If anyone is interested, all I used were a pair of pointy tweezers to open and close the prongs on the material. It would be a bit easier to use a larger sheet as you could just cut out the shape you need. In my case, I 'stitched' together pieces from a narrow strip (larger the quantity the more $$). key words may include: metal sequin, mesh fabric, metal mesh, oroton mesh, fabric chainmail etc.
The better quality the material the more difficult it is to open those prongs. However, the better quality also feels a lot nicer. Left: is the material I used for the doll dresses purchased in 2022 (likely aluminum, sure feel like a soda can). Right: is from a headband I got in the early 2000's.
Either way, the stuff looks cool and is fun to play with.