Here is the method I use to make Ghille suits. These are about as real to the life size as you can get in 1/18 scale. From what I have been told by my local hobby store, the material is made by BBI and comes in a blister card package with a picture of the sniper named "Snake" from their 12'' figure line. I have only seen three of these in the wild since 2003, and the first one sat at my local hobby store for about 5 years before I bought it. That is when he told me about the origin and how rare it is to find. Two years later I picked up two more packs from him, which he found in some toy warehouse liquidation sale so I quickly snagged them up too. I recall him saying these were discontinued by BBI in 2005, and I have yet to find any online.
I start out with a lightweight net material I picked up from the Wal Mart fabric section, or any fabric store, and cut it to the shape needed for a figure. Usually a square with rectangular sleeve cuts for arms and legs. Next I begin to separate the material into pieces of about four strands to make one "unit". I cut each unit to varying lengths to give some depth to the camo. Then I weave and anchor each "unit" into one of the bottom sides of each circle in the net material using a cow hitch knot. I continue to do this the entire length of the netting starting from bottom to top. I use smaller length near the bottom, then add longer lengths which hang over the smaller ones. Once I get to the top, I weave and anchor the units into the top of the net material in the opposite direction so it will hang over the shoulders and down the font of the figure.
Materials, I also use a set of needle nose reverse-grip tweezers to reach through the netting and pull the material through and anchor it. For the example, I did not separate the threads into four piece units to make it easier to see the steps.
Double the material up and pull it through the hole with the tweezers. The holes are large enough to run the tweezers through, open up to grip the material, and then pull the material back through.
Use tweezers to pull the threads back through forming a cow hitch knot.
Here you can see the knot is somewhat loose, but I cinch it down making a nice tight knot.
You can also use medical gauze to make sniper veils for rifles. Here I have some that I spray painted a while back, before buying some dye, and regular unpainted for arctic snipers. The gauze is not really suitable for making a complete Ghille suit as it is too frail and comes apart too easily and spray paint makes it a little stiff. I will dye it next time.
Sniper Veil
I start out with a lightweight net material I picked up from the Wal Mart fabric section, or any fabric store, and cut it to the shape needed for a figure. Usually a square with rectangular sleeve cuts for arms and legs. Next I begin to separate the material into pieces of about four strands to make one "unit". I cut each unit to varying lengths to give some depth to the camo. Then I weave and anchor each "unit" into one of the bottom sides of each circle in the net material using a cow hitch knot. I continue to do this the entire length of the netting starting from bottom to top. I use smaller length near the bottom, then add longer lengths which hang over the smaller ones. Once I get to the top, I weave and anchor the units into the top of the net material in the opposite direction so it will hang over the shoulders and down the font of the figure.
Materials, I also use a set of needle nose reverse-grip tweezers to reach through the netting and pull the material through and anchor it. For the example, I did not separate the threads into four piece units to make it easier to see the steps.
Double the material up and pull it through the hole with the tweezers. The holes are large enough to run the tweezers through, open up to grip the material, and then pull the material back through.
Use tweezers to pull the threads back through forming a cow hitch knot.
Here you can see the knot is somewhat loose, but I cinch it down making a nice tight knot.
You can also use medical gauze to make sniper veils for rifles. Here I have some that I spray painted a while back, before buying some dye, and regular unpainted for arctic snipers. The gauze is not really suitable for making a complete Ghille suit as it is too frail and comes apart too easily and spray paint makes it a little stiff. I will dye it next time.
Sniper Veil
