How to Tie a Ghillie Suit

Expert hunters, elite snipers and paintball champions all look to the ghillie suit when they need the ultimate in camouflage. Ghillie suits can be customized to the environment where they're used, and when deployed correctly can make the sniper almost impossible to spot. Homemade ghillie suits are inexpensive to make and allow total customization, but they do require a lot of time and patience to construct.

Things You'll Need

  • Camouflage suit, long-sleeved jacket and pants, such as BDUs
  • Volleyball net or black-colored fishnet
  • 1,000 yards or more of jute twine, in several natural colors
  • Sewing needle and strong, waxed thread
  • Strong permanent glue
  • Flame-retardant spray
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay the camouflage suit flat on the floor and lay the netting over it. Cut two pieces of netting, one to wrap around the pants and the other to wrap around the jacket. Shape the netting pieces so they can wrap neatly around the arms and legs of the suit.

    • 2

      Using the needle and the waxed thread, firmly sew each knot in the netting to the camouflage suit. Apply a generous drop of permanent glue to each knot. It's important to sew and glue every knot because the netting has to bear a lot of weight.

    • 3

      Cut the jute twine into pieces 18 to 24 inches long. You will need several thousand pieces. Choose a mix of twine colors that reflects the operating environment that the suit will be used in.

    • 4

      Tie the pieces of jute twine to the nylon threads of the volleyball net. It is important to tie the threads in their centers, so the hanging pieces of twine are 9 to 12 inches long. Use two half hitches, or double the twine and loop the ends around the netting and through the loop formed by the folded twine.

    • 5

      Continue attaching the pieces of twine until the entire suit is covered. Be sure to mix different colors of twine in a natural pattern, for more effective camouflage.

    • 6

      When the suit is finished, spray with flame retardant. Jute twine is highly flammable and a flame retardant is essential for safety.