How to install eyelets yourself using special and improvised means

Eyelets, or blocks, are edging for holes in fabric, paper, felt and other materials. Such protection against tearing and abrasion is found, for example, on sports shoes; curtains with eyelets are popular; when the curtain passes through the curtain, eyelets look interesting in scrapbooking. If you use them often, it makes sense to purchase a special press or hand tongs. For a separate project, available tools are sufficient.

What are grommets? Purpose of the fittings

Eyelets are a pair of metal flat rings that are attached to both sides of the fabric to give a neat look to the round holes. This type of fittings is most often used for processing holes in the fabric of clothing, intended both to facilitate threading of laces and for decorative purposes.

At the same time, it is the eyelets that perform a protective function against shedding of the edges of holes in the material.

Install eyelets using special devices and tools. But it is quite possible to do a similar procedure at home.

The article describes in detail the process of installing eyelets with your own hands on various types of fabric. Using the advice of experienced craftsmen, you can easily give new life to your favorite dress or suit yourself, without additional costs for the services of workshops and sewing studios, and also create an exclusive model from an ordinary item.

Description

A grommet is an element that allows you to strengthen the edges of any material. It is a bushing with a cap on one side and an overhead washer on the other. There is a hole inside the product that is used for threading thread, rope, bowstring, or simply as a decorative decoration.

The eyelet consists of two parts - a ring and a bushing, also known as a block

Installation of eyelets is carried out in factories or manufacturing plants of various products. This element of attributes of each individual item has been widely used in several industries. Without this amplifier it is impossible to imagine ordinary shoes, or a modern notebook with recipes for a housewife.

Eyelets are used:

• in the production of outerwear;
• for making shoes;
• when producing home furnishing goods;
• for tourism and holiday purposes;
• in commercial activities;
• in the manufacture of shipping and maritime products;
• in office and printing.

As can be seen from the description of the areas of use of this wonderful accessory, it is widely used in almost all industries producing goods. Basically, the device is functional in nature, which consists in strengthening the edges of the material for subsequent threading of rope, cable or thin thread through it.

To install eyelets yourself, you need to know what hardware factories make them from.

• Steel.
• Aluminum.
• Brass.
• Copper (rare).
• Silver.
• Gold.
• Tree.
• Plastic.
• Stitching with thread.

Amplifiers are made from expensive metals by jewelry craftsmen or jewelry factories. Such elements serve as decorations for bracelets, shoulder straps of bags, shoes, and designer clothes. Aluminum products, as well as brass, are used for office/printing activities. Quarterly calendars, scrapbooks, notebooks and other products can be modified using eyelets.

Interesting. In the office, such a strengthening attribute is called a block. The printing industry workers themselves call it a “piccolo” ring.

A block is a grommet without a ring

DIY sewing

Ready-made models are sold, but you can sew them yourself. Sewing will not take much time and will not be a huge task.

Step-by-step instruction

When purchasing rings, you need to focus on the color of the fabric. If you select decorative elements, for example, tiebacks, then you need to focus on them. In special kits to complete the installation on the cornice, there are not only eyelets, but also clips, tiebacks, and pins.

You need to choose natural materials, high quality and durable.

Installation will not be difficult. You can also string them onto your own curtains. Count a certain number of rings. Compare with the width of the material. The number is divided by the length of the canvas. The distance is from 15 to 25 cm.

Important! Sealing tape must be used when installing elements. Fabrics for sewing:

Fabrics for sewing:

• thick curtains;
• elegant;
• tulle;
• velvet, velor, wool.

Thick curtain fabric is most often selected for the living room or bedroom. Velvet and velor are combined with the style of the room. Light linen fabrics are more suitable for the kitchen. They do not absorb odors and do not fade in the sun.

When choosing fabric, you don’t need to skimp on the material. Take this into account for the top allowance when hemming. Leave a margin at the bottom, as it should not hang down to the floor.

Important! Good tools make for a quality installation

The style, color, density or lightness of the fabric is selected at your discretion

But it is important that they fit harmoniously into the design of the room

Tools for work

1. Hole puncher for creating holes.
2. Small tailor's scissors.
3. Forceps.
4. Chalk or just soap.
5. Centimeter.
6. Iron or press.
7. Sewing machine.
8. Grommet tape.

