow into and over your fence.
Instead of picking a typical rose bush or boxwood hedge, consider using other types of unexpected plants that give you the height you are looking for. Good choices include newer types of grasses as well as classics like bamboo or Bermuda grass. For year-round colour consider adding artificial hedging to your space.
Hanging baskets on fences with no plants
Do you have a fence that looks boring and also hangs out in the dark all night? You can kill two birds with one stone by decorating a fence with hanging baskets, a but instead of putting plants inside of them, strings of LED lights can be used.
In addition to metal hanging baskets overflowing with LED lights, there are also larger rectangular planters with open framing that can allow for more creativity when filled with outdoor LED light strings.
Using bamboo poles to create curb appeal
One of the hardest fences to decorate is the chain-link fence. While some chain-link fences have decorative plastic woven into the metal frame, these pieces soon crack, fade or become displaced. A better and sturdier solution is to weave pieces of green or freshly cut bamboo into the chain-link fence.
If weaving the bamboo is not working, using string to tie bamboo to the chain-link fence is often just as beautiful to onlookers.
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Brian Rees is a media relations representative for Exterior Expressions. In his spare time, he enjoys writing, music, and spending time outside.