Fun: Playing "Capture the Flag" with airsoft guns. Not fun: Having your back and chest covered with dozens of purple, pellet-sized welts.
Luckily, you can fashion an effective and machine-washable airsoft combat vest for as little as $20. Made with household materials, this vest is designed primarily as a flexible piece of armor that covers the area between the waist and shoulders.
Instructions
1. Cut off the arms of both T-shirts with the scissors.
2. Using the ruler and chalk, trace as many 4-inch by 16-inch rectangles as possible onto each pair of jeans.
3. Cut out the 4-inch by 16-inch rectangles.
4. Fold each rectangle over twice to make a four-layer-thick, 4-inch by 4-inch square.
5. Lay one shirt flat and arrange 4-inch by 4-inch squares across the front side. Put the squares in a grid pattern, allowing a 3/8-inch space between each shape.
6. Using the needle and thread, put a stitch through the center of each square to attach it to the front of the T-shirt.
7. Flip the T-shirt over and arrange the remaining 4-inch by 4-inch squares tightly across the back side. Again, leave a 3/8-inch border around each square.
8. Using the needle and thread, put a stitch through the center of these squares to attach each one to the back of the T-shirt.
9. Slide the other T-shirt on top of the square-stiched shirt, lining up the arm holes and neck.
10. Trace the 3/8-inch gaps underneath onto the top shirt with the chalk. If done correctly, this will essentially outline the 4-inch by 4-inch squares underneath.
11. Put the sewing machine on a single-stitch setting and sew the fronts of the two T-shirts together along the chalk lines. The goal is to avoid sewing through the jean squares.
12. Flip the shirts over and trace the 3/8-inch gaps on the back side.
13. Sew the backs of the two T-shirts together along the chalk lines. Again, the goal is to avoid sewing through the jean squares.
14. Sew around the edges of the left and right arm holes to seal the two shirts together.
15. Sew around the edge of the neck to seal the two shirts together.
16. Sew around the bottom openings of the shirts to finish sealing them together.
Tags: 4-inch 4-inch, 4-inch 4-inch squares, 4-inch squares, 16-inch rectangles, 4-inch 16-inch
