Annie, cloth cloth would work and certainly be cheaper. But my vanity extends to the projects I am working on :-) When you see where I am going with this, I think you will agree.
Next time you go to the puter store, take a look at the speakers with cloth and look at a set of Altec-Lancings with the perforated metal grill.
Interesting you would mention wire cloth ( metal mesh ) because that was what I was first thinking of using, but determined it to be too fragile. Plus, I figured a mesh with anodized coating would end up looking like cloth anyway.
BTW: Does Stella know where you/we are hanging out at now?