How to Make a Paintball Ghillie

Measure the sleeves and pant legs of the military uniform and cut rectangles from the mesh netting to the appropriate size. The mesh pieces will be attached to the sleeves and pant legs. The mesh netting should be either black or brown; volleyball netting works well, as does fishing net. Also cut a square of netting for the back of the jacket, two additional rectangles for the front of the jacket, and a square to cover the boonie hat. A boonie hat has a wide brim all the way around the hat.

Cut the colored jute string into 18-inch lengths. Use tan, brown, green and gray as base colors. Depending on the type of terrain you are trying to match, add other colors as necessary. For desert landscape, for example, add brown jute to the mix; for forest area, add light green and green jute.

Tie the colored jute string to a square of netting starting in the center. Begin with one color, such as gray in the first square, then tie another color in the second square, and continue adding colors in a random sequence. Insert the jute into the net and tie it in half, so you have two lengths of jute approximately 9 inches apiece. Make a bundle containing three pieces of string all the same color, and tie it onto the net. This creates the shaggy look of the suit. One tight knot is sufficient to hold the string onto the net.

Align a rectangle of mesh net down the length of a pant leg after you have finished tying the jute. Place one end below the pocket and the other end near the pant cuff. Leaving the pockets uncovered allows you to use them while playing paintball. The jute hanging off the jacket will cover the exposed area on the pants.

Glue the net onto the pant leg. Use a dollop of glue about the size of a quarter on the knots of the net, not the knots of jute you just tied. Glue across the top of the net beneath the pocket of the pants, then wait 30 minutes before gluing down the outer seam of the pants. After another 30 minutes, glue down the inseam of the pants, and finally glue the net to the cuff of the pants. Use rocks or some other weighty objects to hold the net in place while the glue dries. Continue gluing the rest of the mesh to each piece of the uniform in this fashion, then let the glue dry for a day before using the suit.