The thought of taping my arms for SuperGame got me on making my own arm bands. I organize outlaw paintball locally anyway and have long wanted a better system than shirts and skins for knowing who’s on your team 😉 When everyone is in camouflage it’s tough to keep track.
Here’s what you’ll need:
-1 1/2” or 2” (37-50mm) wide polypropylene webbing (I did 2”, and it seems a bit wide). 18-24” length (45-60cm) per band depending on how big the target biceps are 💪 Nylon works as well, but is much stiffer, rough against the skin, and more expensive. Since these won’t bear any weight, poly is probably the best choice. I got 9 bands out of 10 yards (30’, or around 9m).
-Sliders (1 per band)
-Ladder lock buckles (1 per band)
-Polyester thread. Color shouldn’t matter too much - with this design none of it will be visible
-A working sewing machine. Don’t need an industrial strength machine.
-An “18 sharp” or “Denim” needle. Regular round point sewing needles are too blunt.
-Scissors
-Cigarette/camping lighter
The process:
1) Decide on your lengths. To do this, measure your bicep circumference and add 4-6” (10-15cm). You’ll need more of a tail for wider webbing. We decided to make 24” (60cm) straps for a bicep that measured 18” (45cm).
2) Burn the cut ends. Move the flame of the lighter back & forth along the cut end until it melts into a sealed end.
3) Loop the strap through the ladder lock buckle with the burned end facing outward to prevent it rubbing against the skin.
4) Sew a Box-X stitch as close to the back of the buckle as possible. This takes 2” (5cm) of strap or so. See the link below for how to do the stitch.
5) Slip on the slider and move it close to the buckle.
6) Thread the strap’s tail through both the ladder lock buckle and the slider.
7) Go play paintball.
Basic webbing sewing how-to, with videos: https://www.core77.com/posts/25126/d...hardware-25126
I sourced materials from Amazon because it was the most cost-effective way to do it in bulk. 20 yards of webbing and enough buckles for 40 bands cost ~$54 USD. Thread and the correct needle were on-hand already, but would cost just a few dollars more.
Here’s what you’ll need:
-1 1/2” or 2” (37-50mm) wide polypropylene webbing (I did 2”, and it seems a bit wide). 18-24” length (45-60cm) per band depending on how big the target biceps are 💪 Nylon works as well, but is much stiffer, rough against the skin, and more expensive. Since these won’t bear any weight, poly is probably the best choice. I got 9 bands out of 10 yards (30’, or around 9m).
-Sliders (1 per band)
-Ladder lock buckles (1 per band)
-Polyester thread. Color shouldn’t matter too much - with this design none of it will be visible
-A working sewing machine. Don’t need an industrial strength machine.
-An “18 sharp” or “Denim” needle. Regular round point sewing needles are too blunt.
-Scissors
-Cigarette/camping lighter
The process:
1) Decide on your lengths. To do this, measure your bicep circumference and add 4-6” (10-15cm). You’ll need more of a tail for wider webbing. We decided to make 24” (60cm) straps for a bicep that measured 18” (45cm).
2) Burn the cut ends. Move the flame of the lighter back & forth along the cut end until it melts into a sealed end.
3) Loop the strap through the ladder lock buckle with the burned end facing outward to prevent it rubbing against the skin.
4) Sew a Box-X stitch as close to the back of the buckle as possible. This takes 2” (5cm) of strap or so. See the link below for how to do the stitch.
5) Slip on the slider and move it close to the buckle.
6) Thread the strap’s tail through both the ladder lock buckle and the slider.
7) Go play paintball.
Basic webbing sewing how-to, with videos: https://www.core77.com/posts/25126/d...hardware-25126
I sourced materials from Amazon because it was the most cost-effective way to do it in bulk. 20 yards of webbing and enough buckles for 40 bands cost ~$54 USD. Thread and the correct needle were on-hand already, but would cost just a few dollars more.
Attached Files