Eyelets: metal, plastic, swivel brackets, rectangular eyelet with fastening belt

What are eyelets and why are they needed?

Eyelets are one of those things that you can make at home with your own hands, so as not to overpay in the store for fabric with fastenings already attached. What are eyelets themselves? These are accessories, whose main manufacturer is Taiwan, which is used for products made of various fabrics - from thin to dense, even for things made of leather, you can use eyelets.

Fabric is not the only material in which you can make some kind of holes.

This fastening option was invented specifically for threading laces, ropes, or even pipes through it (if we are talking about curtains with grommets hanging on a cornice). Eyelets are sometimes confused with a block - also ring-shaped fittings. The grommet consists of two parts - a sleeve and a washer, which instead form a metal ring that fits over a hole in the fabric.

Often eyelets are used solely as decoration.

It is believed that the grommet is the most convenient type of fastening - it is often used on shoes and curtains, since from the latter it creates a smooth canvas that hangs beautifully on the window. Well, almost everyone knows and loves lace-up shoes, in the design of which these same eyelets occupy a significant place.

Advantages and disadvantages

Positive aspects of curtains with eyelets:

Convenient and easy to use. Easy to move, you can quickly put it on or take it off for washing. Even a child can handle them.
Matter is distributed evenly, in equal, even waves.\
Durable design: the product will not slip off the eaves in any case. This is convenient for the kitchen or children's bedroom.
It is convenient to iron because it is a straight piece of fabric without folds or gathers.
Choice of different shades, textures and types of fabrics. You can choose one to suit every taste and any room.

Disadvantages of curtains with eyelets:

There is no possibility to add tulle or lambrequin due to the use of one rod. When using two, the structure looks untidy and bulky.
Not every fabric is suitable for such products. You cannot use those that shrink after washing, even when supplemented with fastening tape.

Types of eyelets

Eyelets come in quite a variety: the most important difference, of course, is in the shape of the fasteners. Round and oval eyelets are undoubtedly considered classics, but now, succumbing to fashion, manufacturers are beginning to experiment with shapes - square, rectangular, triangular, even in the shape of flowers - today you can find absolutely any options that will be functional, but at the same time look very original .

A grommet is most often a plastic or metal rim that is attached to a hole in a particular material.

It was also previously believed that eyelets could only be metallic in color; a little later black, white and gold shades were added. Now you can find everything your heart desires - pastel, bright, with various decorations such as patterns and rhinestones (the latter is most popular in children's shoe stores; not a single princess shoe is complete without pink eyelets in the shape of flowers, decorated with rhinestones).

Eyelets can extend the life of the material, hide imperfections and facilitate its connection to another surface.

By fastening

Grommets also differ in their fastening: some are designed to be fastened with rope, tape or cords and can be soft, while others are only used with hard objects, such as a curtain rod, and must be hard.

Eyelets can be either metal or plastic.

It's also important to clarify that there are differences in how metal rings are attached to fabric: there are options that require the use of a hammer, others can be glued, and others can be sewn to the fabric if they are soft enough. All these options provide a fairly reliable connection between the grommet and the fabric, and therefore it is not particularly possible to single out the most popular option among them.

The main material from which this fittings are made is steel.

By materials (plastic, metal)

Basically, eyelets are made from two materials - plastic and metal; usually the products consist entirely of one material, but sometimes manufacturers mix them. The most reliable, of course, is the metal option: stronger and more durable, this material beats plastic in all respects.

The most practical option is parts coated with zinc, copper or nickel plating.

If we talk about curtains, then it is better to choose metal eyelets, since they will definitely be able to hold any, even the heaviest fabric, will not break under its weight and will create a beautiful, even curtain from the curtain, which will be a good addition to any room. For shoes, on the other hand, plastic eyelets are mainly used because they are lighter and there is no need to keep the fabric suspended on the shoe so that it does not fall, stretch, or lose its shape.

The eyelets have a beautiful color, do not deform during use and do not spoil the surface into which they are inserted.

When choosing eyelets, you need to clearly understand for what purpose they are needed: for canvas fabric, from which a camping tent will later be made, it is better to take the strongest metal fasteners that are available in the store; for curtains - thinner, but still made of metal so that the curtains stay on the ledge and don’t fall, and for thin fabric, if you suddenly have to sew some clothes or something like that, you can get by with plastic eyelets, their strength will be sufficient in this case.