Installation:

1. It is necessary to process the side sections of the product.
2. Marking is carried out along the width of the canvas. Keep in mind that you need to leave 2 cm from the edge and a little more for the seam allowance.
3. The tape is ironed on the reverse side. Use gauze; delicate items require careful handling.
4. Folding the seam allowance, sew on a sewing machine.
5. Punching a hole in the fabric is done with scissors or punches.
6. The excess material is cut out. Using the previously made marks, a crosswise cut is made.
7. The diameter of the element should correspond to the cut made in the fabric.
8. Eyelets are inserted. There is one piece on the wrong side, and a second piece on top. Excess threads are removed with scissors and protruding material is tucked in. The eyelets are pressed on both sides, and so on every detail.

The methods of attaching to the cornice are not limited to this. They hang it on a bar, use special clamps, and string it on a cornice or rope.

Eyelets combine practicality, ease of use, reliable design, and ensure the durability of the product. Suitable for all rooms, they are wear-resistant. Feel free to choose and combine curtains. Installation does not take much time. At the same time, the resulting design will delight you for many years.

Sometimes even changing one detail can change a room beyond recognition, and beautiful eyelet curtains may well be that.

Crop-a-dile installer: description, principle of operation

Cropodile is the most commonly used manual eyelet installer, having a rotating head and cubes for changing positions, and a switch.

The tool has small feet for vertical storage

The device has almost no restrictions on the diameter of the fittings. He is capable of:

• carefully make holes of several sizes;
• securely mount buttons and eyelets;
• replaces three different tools;
• switch from one mode to another;
• cut through fabric, leather, plastic, paper, thin metal, chipboard, CD and other dense materials;
• can secure the part at any distance from the edge.

  
  Crop-a-dile is capable of installing grommets more than 15 cm from the edge of the material

This eyelet tool is available in a variety of colors. Using the device, it is easy to secure parts with dimensions of 3.2 mm, 4.8 mm, buttons, elements with 8.3 mm pins. To do this, first a suitable hole is punched, then the part is inserted into it and pressed tightly.

“Cropodile” is not cheap, but it is of good quality and reliability

The tool has three positions:

1. The first hole is punched with a diameter of 3/16 inches.

   
   Switching from one operating mode to another is accomplished using a convenient switch

2. In the second - 1/8 inch.
3. In the third, the parts are installed.

The photo shows an example of installing a grommet using the Crop-a-dile tool.

There is also a compact version of the Crop-a-dile device for installing eyelets, which differs in that it is not capable of making holes far from the edge of the surface being treated - only within 2.5 cm.

The compact model is made in the form of pliers with short jaws, the length of which limits the capabilities of the tool

How to choose a mounting option

Much depends on the material from which the fasteners are made:

1. Plastic eyelets are easier to install, but can only withstand light loads. If necessary, the inserted plastic fastener can be removed and reused in the future, but it does not secure the material being fastened well and does not prevent the fabric from fraying or deforming.
2. Fastenings made of non-ferrous metals are more reliable.
3. Fabric, leather or other material made of steel will fix it even better. However, installing steel eyelets with your own hands is the most difficult thing.

Installation of fastenings in the form of eyelets on curtains and curtains is very popular. In this case, a special eyelet tape is used, which is glued to the fabric of the product, making it more rigid. The mounts themselves come in different colors and shapes. These can be stars, hearts, animals, which is especially important when decorating a children's room. A curtain with such decorations can divide a room, for example, into a play area and a work area.

The universal nature of such curtains allows you to attach them either to rings or by threading the curtain rod pipe directly through the eyelets. Curtain eyelets in this online store help create attractive and uniform curtain folds. Moving such curtains along the eaves will not require significant effort even from a child. Moving the curtain gently will increase the lifespan of the fabric: the easier it is to move the curtain, the longer it will last.

When choosing fasteners, pay attention to their sizes. In product markings, the designation L corresponds to the length of the leg, and D to the diameter of the sleeve and ring

The length should be chosen 1-2 mm greater than the thickness of the folded and tightly compressed layers of material that need to be fastened. In addition, you need to take into account the height of the ring.

