Go to a craft shop where they sell floral arrangement goods and purchase the smallest diameter of cotton-covered floral arrangement wire you can find. I believe the smallest is .5mm but I will have to check my spool to be sure.

Cut the wire to the desired length, hold the wire by the top end, and light the bottom end to burn off the cotton. Once all the cotton covering is burnt off, clean it a bit with your hand or a paper towel.

Spray paint the wire with flat black paint and use it instead of nylon for your dove productions, etc. The beauty of this is:

It holds it shape;

It can’t be seen against a dark background. My wife could not see the wire just 1 foot away; and

Strength.

If you use floral wire, instead of getting the cotton-covered variety, get the normal green wire. Run it through a flame and it turns black. Just wipe it off. It saves the spray painting step.

Easier than that, go to your hardware store and buy the small diameter wire. It's already black and has all of the advantages that Markis mentioned.

I've never seen regular wire that is that thin at the hardware store, but if you can get it, all the better.

Does this wire have a name, so you can locate it easier?

Thanks

Yes it does. Not to sound flip about it, but it's called "wire." It comes in a small package of about 25' or 50'. I'll look for my package for the exact size.

Markis: The wire is actually thinner than the nylon or catgut and holds it's shape perfectly. I have used it exclusively for years.

Thayne: I'm sorry, I checked my spool of wire and I have removed the name and size; however, if you check in the hardware store, it won't be hard to find. I have never found it in a Home Depot type of store -- just in local hardware stores. Most have a shelf or section with different diameter wire. Just look for the thinnest you can. The wire I use is very thin but you can bend it into any shape.

OK, the stuff I have used in the past is 32-gauge, white, cotton-covered floral wire distributed by Panacea Products Corp., Columbus, Ohio. I have the spool right in front of me as I type.

Dave is right. If you can find the wire at a hardware store, you won't have to mess with the cotton covering. The bigger the gauge number, the smaller the diameter of wire.

I don't know if they make any smaller than 32 gauge.