Awnings and tents are equipped with eyelets for more convenient and long-term use.

Rules of care

Washing Tips:

Dusty curtains are vacuumed while hanging before washing. To do this, use a soft brush attachment.
Eyelets should be removed if possible. Metal ones will give rusty stains. Plastic ones, especially cheap ones, will lose their pleasant appearance.
When washing in a machine, you should place the product in a special mesh. If the eyelets are not removed, they may damage the machine or the curtain.
It is recommended to wash with liquid detergent. It leaves the fabric better and faster.
It is recommended to use a delicate washing program, minimal spin and a temperature of up to 30 degrees. Then the product will not wrinkle and will retain its shape in the eyelet area.
When hand washing, curtains are soaked for several hours with liquid detergent, then the stains are washed off. Rinse thoroughly and send to dry.

How to dry and iron curtains with eyelets:

Hang the wet item and iron it when dry. Use minimal iron heat.
If curtains tend to stretch, dry them on a horizontal surface.

Some fabrics don't need to be dry cleaned, but they don't need to be washed either. Such curtains are vacuumed while hanging and wiped with a damp cloth.

Important

If washing is contraindicated, it is recommended to take the contaminated item to the dry cleaner. Otherwise, it shrinks or loses its shape.

Simplicity and originality are what attracts people in such curtains. They are suitable for any room. With proper care of the fabric and rings, the product will last for many years.

Eyelet sizes

The size of the eyelets is another criterion when choosing fasteners in the store. What does it depend on? The most important point that influences what size eyelet is ultimately worth buying is, without a doubt, the density and thickness of the fabric, since the heavier the future curtain, the larger the diameter of the eyelets should be (it ranges from 15 to 50 millimeters).

The minimum thickness of the material for each fitting is determined experimentally - from 10 to 80% of the length of the leg.

The second important point is the thickness of the rope or pipe that is threaded through the eyelet rings. The fasteners should slide easily along the cord or rod of the curtain rod, and therefore it is worth choosing a larger diameter.

The grommet is easy to use, so any type of work can be done quickly and without complications.

It is also believed that the larger the diameter of the eyelets, the more beautiful the curtains on the cornice look - large rings look more aesthetically pleasing than small ones, and therefore it is better to give preference to them. True, installing large eyelets is a little more difficult than small ones - it is impossible to cover the entire ring with a hammer and you have to carefully make the connection in parts.

Beauty with your own hands.

So, the choice is made. It's time to decide on the amount of fabric and the number of eyelets. help in making these products yourself. The amount of fabric is equal to the length of the cornice multiplied by 2 - 2.5 times. The eyelets are attached in increments of 15-22 cm. The larger the eyelet, the larger the step. But half the step size should not exceed the distance from the eaves to the wall. Otherwise, the curtain will cling to the wall. The first and last eyelet are placed at a distance of 3-5 cm from the edge.

Attention! Be sure to make the number of eyelets even! In this case, both edges of the curtains will be directed towards the wall.

We cut out the fabric.
Apply grommet tape or interlining and iron it.
Fold the fabric over and iron it on the other side.
Hem the side seams.
Mark the location of the eyelets.
Use scissors or a special punch to make holes.
Insert the grommet and secure it with a washer, pressing from above until it clicks.
We hem the bottom of the curtain, checking the height.

All that remains is to place the curtain on the cornice, ironing it just before, and enjoy the work of your hands.

A few words about caring for the product. We wash the curtains using hand wash mode. Wipe the cornices with soap and water.

We hope that this article can help you decide on the choice of curtains with eyelets and help you make these products yourself.

Features of a rectangular eyelet with a fastening belt

A separate name is “rectangular eyelet with a fastening belt” - what is it and how to use it? Basically, this is the grommet that attaches the curtain to the frame. To do this, you need to put the grommet on a special bracket and secure this entire structure with a PVC strap. What is a staple? In itself, the bracket is a piece of fittings that helps secure the curtains to the frame, since an oval-shaped grommet is put on this very bracket.

The strap with a buckle is installed at the edge of the curtain and serves to hold the curtain folded.