The shorter the bushing and the smaller its diameter, the easier the installation. If you are choosing eyelets for curtains, except for very heavy ones, opt for plastic. Plastic eyelets are also convenient because they glide well over both metal and rope. They can be installed without the use of special tools.

Metal eyelets are widely used as fastening elements or as decoration on various items of clothing and shoes, on belts, bags and many other products. There are special tools and devices that can be used to secure eyelets, but for the most part these are quite expensive devices for factory conditions. For manual installation of eyelets at home, special kits are sold. However, this kit is only suitable for one ring diameter.

Nevertheless, you can install eyelets at home, you just need to be patient and perform the operations carefully. If you are starting to work for the first time, do not rush and be sure to practice on unnecessary pieces of fabric or paper before making the first fastening.

Selection of mounts

If you decide to purchase eyelets, do not forget to pay attention to the size of the rings. The markings use the letters D and L, where D is the diameter of the bushings and rings, and L is the length of the leg. In terms of length, be guided by the thickness of the required number of layers of material that you plan to fasten together, plus 1.5 mm. Don't forget that the height of the ring is also taken into account.

In general, the smaller the grommet size, the easier it is to install.

When choosing fastenings for curtains, choose plastic ones, of course, if the fabric allows it. For heavy fabric, take metal ones - they will hold the fabric more reliably.

Plastic is wonderful because its installation does not require special devices; the curtains move perfectly along the cornice and string.

The use of metal eyelets is more widespread in clothing, shoes, for belts, bags, etc. Their presence does not necessarily carry any functionality; they can also be used for decoration.

Of course, there are a lot of devices for installing eyelets, but usually only professionals who often have to do this buy them. And they are absolutely not needed for the home.

So how to install eyelets without tools at home? Anything is possible, just tune in to serious, careful work. When installing the mount for the first time, be sure to do a test on an unnecessary piece of material.

Installation using specialized tools

You can install the eyelets yourself if you have special tools. Metal fittings are more difficult to fasten; hand strength is not enough for the eyelets to snap into place. Much depends on the width of the ring.

For heavy and thick fabrics, rings with a thick stem are used. In this case, the pressure on the grommet should be very large.

Installing eyelets with clips

There is a type of metal grommet with clips that can be installed by hand using a small hammer. The disadvantage of such rings is the presence of a front and back side. They are usually installed on bags and shoes.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Press the ring onto the material so that a dent remains.
2. Using the extruded lines as a guide, cut a hole.
3. Place part of the eyelet with clips under the material.
4. Place a ring with recesses on top.
5. Bend the clamps using a hammer.

Then you need to remove protruding threads and fibers of the material.

Installing eyelets using pliers

In specialized stores you can purchase pliers for installing eyelets. The tool resembles pliers. The kit comes with removable attachments of different sizes. They are called punches and matrices.

How to install eyelets using pliers:

1. Reinforce the material with grommet tape.
2. Attach a nozzle of the required size to the pliers and punch a hole.
3. Insert the part of the ring with the leg from below.
4. Close with the top half of the ring.
5. Install the nozzle into the pliers to close the ring.
6. Place the grommet between the closing parts of the pliers and slowly press them down.

It should be taken into account that such eyelets also have a front and back side. It is important to position them correctly relative to the sides of the material.

Press installation

You can install the eyelets yourself using a special press. This tool has a lever and a pressure plane. It is used for eyelets with short and long legs. The set includes punches and dies for rings of different diameters.

How to use the press:

1. Strengthen the material with adhesive tape or fold it in half.
2. Select a punch of the required size and make a hole.
3. Place part of the ring with the leg under the material.
4. Place the washer on top.
5. Place the desired matrix in the press and gently press the lever.

It is important to ensure that the washer does not slip or move, otherwise the grommet will be installed crookedly. You'll have to remove it and install a new one.

Hand pliers: description, principle of operation, limitations, disadvantages

Eyelet pliers “Micron” NT-2 are equipped with a ruler for measuring the diameter of fittings and a hole punch - the nozzle is located on the side of the working tool, used for elements with a diameter of less than 4 mm.

