A good fence is a ready-made backdrop for the holidays: it has height, structure and the best view from the road. Christmas lights, fall garland, a Texas flag for Independence Day, bunting for the Fourth, the right colors on game day. A few habits keep the fence looking good underneath it all and keep the decorations where you put them when the wind comes across the lake.
String lights
Outdoor-rated, weatherproof lights only; indoor strings do not survive a Texas season outside. Run them along the top rail or weave them through pickets rather than wrapping posts tightly, which makes them easier to take down and easier on the wood. Hang them with plastic clips or hooks made for outdoor lighting, never staples or nails, which puncture the fence and loosen with every season. Plug into a GFCI outlet, and keep connections off the ground.
Garland, wreaths and bows
Drape garland along the top rail and secure it every few feet with zip ties or greenery clips so the wind cannot lift it. Center wreaths and bows on gate posts or space them along a picket fence with an over-the-rail bracket or a hook, not a screw into the picket. Real greenery dries out fast here; take it down before it becomes tinder against a wood fence. See debris on your fence could be a fire hazard.
Flags
A flag bracket belongs on a post, fastened with coated screws and a dab of sealant in the holes, never on a picket or a rail. Keep the flag clear of the top of the fence so it does not rub, and bring it in during a storm; a flag in a forty-mile-an-hour wind is a lever on whatever it is attached to.
Post toppers and accents
Posts are the easiest place to add a seasonal touch: a lantern, a small tree, a cover set over the post cap. This works especially well on a split rail or picket fence where the posts show.
Signs, cutouts and inflatables
Anything mounted to the fence goes on with hooks or clips, not fasteners driven into rails or panels. Anything freestanding gets staked or weighted; the wind through here comes fast and often. Inflatables near a fence line should be tethered so they do not sail into the pickets.
Metal fences and gates
Zip ties, S-hooks and magnetic clips on ornamental steel and chain link. Nothing that needs a hole in the coating. Rinse the fence when the decorations come down so the finish stays clean.
Taking it down
Cut zip ties rather than pulling them, unclip lights in order, and walk the fence afterward for anything left behind. Then rake the base, because the pine straw piled up while you were decorating. Protect your fence this winter is the rest of the list.
A fence worth decorating
Straight posts and level rails make lights hang straight and garland drape evenly. If the fence underneath is leaning, fix that first; no amount of lights hides a sag.
Frequently asked questions
Can I screw a flag bracket into a fence post?
Into a post, yes, with coated screws and a dab of sealant in the hole. Into a picket or a rail, no; they split and the bracket pulls out in the first wind.
Will lights damage a wood fence?
Not the lights. The staples and nails people hang them with do. Use clips made for outdoor lights and the fence will never know they were there.
How do I decorate a metal fence?
Zip ties, S-hooks and magnetic clips on steel. Nothing that needs a hole. Rinse the fence when the decorations come down.