Mike, I've used bread ties; and yellow garbage bag ties , or the white paper twist ties colored by highlighter and Sharpie. Paper ones have a nice "tattered" look IMO; with a good buckle, I like them best.
This is a zip strip with the end mangled in vice grips to look more like a loose strap with freys. The zip strip's buckle can be painted and used with twist ties; and /or even trimmed. Just because it's the right shape, half the work is done.
Here is my chopper on the USMC submarine flat 
... I've had it since I was a kid. (The Navy sub was lost at sea! 
... a flood wiped out much of what I had 