Micron NT-2 pliers are often purchased by people who are passionate about scrapbooking

The set includes eyelets of different colors

This hand-held device is good because:

• capable of punching holes of several sizes;
• weighs little;
• safe;
• easy to use;
• almost silent;
• takes up minimal storage space;
• performs assigned tasks efficiently.

On the tool's jaw there is a ruler with a regulator for setting the desired distance from the edge

Installation pliers are not universal - the clamp for eyelets and blocks of different sizes is selected individually. Some models are equipped with removable flaring attachments, allowing the installation of elements of two different diameters.

Hand pliers belong to the cheapest category of tools, but provide quite good quality for installing eyelets

Installation on leather materials, shoes

When fixing the eyelets on the rings, it is better to use pliers or a press. It is important that the hole is smooth, so you should punch it with a special nozzle. It will not be possible to carefully cut it out with scissors, as creases and cracks will appear on the skin.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Strengthen the area where the fittings are installed by folding the material in half, with the wrong sides facing each other.
2. Mark the location of the rings with a marker.
3. Select a punch of the appropriate size and make a hole.
4. Insert the matrix tool of the required diameter, place the eyelet and secure it.

You need to work with leather only on a hard and flat surface so that the material does not deform and the fittings are fixed correctly.

How to install eyelets without tools in scrapbooking?

Creativity in which the main working materials are various types of paper and cardboard is called scrapbooking.

Often, when making gift packaging (boxes or bags), it becomes necessary to add holes to the product. This is necessary for pulling satin ribbons and cords.

This is where eyelets come in handy! They are ideal for decorating paper products. Everyone involved in this type of creativity will sooner or later have the question of how to install eyelets without tools.

For quick and, most importantly, high-quality fastening, follow the following procedure:

• Mark all locations for grommets.
• Now cut holes slightly smaller than the diameter of the ring.
• After inserting the eyelets, you need to very carefully flatten the legs, securing them to the paper.

Useful advice from experienced craftsmen

So, we answered the questions asked about how to install eyelets without tools on leather, paper, fabric.

Still, there are some useful tips that you might want to read:

• Always remember that installation of fasteners of low height is much easier.
• Products made of non-ferrous metals are best suited.
• Steel eyelets are the most wonderful option, but quite difficult to install. If sufficient impact force is applied to it, the ring can be deformed. Therefore, leave the steel for specialists in the workshops.
• Do not install eyelets on soft rubber - if you miss, you risk breaking them.

Eyelets are used almost everywhere these days. They decorate clothes and shoes, they play an important role in the practical side of use, they are used to fasten curtains. Even male drivers know how to install eyelets without tools on a car awning. There are a lot of options, and they all play a vital role in our everyday life.

Installing eyelets using pliers

Strengthen the grommet installation site with adhesive material (fold fabric or leather in several layers). Place a punch of the required size in the pliers and make a hole.

Insert the main part of the eyelet from the front side.

Install the grommet dies into the pliers. Place the second part of the grommet (washer) on the wrong side.

Place the grommet on the die in the pliers and gently press it down, spreading the sleeve around the flat washer.

Using available tools

If there is no special press, then installing the eyelets yourself can be done using ordinary pliers. Of course, such a tool doesn’t have many options; the diameter of the eyelets themselves will be limited, but for small diameters, pliers are suitable.

When it is necessary to install bushings with a large diameter, you can purchase a set of punches at a hardware store, but this will not fundamentally solve the problem. If you need to mount large products on heavy curtains, then such a tool cannot be used here.

The diameter and dimensions of the eyelets are specially marked for convenience. The marks determine the length and thickness of the product. It consists of a cap and a stem. The thickness of the fabric or paper being processed will directly depend on the length of the leg. The length is designated by the letter L, and the diameter of the leg by the letter D.

Installation process

Markings are made, and the planned location of the hole to be punched is marked on fabric or paper; for accuracy, you can use a ruler. If the fabric or paper is very thick and the hole is close enough to the edge, you can use a hole punch to make the job easier. But this requires care; before piercing, it is necessary to compare the holes of the hole punch and the grommet; the diameter of the hole punch should be smaller so that the grommet does not fall out without being secured. For a small diameter, the hole can be made with an awl or the sharp tip of a stationery knife. If a hole is made in thin fabrics, the hole must first be duplicated with adhesive fabrics.

