DIY Fences for Children

Measure the area you want to enclose and note the measurements on paper to give you an idea how much wire mesh you need. Also, mark locations for the wooden posts on the ground using powdered chalk. Depending on personal preference and available space, keep the posts 6 to 12 feet apart. Determine where you want to install the gate, and the spacing for the posts. Keep the gate 3 to 6 feet wide.

Dig a 2-foot-deep hole in the ground over each marked spot using a post hole digger. Tamp the base and walls of the holes to firm the soil.

Pour concrete in a wheelbarrow and slowly add water to it. Mix with a trowel until it has a workable consistency. Add more concrete to the mix to thicken the consistency, or more water to loosen it a bit.

Enlist someone to hole a post upright in a post hole while you slowly pour concrete around it until the concrete is 4 inches from the top. Level the concrete in the hole with a trowel. Check that the post is level and plumb, or fix it if necessary, and let the concrete cure. Continue placing the remaining posts in the remaining holes in the same way.

Pack dirt over the cured concrete in each hole until the dirt is level with the surrounding soil level. Tamp the dirt with the back of a shovel to remove trapped air.

Unroll a mesh wire bale and stand it vertically against a corner post. Wrap the corner of the mesh around the post, pulling it taut as you go, and secure in place with galvanized staples. Insert staples along the length of the mesh to attach it to the corner post.

Extend the mesh to the adjacent post, pulling it taut as you go. Repeat the process of joining it to the post with staples. Continue joining the wire to the remaining posts until you cover all the posts. Do not attach the wire between the gate posts. Cut excess wire off with wire cutters, and twist the ends inward using pliers.

Measure the spacing between the posts to determine the size of the gate. Keep the gate slightly higher than the ground so it swings open easily, and make it several inches narrower than the space between posts to accommodate the mounting hardware.

Cut lengths of wood for the gate. Use a handsaw and make sure the lengths are the desired size. Lay the boards to form a square or rectangle, and secure using galvanized nails and a drill. Cut a length of wire mesh to fit across the wooden gate frame, and secure in place using staples.

Enlist someone to hold the gate in place. Mark the locations for the two hinges on the gate and one post. Mount the hinges to the gate using nails, and extend them to the post. Secure a latch on the opposite side.