I read somewhere that someone was using plastic bandages instead of thread nets so I bought some and tried it but it just didn't work for me.

I was sewing a design the other day and was having to hold the thread between my fingers to add a little extra tension.
Needing my hands for something else I looked around for something that could hold the thread. I pulled off a piece of that plastic bandage and laid it across my machine. This worked GREAT so I stapled scotch tape to one end of the bandage and stuck it to my machine.
Now instead of fighting with thread nets I just lift up the bandage, thread my machine and put the bandage back.
I dont think it would even necessarily have to be bandage. I used it because it was right on my table. Any slightly heavy strip of something you could put across there should work. And no more thread nets. YAAAAY!