In order for the grommet to fit tightly to the fabric, it must be hit with a hammer.

The eyelet is carefully inserted into the hole made, the cap should be on the front side, and the leg should go to the wrong side. A sheet of iron or a metal ruler is placed on the substrate, which is needed to reduce noise and additionally protect the surface from damage. Paper with a grommet in it is installed on it with the leg up. An object adapted for flattening is inserted into the leg; its edges can be pre-cut and slightly opened. Then a few gentle blows with a hammer are made on the improvised instrument placed in it.

If this is your very first experience, you should be patient and first try on an unnecessary piece of fabric or paper.

Using available tools, you need to adapt to working with them, as it will require skill and accuracy.

Who invented the product?

Every person who wonders how to install grommets at home is interested in knowing where this product came from. There is no way to know for sure in what century the fortification was first used. But there is an industry of application: for sailing. The sails required strengthening of the edges so that the rigging of the entire vessel could be threaded through them.

Historically, the grommet came from sailing, where it is still used today as the main way to reinforce holes

Interesting. Rigging refers to all the elements of a ship that are used to control the sails.

The first rivets looked very simple. The edges of the sail, made of special fabric (cotton, etc.), were stitched with several ties of thick thread. The stitching methods were different: their choice largely depended on the required strength and durability of the structure. After the complete mastery of this technology, as well as at the dawn of the metallurgical industry, metal rings began to be used for rivets. The entire process of fastening them was reduced to manual installation, since at that time there was no specialized tool that would allow you to quickly and easily install a rivet. People made do with improvised means.

Various devices can be used to flare the edge of the grommet.

So why don't we learn from the experience of our ancestors? Next, a separate section of the article describes in detail how to install a grommet at home, without using a specialized tool.

Where are eyelets used?

To answer the question of how to install eyelets without tools, you need to know in which household items and clothing this product is used. They are widely used for:

• T-shirts, sweaters, jumpers, jackets;
• jackets, windbreakers, sheepskin coats, fur coats, capes, raincoats;
• trousers, jeans, shorts, breeches;
• boot, sneaker, sneaker, shoes, moccasin;
• hats, caps, hats with earflaps;
• belts, belts, bracelets, straps of bags, watches;
• notebooks, books, calendars, decorative gift items, craft bags;
• truck awnings, tents, general purpose awnings;
• sails of sea ships;
• curtains, curtains, porters, lambrequins;
• decorative finishing of home furnishings, as well as clothing.

This list can be continued indefinitely, since the product is truly very popular.

For paper/cardboard products, blocks (piccolo rings) are used. Their main difference from eyelets is the absence of an additional washer on the back side of the rivet. The blocks have one sleeve, rounded at one end in the form of a cap. A special tool is used to install the rings.

The block is secured by breaking the sleeve into several teeth

Types of grommet rings

The materials from which this type of fastening is made are varied - from metal to plastic of various shapes and colors.

Installation methods also directly depend on this. A plastic eyelet is much easier to install, but a large load on it is unacceptable! If desired, you can remove it and use it again, but the fixation of the edges of the fabric will be very poor - they crumble and become deformed, and the product looks sloppy.

Colored metal eyelets are much more reliable than plastic ones - they hold the fabric perfectly, preventing it from tearing.

Steel fasteners are considered the most reliable for fastening fabrics, leather parts, and cardboard. But before you install eyelets without tools on clothes or shoes, you will need to practice on unnecessary pieces of material. This is necessary to understand how the work is going and not to spoil the thing.

The most popular way to use eyelets is to attach them to curtains. To do this, you additionally need grommet tape, which is sold in specialized stores. It is used to glue the edge of the fabric, creating rigidity.

The mount itself can have a completely different shape - from circles to animals. The color palette is also huge.

Curtain eyelets will help to form smooth, interesting and neat folds. In order to move such a curtain on the eaves, you do not need to apply any force. The fabric does not wear out on the cornice, and, accordingly, its service life is longer.

Equipment and presses for installing fittings

To install holnitens, eyelets and buttons on our bags and backpacks, you need to have installation equipment.

Let's look at the possible and available options.

I know four. Each has its pros and cons. About 80% of the fittings have a leg, which is used to fasten them to the material.

