Fences are the go-to way to pen animals, block mobs, and border your builds in Minecraft. The key thing that trips people up is that mobs and players cannot jump over a fence even though it looks only one block tall. This guide covers the wood and nether brick recipes, fence gates, and everything fences are good for.
Everything here is confirmed in the current 2026 version of Minecraft (26.2).
Quick answer: craft 4 wooden planks and 2 sticks in a plank, stick, plank pattern across two rows to make 3 fences. All the planks must be the same wood type.
Fence at a Glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Wood fence | 4 planks + 2 sticks = 3 fences |
| Nether brick fence | 4 nether bricks + 2 nether bricks = 6 |
| Fence gate | 2 sticks + 2 planks = 1 gate |
| Height | Blocks jumping (acts ~1.5 blocks tall) |
How to Make a Wooden Fence
At a crafting table, use the middle and bottom rows: place a stick in the center of each row and a plank on both sides of each stick. That is 4 planks and 2 sticks, and it gives you 3 fences.
The one rule: all four planks must be the same wood type. Mixing oak and spruce will not craft. You can make a fence from any wood, oak, spruce, birch, jungle, acacia, dark oak, mangrove, cherry, pale oak, bamboo, and the Nether’s crimson and warped.
Note: the recipe used to be all sticks in older versions, so ignore any outdated guide that says six sticks. In modern Minecraft it is planks plus sticks.
Nether Brick Fence
Nether brick fences are made the same shape but with nether bricks instead: 4 nether bricks with 2 nether bricks as the “sticks” gives 6 nether brick fences. They are fireproof, which is handy in the Nether, but they do not connect to wooden fences, so the two types will not line up in a single run.
Fence Gates
A fence line needs a way through, and that is the fence gate. Craft 2 sticks and 2 planks (a stick between two planks, stacked in two rows) to get 1 fence gate. Unlike the fence, a gate can be opened and closed by using it, or triggered by redstone, and it does not block your view. It lines up flush with a fence so animals stay in until you open it.
What Fences Are For
Fences do more than look tidy:
- Keeping animals in. Fences act taller than they look, so cows, sheep, and pigs cannot jump out. Add a gate to get in and out.
- Blocking mobs. Zombies and most mobs cannot cross a fence, making them great around your base perimeter.
- Tying up animals. Attach a lead to a fence post to tether a mob in place.
- Decoration and support. Fences connect to each other and to walls, and are popular as railings, table legs, and lamp posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Place 4 planks and 2 sticks on a crafting table in a plank, stick, plank pattern across the middle and bottom rows. That makes 3 fences, and all planks must be the same wood.
Three wooden fences from 4 planks and 2 sticks. The nether brick version makes 6 from 4 nether bricks and 2 nether bricks.
No. Fences act about 1.5 blocks tall for collision, so mobs and players cannot jump over a single fence. That is what makes them good for pens and base walls.
Craft 2 sticks and 2 planks (a stick between two planks, in two rows) to get one fence gate. It opens and closes when used or powered by redstone.
No. Nether brick fences only connect to other nether brick fences, not to wooden ones, so keep each type in its own run.
Penning animals, blocking mobs from your base, tying mobs with a lead, and decoration like railings and posts. They connect to walls and each other.
Fences are one of the most useful early blocks in Minecraft: craft planks and sticks into a few, add a gate, and you can pen animals, wall off your base, or decorate. Just remember to match your wood type and drop in a gate wherever you need to get through.
