By providing a natural-looking visage, ghillie suits have long provided military sniper and recon teams with nature-based camouflage while out on missions. Some recreational hunters have taken to wearing the suits as well in order to bag a trophy buck or turkey. Typically, store-bought ghillies are expensive. A full homemade ghillie suit, however, can be just as effective in its concealment and can provide a more budget-friendly choice for price-conscious individuals.
Instructions
1. Place both the jacket and pants on a flat and stable work surface. Use your hands to smooth out any wrinkles, as a level area makes the sewing and dyeing process easier. Place a large mesh sheet across the jacket and pants, then cut the mesh along the outline of the garments with scissors to form patterns.
2. Sew the mesh patterns onto the jacket and pants with the fishing line, skipping every two to three squares as you go for stuffing purposes later. Dab a few drops of adhesive gel to each sewed-on corner for additional strength. Set aside to dry completely.
3. Cut the jute rope into varied lengths, with no piece shorter than 18 inches or longer than 24 inches. Prep the dye according to the directions on the box, then soak each piece of jute rope in the dye. If using more than one dye color, cut the pieces in half before dyeing.
4. Allow the dyed jute rope to dry. Tie one length of dyed jute to every mesh square; tie them at different lengths to make an indistinguishable pattern. Pack leaves and twigs throughout all the mesh openings in both garments as desired to finish the project.
Tags: jacket pants, jute rope, dyed jute, than inches