There are options when these are simply toothed legs with which we make holes, clamp them from the inside out and it holds on to the material, according to the “hooks” principle. Such fittings do not require installation equipment. Let's consider it separately, in other articles.

Another option is when the fittings have two parts, one of which has a leg that needs to be pressed into the second part and there should already be material between them. For such fittings, you need to have a punch option - to make holes in materials of the required size (according to the diameter of the legs) and an equipment option that performs the function of pressing two (sometimes three) parts.

I am familiar with punches for creating holes of the required size in three versions:

Manual punch. It requires a stand (not metal). I use a piece of wood (something like hemp). I put a part on it with a marking of the exact place where I need the holes, put a punch and gently hit it from top to bottom with a hammer. I get a finished, even hole.

— Such punches are available in any diameter. You can buy them or order them from a turner. — The service life depends on the quality of the metal and proper use. — The punch can be cast and cut out only one hole diameter; you can buy a set with nozzles that are screwed into the base. — The price often depends on the quality of the metal, brand, and country of manufacture. I bought one of these on Aliexpress - a waste of money. The holes do not cut out smoothly, but tear and become shaggy around the edges. The metal is soft and cannot be sharpened.

Manual hole punch. I also have one and use it often.

— It has a limitation on the diameter of the possible hole; in mine up to 4.5 mm you can make holes. — There are enough buttons and holnitens. — The price depends on the brand and country of manufacture. I recommend. Review of one of the masters:

A nozzle or matrix (called differently) for hand presses, which we will discuss below. For example: Tep-1, Dep - 1, Kep - 1.

— Sold as a set, upper and lower parts. — One set cuts out only one diameter. — The service life depends on the quality of the metal and the force of the impact. Mine didn't last long, and they weren't cheap. Even taking into account the fact that I earn money by sewing bags, it turned out to be not profitable.

Well, now let’s move on to the presses for installing accessories.

Set of hand punches and anvil.

— The complete set can be different: both in the number of punches and in the size of the installed fittings. — It has a limited number of diameters in its assortment, but is universal for the use of various fittings and popular sizes. — There is an advantage over other options - you can install it in any place and depth of the part. — The price depends on the quality of the metal, brand, country of manufacture.

Good review from a leather expert:

Tongs or riveter.

— Sold complete with accessories or separately. It may have several options for attachments (for buttons and eyelets) or are intended only for one option of fittings. — One of the minuses is that they do not install large diameters, they are more intended for clothing. For other accessories you will still have to buy something in addition. — The fittings from the kit tend to run out - you need to look for a similar one - another one may become deformed.

I went through several videos, this one will best show how they look and install:

Household presses. They have different capabilities, some more, others less, but at a minimum they can install buttons, eyelets and blinds.

The photo below shows the options and their markings.

This press is sold separately, dies or attachments are sold separately. — it needs a permanent place to secure it for stability; — the country of the press manufacturer is good at installing accessories produced in the same country. The same applies to matrices for it. Example: if you buy a press from Italy, then you need to buy attachments (dies) for it from the same manufacturer and accessories from the same country, respectively.

There is a slight exception with the Tep-1 press, made in Turkey; it can install Chinese fittings. There may be other press options that will be accepted by other manufacturers, but I haven’t heard of them.

By the way, this press for installing accessories is the most popular. It has an attractive price, a large selection of matrices and, as I wrote above, installs Chinese fittings.

The price can vary greatly in different cities, look for options.

But! Consider the main thing - the availability of purchasing matrices for it for different diameters, shapes and types of fittings, the possibility of purchasing fittings that it can install. It’s impossible to say in advance what will be useful to you later, and buying all the matrices at once is very, very expensive.

In another article I will tell you in more detail what you will need to purchase to get started so as not to spend too much.

Review of the Tep-1 press by one of the needlewomen

That's all for today. In other articles I will discuss in more detail the installation, diameters, and nuances of accessories for bags.

How to install iron eyelets at home?

Required materials:

• grommet;
• punch (scissors);
• bearing ball (bolt or screw with a rounded head);
• hammer.