The bracket can be rotary, which means that the “ear” of the bracket can change its position. There are also stationary brackets, whose position in space cannot be changed in any way. In general, swivel brackets with a fastening belt are much more popular. Why is it worth buying such a strap for eyelets? The reason is quite simple - the belt provides a more reliable connection between the curtain and the frame, as it firmly fastens the bracket and the grommet on which the curtain hangs.

It is used for attaching the awning to various surfaces by “self-fastening”.

Curtains with eyelets: advantages

Silent and easy sliding along the surface of the cornice, smooth lines of folds, careful treatment of curtain fabric - curtains with grommets have all these advantages, photos of which can be seen below. In addition to practicality, curtains with eyelets also have aesthetic advantages; they look much more attractive than the same products, but with conventional fastenings (rings, clothespins).

Folds in curtains are especially visible in rich colors, such as deep blue.

Eyelets are additional elements that add style and chic to the curtains. Beautiful curtains with eyelets can be purchased ready-made, but if you sew them yourself, you will get significant cost savings. However, sewing curtains with eyelets with your own hands is much more difficult than ordinary curtains. But the result will pay off the painstaking work and efforts. What are curtains with eyelets, the new products of which are presented later in this material?

By sewing curtains yourself, you can combine several colors of fabric for an interesting effect. How about turquoise waves?

The curtains that will be discussed do not have those boring loops for attaching to the hooks of the curtain rod. Instead, large metal or plastic rings are mounted in the upper part of the canvases, corresponding to the diameter of the cornice or baguette tube, which is threaded through these holes.

How to choose the right diameter

To select the correct eyelet diameter, you need to refer to the base, which will be threaded through the fastening rings. The thicker the lace or pipe (for example, a curtain rod) on which the fabric will be attached, the larger the diameter of the eyelet should be in order to easily slide along the base, not get stuck anywhere along the way and create a beautiful, even curtain fabric that will look great and refresh any room, giving it a special charm and cozy atmosphere.

The same distance is left between each eyelet - for curtains it can be 17 cm.

The diameter of the eyelets varies in the range from one and a half to fifty millimeters and it is often quite difficult to choose the most suitable option, because, although everyone understands that larger rings look more beautiful than small ones, too large eyelets on a thin cornice will create an unpleasant effect of “a lonely pencil in glass” - as if fasteners of this size are out of place here and it would be worth replacing them with a smaller option.

The minimum acceptable distance to the edge of the curtain is between 5 and 7 centimeters.

The pros and cons of eyelet curtains

In order not to later regret choosing curtains with grommets to decorate the interior, you should familiarize yourself with the strengths and weaknesses of the models in advance.

Of the strengths, we will highlight the most significant:

thanks to the eyelets, the canvas moves conveniently along the cornice, and no additional devices are needed for this;
they adhere perfectly to the cornice; there is no need to constantly adjust the fabric, as happens when attached to hooks;
there is no need to remove the eyelets before washing, you can wash the curtains in the washing machine with them, the fastening is held securely;
since curtains with eyelets are a rectangular piece of fabric without decorative frills, ironing is not difficult;
thanks to the rings located at the same distance, you can form beautiful folds;
original models can be matched to any room decorated in different styles.

We must not forget about the negative sides of curtains with eyelets:

It is difficult to make multilayer models from curtains with installed eyelets; this will require the installation of additional curtain rods; the design turns out to be quite impressive;
Not every fabric is suitable for installing rings; shrinkage after washing must be taken into account so that deformation does not occur later.

Any housewife can install eyelets

How to Apply Grommet Tape

First you need to figure out what this grommet tape is. Eyelet tape is a special adhesive strip made of dense material, which is used to strengthen the upper edge of the curtain before installing eyelets on it. Eyelet tape is an alternative way to increase the density of fabric.

Reinforcing tapes come in one- and two-layer types. They differ in the number of pasted sides.

The eyelet tape should be quite wide: the diameter of the rings + 2-3 centimeters. The hot-melt material from which the tape is made can be quite dense for heavy curtains, or very thin and transparent for light curtains. Often, grommet tape is used as a backing for decorative elements that should be placed on the curtain.

To find the ideal width, add at least 2 cm to the outer diameter.

