where's the beef (netting)

Is anyone even old enough to remember that commercial?

I have moved my decorating efforts outside because lets face it - curb appeal counts (even on Halloween)  I've been working on spider webs.  If you love Halloween than the product I'm about to share is for you - it is one of my favorite Halloween products of all time.

Check out these webs...

Some close ups too...

I still have lots to do to cover the house but I couldn't wait any longer to share these webs.  The product used is beef netting.  I believe it is used to wrap big 'ol cuts of meet - like the hanging kind that you would find in Sam the butcher's shop (man, I love the Brady Bunch)  Now I might be wrong on the beef netting's uses so don't use my answer on Jeopardy but I think I'm right - 80% sure I'm right.

Beef netting is used for lots of commercial haunts like Knott's Halloween Haunt (Knott's Scary Farm, for the locals) I think it's great for commercial haunts as well as home haunts because it has a more graphic bunch then the stringy webbing that comes in a bag that we all buy for a couple bucks.  Now don't think I'm bad mouthing the stringy stuff - it has it's uses - sometimes you need the effect of the thinner webs (but I do have a better option for that too coming in a later post)

But getting back to the beef netting...

You can find the beef netting at Trenton Mills.  It may be available elsewhere but Trenton Mills is where I have purchased mine - they are easy to work with and I have been beyond happy with them.  When I first purchased mine years ago it only came in a 20 lb roll and cost just under $100 with shipping.  That may seem like a crazy amount of money for spider webs but I am still using that same roll 6 years later and probably have a couple more years before I'm out.  When I first bought it I don't think they understood how many people use it for Halloween now they make smaller rolls that cater to the home haunter/Halloween party thrower.

It comes in a big roll.  As you unroll it you see that the beef netting comes as a tube.  You need to cut down the side of the tube to get one flat piece of netting.  Then you tack it up - I use a staple gun when tacking to my house.  Once you have stretched it where you want it (you stretch it a ton because it works better that way) you take a pair of scissors, exacto knife or other sharp object and slice away.  I sometimes stretch it even more after I have cut holes and slits.

The amount of cutting is up to the individual.  I happen to think it looks better with more cuts of varying sizes but some prefer fewer cuts.  Check out this photo gallery on Trenton Mills site to see how others have used the netting.

If you decide to go this route with your webs I'd love to see your results so send pictures my way.