At home, a lot of patience and perseverance is required if you want to achieve an ideal result. Installation work is carried out on a wooden surface. If the surface is too hard, the part may become deformed upon impact. To accurately and accurately punch holes, use a punch. If it is smaller than necessary, make several holes to obtain the desired hole. If you don’t have a punch, you can sharpen a metal tube of a suitable diameter yourself. As a last resort, cut the holes with scissors.

Having made the necessary holes, we install the eyelets. To do this, you need to take a bearing whose diameter will be slightly larger than the tubular part of the part. If there is none, look at a bolt or screw with a round head. After inserting the block and closing it with a ring, we place the bearing on top. To ensure that the part does not change shape upon impact, hold the hammer at 90º and apply a little force. We make a couple of small blows and see the result.

Adviсe:

• metal eyelets with a low leg are easier to install than with a high one;
• eyelets made of stainless non-ferrous metals are more convenient to install; they are softer;
• when installed on an iron surface, there is a risk of deformation of the grommet surface;
• can be installed on a lead plate; if it becomes deformed, treat the surface with a gas torch, and it will again become perfectly flat.

Marking and preparing holes

Before installing fasteners, you should mark the product. The eyelets should be installed at intervals to prevent sagging of the material between them. Having placed the inserted grommet in the right place, circle it (the sleeve along the outer edge or the ring along the inner edge).

Then the holes are prepared. If their diameter is small, the holes can be pierced with an awl. Sometimes a hole punch is used for piercing. To prepare larger holes, punches are used. If there is no suitable tool, you can use a specially made homemade one. To do this, you need to select a tube of a suitable diameter and sharpen one of its edges. The hole should be such that the grommet bushing is inserted tightly, but does not cause tears or deformation of the material. It is convenient to punch holes on a piece of thin rubber or linoleum.

If the holes need to be large, make a cross-shaped cut with scissors and then cut out the excess material. The bushings should be inserted from the front side, and the rings should be put on from the back. The installation of plastic fasteners ends here.

Video of installing plastic eyelets with your own hands:

Curtain sewing technology

Making a curtain begins with processing the top and gluing the tape. A master class with step-by-step instructions given below will tell you how to sew curtains with eyelets:

1. Fold it over to the wrong side and carefully iron 2 cm of the top edge of the future product. If the craftswoman does not have much experience, it is best to first draw a straight line along which the fold will go.
2. Measure the height of the comb from the smoothed rib. Draw a straight line and iron it inside out again. The cut of the top will be inside, between the layers of fabric.
3. Unfold the ironed edge and insert tape with an adhesive layer (grommet) inside. As mentioned above, its width should coincide with the height of the comb - the width of the pressed hem. On thin fabrics, it is advisable to shorten it in relation to the fabric by the amount of allowances for processing the side edges.
4. Heat the iron high and iron the folded part of the panel so that the tape inside sticks well. Be sure to perform this step through gauze or a clean white cotton cloth. When ironing thin tulle, you can pre-moisten the gauze.
5. On the wrong side, stitch the hem 2-3 mm from the edge, securing it. At the same time, you can sew on decorative braid if the design solution requires it.
6. Fold and stitch the side seams.

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After the panel is ready, sewing curtains on eyelets involves installing rings. But how to make the eyelets neat, like in the pictures? To do this, you will need the results of calculating the distance between the centers of the rings, a ruler and chalk.

Installation of eyelets

Set aside 1.2-1.5 cm from the side edge. If the calculations were made correctly, the mark will have to be placed a little further than the line. From this mark, set aside ½ of the outer dimension of the ring and mark the center of the outer insert. Do the same on the other side of the tape.

Set aside from the center mark an amount equal to the distance between the eyelets. Place a dot to mark the center of the next ring. Set aside the same segment again, mark and continue until the end of the tape. If everything was calculated without errors, the last mark should match exactly the next time you measure the distance between the eyelets.

If the error and discrepancy are too large, an error in the calculations is likely. You need to measure the distance between the extreme center marks and recalculate the size of the fold, dividing the distance by the number of eyelets. After this, repeat the markings.

Place the outer ring on the comb so that the mark is in the center of the inner hole. Trace a circle inside. Do this for each mark.

