I'd like to make sort of a large version something at works like a mutilated parasol. I'd like it to look like a wire wastebasket, sort of like this http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21......160_.jpg

The problem is finding a wire mesh where the wire itself is quite a bit thicker than the holes. I've looked at some hardware cloth, but you would be able to see the gimmick because the holes are too large and the wire is too thin. Any ideas for what might work?

Thanks!

There are several ways to do the mutilated parasol; which version did you have in mind, and why on earth do you want to use wire mesh?

I agree with Spellbinder. You don't need a wiremesh type container. There are many other methods.

I didn't say you didn't need a wire mesh container; I am trying to figure out exactly what you have in mind for it. Are you, for example, trying to make an umbrella stand that will work the transformation? Or do you have another use for the wire mesh in mind?

I'd like to be able to put a confetti cannon in the back of a wastebasket and have it not be seen. I'm not actually doing a mutilated parasol effect, that's just the method that I would like to use.

What I'm looking to be able to do is put something in front of the gimmick so that you can see it through the wire mesh, but when you take it out it looks like the wastebasket is empty, even though the confetti cannon is in the wastebasket.

I hope that makes sense? Thanks!

One solution is to make a swivel cannon that will lie down on the bottom of the wastebasket beneath a decorative outer rim, or you might not even need anything to hide it if it is all painted black. The act of inserting something into the wastebasket would release the cannon so it flies into the upright position prior to firing. If you are building your own confetti cannon (like the one in Jim Gerrish's PVC Illusion Book 1 on my site), keep in mind that the actual cannon can be a long thin PVC (or flattened copper) pipe that will simply look like a "seam" on the backside of the basket. You can also make a short stubby cannon that fits entirely in the base, but that would fill the basket with confetti as well as blow some out into the air.

Taking your original idea of just finding a mesh that has smaller holes and larger wires, plastic mesh is thicker with smaller holes than wire mesh.
Consider making the basket half and half. The back side would be made of a plastic mesh basket (check Dollar Stores and Wal Mart) and the front would be the wire mesh basket as shown in your photo. With everything spray painted black, you might be able to get away with it as you originally planned.

Couple ideas here...

1) If the cannon only needs to blow confetti up, and not necessarily fill the basket, consider placing it behind the wastebasket. B/A would/could sufficiently hide it.

2) Make the wastebasket up like a big mirror glass.

3) Make the wastebasket with a false back wall of curved mesh. This could be screened on the back for B/A. The cannon would reside between the 2 back walls. From the front they would see through the front to the back. Angles would be less of a problem than with method #1.