Where to Buy the Best Beef Netting for Halloween Decorations

Halloween is right around the corner, and it’s time to start prepping for all of those spooky outdoor decorations. One of the most popular and creepy ways to decorate for Halloween is with fake spiderwebs But wandering the Halloween aisle at your local store looking for flimsy little plastic bags of spiderwebs can be frustrating and expensive. What most people don’t realize is that a much better material for faking spiderwebs is readily available at specialty online stores – beef netting.

Beef netting has been used for decades to bundle and transport large cuts of meat But over the years, haunted house enthusiasts and home decorators have realized that beef netting makes the perfect creepy cobwebs It’s affordable, comes in large quantities, and is reusable year after year. Here’s everything you need to know about using beef netting for Halloween spiderwebs and where to buy the best product.

What Is Beef Netting?

Beef netting, also sometimes called meat netting, is a strong, stretchy netting material that butchers and meat packers use to wrap and transport large cuts of beef, pork, venison, and other meats from processing facilities to stores and restaurants. It comes in a tube-like roll and is slid over wrapped meat bundles to hold them together securely.

The netting is made of thin polyester or nylon fibers knotted together in a diamond pattern with 1-2 inch gaps. It is very flexible and stretchy but also extremely strong and durable. When pulled over meat, the netting stretches tightly around the bundle.

The same properties that make beef netting great for transporting meat also make it perfect for Halloween decor. It can be draped easily over bushes, trees, and other structures and holds its shape while billowing in the breeze just like spiderwebs.

Why Beef Netting Makes Better Halloween Spiderwebs

Plastic spiderweb decorations from the store have a few drawbacks that make beef netting a better option:

• It’s more realistic looking. The woven netting material looks more like actual spiderwebs than thin plastic webbing.

• It’s reusable. High quality beef netting holds up for many years, while store-bought plastic spiderwebs are usually junked after a season or two.

• More quantity for your money. A 10-20 pound roll of beef netting yields WAY more “spiderwebs” than a little plastic bag.

• Easier to work with. Beef netting can be draped and wrapped easily over bushes, trees, etc. Plastic webbing doesn’t drape as nicely.

• Sturdier in weather. Beef netting holds up better than flimsy plastic in wind, rain, etc.

So if you want your house to look like it’s been seriously overrun with huge spiderwebs this Halloween, beef netting is the way to go.

Where to Buy Beef Netting for Halloween Spiderwebs

In the past, home haunters had to source beef netting locally from meat packers or specialty butchers. Nowadays, there are a few good online stores that sell high-quality beef netting specifically marketed for Halloween decorating:

Trenton Mills

Trenton Mills is one of the leading online retailers selling beef netting for Halloween. They offer polyester netting in 5, 10, and 20 pound rolls in several different mesh sizes. We like Trenton Mills for a few reasons:

• Very affordable pricing – Starting at just $35 for a 5 lb roll.

• Good customer reviews – Well rated by hundreds of buyers.

• Made in the USA – Manufactured at their mill in Tennessee.

• Weather resistant – Hung outdoors the netting lasts many seasons.

• Ships quickly – Orders dispatched within 24 hours.

We’ve used Trenton Mills beef netting the past couple Halloweens and have been very impressed with the quality and pricing. Be sure to order early, as netting often sells out close to Halloween.

Spirit Halloween

For convenience, Spirit Halloween stores stock smaller rolls of beef netting each fall season for use in home decorating. Their “Cobwebs” come in 3 oz, 20 oz, and 120 oz plastic bags. However, for the money, these smaller quantities don’t provide nearly as much coverage as ordering full rolls online. But if you need spiderwebs in a pinch, you can pick them up locally at Spirit.

Amazon

Search for “beef netting Halloween” on Amazon and you’ll find several listings for decent quality netting. The Yacoco brand seems pretty popular and comes in 5-25 lb rolls. Prices are fairly reasonable but usually a couple dollars more expensive per pound compared to specialty retailers like Trenton Mills.

One advantage of Amazon is the 2-day Prime shipping if you need your webs ASAP. Just beware that the cheapest rolls often ship from overseas, so order early to ensure delivery before Halloween.

Party City

For lightweight indoor decorating, Party City’s Cobweb Strands are a decent choice. You can get a small bag with 30 feet of material for just a few bucks. We wouldn’t recommend them for substantial outdoor decorations as they are thin, easily tangled, and not weather resistant. But they work nicely coating indoor bannisters, door frames, and table displays.

Ebay

Searching Ebay turns up beef netting rolls from a variety of suppliers, often at the cheapest prices. However, many ship from China with slow delivery times. Most vendors seem questionable, so we can’t vouch for netting quality if you go this route. But if you want to take a risk to save a few bucks, Ebay is an option.

Local Meat Shops

If you just need a little beef netting, it never hurts to call around to local meat processing facilities, slaughterhouses, or wholesalers to ask if they’ll sell you a partial roll. They sometimes have odds and ends available for a reasonable price. Just expect that netting sourced this way probably won’t be a standard size ideal for decorating.

How Much Beef Netting Should You Buy?

A little beef netting goes a long way since it stretches as you drape it over objects. Here are some estimates on coverage area per roll:

• 5 lb roll covers about 300 sq ft
• 10 lb roll covers around 600 sq ft
• 20 lb roll covers approximately 1200 sq ft

So a 10 lb roll from Trenton Mills for $67 can easily cover a full yard with lush, full spiderwebs. Measure your decorating area and buy accordingly. It’s better to have too much than too little! Any extra rolls keep for years stored in a cool place.

For decorating entire houses, plan for approximately 10 pounds per average sized single family home. Huge professional haunted houses often go through 40-50 lb rolls over the entire front facade!

How to Use Beef Netting for Halloween Spiderwebs

Beef netting couldn’t be easier to use for Halloween decor. Here are some tips:

• For outdoor use, look for UV resistant netting rated for 1-2 years minimum lifespan in sun exposure.

• To make removal easier, avoid permanently attaching netting to plants and structures. Use floral wire, twist ties or temporary adhesive instead.

• Wrap lighting strands inside or behind netting to make the webs glow eerily at night. Orange or purple bulbs work best.

• Layer multiple pieces of netting over each other in areas you want an ultra-dense spiderweb look.

• Cut netting into smaller sections with scissors to reach smaller nooks and crannies.

• You don’t necessarily need spider or cobweb decorations – the netting looks great on its own billowing in the breeze.

• For easy storage, roll up unused netting and pack into an airtight plastic storage bin or garbage bag.

That’s the basics on how to transform readily available and affordable beef netting into creepy, pro-style Halloween cobwebs! Let us know if you have any other tips for using this versatile material in your haunted decor. We hope you and your trick-or-treaters have a wonderfully spooky Halloween this year. Happy Haunting!