Use nail scissors to carefully cut holes for the rings. The eyelets themselves are installed very simply: the lower half is placed under the fabric (from the inside out). The edges of the hole should fit around the bushing. The upper, decorative part is placed on top and pressed until it clicks.

How to hem the bottom of a product?

To make your new curtains look beautiful, you need to know how to properly sew and trim the bottom edge. The almost finished product needs to be hung on the cornice rod. Determine at what distance from the floor the bottom of the curtain should be. This value must be measured from its surface several times, along the entire fabric, placing marks on the fabric.

Remove the curtain and lay it flat. Connect the marks using a ruler. The straight line will be the bottom line. Fold the material inside out along it and iron the fold. From the fold, set aside the desired width of the hem, draw a line, bend the cut along it inward and iron. Stitch 2-3 mm from this last fold.

If you carefully carry out all the operations one by one, then neither inserting eyelets for curtains nor processing the edges of a large product will seem difficult. In this case, the accuracy of measurements for the uniform arrangement of the rings and the accuracy of processing the cuts are important.

How to calculate the location of eyelets on a curtain

The distance between the eyelets should be from 15 to 20 cm. The greater the distance, the greater the curtain wave. It depends on the type of fabric and its length. The distance from the edge to the first hole is approximately 3-5 cm. The number of eyelets on one curtain should be an even number.

Tip : You can figure out in advance what the finished version will look like by pinning the eyelets with needles.

Installation on grommet tape

• Eyelets
• Grommet tape
• Iron
• Scissors, pencil
• Sewing machine

Eyelet tape helps install accessories without problems and is sold in any sewing store.

Having installed the back part of the grommet on the tape, you need to mark the holes on the curtain fabric. We sew the tape along the edges, cut out the marked holes in the curtain and completely close the eyelet, snapping the second (front) part. The curtain is ready to be installed on the curtain rod.

There is another type of adhesive-based grommet tape. It is initially glued to the curtain fabric using a hot iron, and then holes are made and eyelets are inserted into them.

Also, the eyelet tape can be installed in a pre-prepared wide hem.

Advice:

• cut holes larger than the intended circle by 2mm - this will allow the grommet to secure well;
• if there is no grommet tape, you can glue the joints of the grommets with ordinary adhesive fabric for strength;
• first install the grommet on a separate piece of unnecessary material for testing.

Installation on adhesive fabric

• Eyelets
• Adhesive fabric
• Iron
• Scissors, pencil
• Sewing machine

If it is not possible to purchase eyelet tape, you can use another method of attaching eyelets.

Fold the fabric over the top of the curtain, taking into account all allowances, twice. Consider the size of the eyelet and the distance of indentation above and below it (on average 3-4 cm on both sides). For strength, you can wrap it together with thick fabric or an adhesive base. You can use both. Tape holes on the back of the fabric before cutting. To avoid shifts and folds, pin these areas. Be sure to iron the fabric where the eyelets meet.

Advantages and disadvantages of application

Why eyelets are considered a good invention:

• Curtains with eyelets glide well on a special round curtain. They open silently and easily. The same can be said about paper with eyelets. Such sheets are easy to turn over in a folder.
• Reliable fastening. If curtains on hooks can be accidentally touched and the loops broken, then the eyelets will withstand such a load.
• Aesthetic appearance. Thanks to the fittings, the holes look neat. You can choose eyelets by color, to match the tone of the product, and also choose an unusual shape.
• Clothes and curtains can be washed in a machine without removing the accessories.

The only drawback is that the material on which the eyelets will be installed must be chosen correctly. Many fabrics shrink after washing, as a result of which the hole is deformed, and threads or the edge of the cut material come out from under the fastening of the fittings.

Types and materials

The overlays come in standard round, square and various shapes. Manufacturers also produce polygon eyelets and animal figures. The variety depends on the overall design intent and purpose for a specific application. If grommets of the required shape are not found, a separate special order will be required. Based on the material used, there are metal, plastic and wooden linings. In the fashion industry, the plastic version is more often used. They are easier to attach and cheaper. Metal parts are more reliable, but make more noise. If a metal strip is threaded through the holes, it will scratch and wear out. However, for large objects like tents it is better to use metal options. Wooden overlays are useful for a certain interior, for example, simultaneously with the use of aged furniture.