How to Make a Cheap Ghillie Suit

A ghillie suit is a camoflage that simulates the look of flora. It breaks up a persons outline and makes them virtually unnoticable in the right conditions. Unfortunately they are expensive. Here I will show you how to make a cheap ghillie suit.

Things You'll Need

• A set of camo tops bottoms and hat.
• Netting

Instructions

1. Get a set of camouflage shirt pants and wide brimmed hat. You will also need netting. Black nylon netting with a mesh size of around an inch is best. To begin making the ghillie suit take camo and lay it flat. Lay the netting over it and either by sewing or using fabric glue attach each knot to the camouflage. I use Shoe Goo.

2. Your ghillie suit should no look like a set of camo with a layer of netting over it. Next you will need to make the fabric which hangs off the suit and gives it a 3-D appearance. You can use either jute twine or cut strips of burlap.

3. Whether you use jute or burlap for your homemade cheap ghillie suit cut the pieces about 3' long. Some variation is fine but try to keep them all over a foot. If using burlap 1/2" thick is a good size.

4. Now you will need to purchase some fabric dyes. When choosing colors for your ghillie suit look at the environment you are wearing it in. What percentage of the foliage and ground cover is light green? Tan? Black? Dark Green? Try to match your dyes to the environment in color and ratio of usage. Use the instructions on the dye to dye the jute and burlap.

5. Let the fabric finish drying.

6. 

   Now take each string and loop it under a location in the netting and tie it so that each end of the strip extends the same amount from the suit. Repeat this process over and over until you have the amount of foliage you want on your ghillie suit. If you plan on moving and firing off your belly don't add as much there. This will make it easyer to move and keep the ghillie suit cheap.

7. Once you are in the environment you plan on using your ghillie suit add in leaves and small branches to complete the look.

Tips & Warnings

• As the ghillie suit wears it will fray and become even more effective.

• To keep the ghillie suit cheap try to find old burlap bags.

• Another way to keep the ghillie suit cheap is to use a tan or light green shirt and pants instead of camouflage.

• Ghillie suits can get HOT. Stay hydrated.