There are a number of companies that make excellent fences. However, if you are interested in scratch-building your own from relatively inexpensive materials, read on. Some people advocate buying a box of wooden matches and splitting them with a sharp blade to make fence rails. Other people will buy tapered toothpicks as building material.

Both of these materials should be painted a graybrown to look like weathered wood. Either type can be used to build the fences described below. However, as someone who likes to spend my money on figures and paint, I go for even less expensive materials. Many fine fences are literally growing a few feet from your home.

Look for a large weed or small tree that has compound leaves (stinkweed or tree of heaven are some examples). These have lots of small branches with twigs that in the winter are bare and devoid of sap (assuming you live in North America). Cut down the weed/tree (in most cases you'll be doing people and nature a favor -- the one I took was trying to undermine my neighbor's garage!) and drag it home in pieces.

Cutting the right-sized twigs for fence pieces will take no longer than decapitating matches, and you don't have to paint them. They're already the graybrown color of weathered fence rails. Also, they will vary slightly in thickness and number of leaf nodes, giving a variety and interest to your fences. Use them for worm fences and post and rail.

Use the larger twigs either by splitting them into two or four pieces lengthwise (authentic split-rail fences) or by incorporating them into breastworks, bridge railings, hasty works, etc. Build fences in lengths varying from three to twelve inches. These seem to cover the needs of most scenarios.

Scratchbuilding Fences and Stone Walls

Materials
Worm Fences
Post and Rail Fences
Stone Walls