I've been searching around, looking at pics of ping pong cakes and noticed that the best nets are made from RI. A few questions:

-to make it look most like a net, should I use tip #1 to pipe the RI? Can I thin the consistancy enough to pipe with such a small tip and still have it stay together without breakage once dry? If not, what tip do you suggest?

-how do you attach the actual net to the poles on either side of it? I was thinking of using lolly pop sticks. Do I just pipe the RI over the sticks and have it dry as one piece?

Actual directions would be even better!

I would think the best nets are made from SugarVeil.

Well, with no time or money to order/use Sugarveil, maybe someone could help me out with the RI idea?

Tip 1 will probably be too small. The net will be too fragile to move. Tip 2 should work.

Pipe onto a very lightly greased sheet of acetate or sheet protector. Spray on some Pam, then wipe almost all of it off. Don't worry about the RI+grease taboo. Let it dry overnight.

Make an extra one to account for breakage.

When it's time to attach it to your lollipop sticks, just pipe a line of RI onto each stick and gently press the net on.

If the RI just isn't happening for you, make the net out of candy melts.

I haven't tried it yet but here's a link for making flexible RI. http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-691099.html

I know this is not what you are asking at all --- but if I were making a ping pong net, I would use rice noodles from the grocery store (asian aisle). They are thin and white. You can get them wet, place them however you like, and let them dry again and they are hard as nails and hard to break. Just an option. I wish I could help with the RI net idea...but the truth is - I am always terrified of my royal breaking! Good luck!!

I did a volleyball net with strings for the fondant through an extruder and it turned out really cool.. I made the posts out of gumpaste and dry brushed them silver. I did a thicker rope in black and had all the string pieces meet underneath. The problem was that I did not move it soon enough (it was too dry and it broke) in the move. But it could have worked. The cake didn't have a net in the end. Although next time, I would use sugarveil because the flexibility. But I understand you don't have the time. There is a flexible RI, but I haven't used it. Good luck! Please post pics after...

I made a cage out of royal icing, very similar to your net idea. I used a tip 2 and printed off a grid I used for a pattern, then I laid wax paper over my pattern and started piping on it. After it was dry I removed each side of my cage and assembled it using more royal icing. It was pretty sturdy. You could do something similar, attaching your net to small dowels for the support legs. I don't know that I would use royal icing for the legs.

Best wishes!