To glue the grommet tape, you first need to determine how many layers there are in it:

For a single layer, you can simply use an iron - such a tape will quickly connect to the fabric.
Double-layer tape is distinguished by the fact that glue is applied to both sides of the material and protected by a special heat-resistant mesh.

To attach grommet tape to curtains, follow these steps:

Mark two widths of tape on the top of the curtain
Fold the curtains inside out to each other and iron
Take the tape and apply it, sticky side down, to the edge of the fold.
Wait for the tape to cool down
Remove excess material
Sew the tape and curtain approximately in the middle of the width of the tape, this is necessary for a more durable fixation.

For thin curtains, choose transparent tapes.

How to install eyelets on fabric

To install eyelets on fabric you need to do the following:

Strengthen the attachment point
Attach the grommet ring and press it onto the fabric
Cut holes according to the resulting stencil
Place the layers of fabric together, pin them together and insert a ring from the outside
Install the second half of the grommet from the wrong side
Tap the grommet with a hammer

For installation, you may also need pliers with a punch or a press in order to simultaneously make a hole in the material and insert the grommet.

To do your own fastening, it is enough to have a ruler, a hammer and some kind of stabbing device, for example, a hole punch, on hand.

Installing a grommet yourself at home is a completely solvable task if you have not only all the necessary tools at hand, but also instructions that must be strictly followed.

Everyone can independently calculate and make grommet tape for curtains right at home.

What is this?

Eyelets are essentially ordinary bushings made of plastic or metal. The main task of these elements is to make the edging of the holes through which ropes, braid, cord or cable will pass. In the latter case, the matter concerns grommets for awnings.

Today, eyelets are widely used far beyond the installation of curtains. They can be found in clothing, shoes, printed publications, leather goods, street banners, and advertising banners.

Therefore, a grommet can be called a rivet that has a hole in the middle. This term has been in use for a long time. Namely, at a time when all ships sailed. At that time, the holes for ropes, which were lined with rigid thread and reinforced with metal rings, were called eyelets.

Types of eyelets

A professional grommet installer can save you the hassle of using tongs, a hand press, or an iron. But many are interested in learning for themselves how to install eyelets on their own curtains or curtains.

But in order to do the work with your own hands, you first need to learn about the types of these same bushings, and then prepare a tool - tongs, iron, etc. This way you can make the right choice and do a good job.

There are several distinctive features that allow bushings to be classified according to certain criteria.

Material. Today, these bushings are made of plastic, metal and even wood. It’s easy to work with plastic ones even with your own hands, but in the case of metal ones you will need a grommet installer. Wooden elements are rare, only in specialized workshops. From here we conclude that the best choice is plastic bushings.
Dimensions. The smallest bushings have a diameter of 5 millimeters. They are used in tailoring, for making bags and belts. The largest ones, whose diameter is more than 8 centimeters, are used to create massive structures, such as advertising banners and banners. As for using bushings at home to make curtains, rings with a diameter of 1.5-7 centimeters will come in handy here.
Form. The classic shape of rings is round. But today bushings are made in a wide variety of shapes and figures. If you plan to install curtains in a children's room, then use eyelets in the shape of the sun, stars, and animals. You can now install grommets in the shape of a steering wheel in your bathroom. As you understand, this is only a small fraction of all the offers that are on the market today.
Color. This is a personal choice for everyone, since the rings can be plain, plain white, or play with different colors of the rainbow. It is fashionable to use bushings with imitation stone, glass or wood.

Related article: Floor lamps: photos, types, selection, installation

A Question of Choice

Before you pick up the tool and apply a hand press and tongs to the workpieces yourself, you need to decide on the choice of bushings.

In this regard, we can give some useful tips on choosing bushings.

When you go to the store, be sure to take a small piece of the fabric from which your curtains or curtains are made. This will allow you to navigate according to external criteria and ideally combine the eyelets with the material.
If you plan to use curtain tiebacks, then the grommets should be made in the same design as them.
Pay attention to the kits designed for finishing curtains. In addition to eyelets, it includes tiebacks and pins that allow you to decorate the fabric. This set is preferable because it makes it possible to arrange everything in the same style.
When choosing a material, proceed from personal preferences. But remember that the easiest way to install eyelets is using plastic bushings. It’s worth talking about their strengths separately.

Advantages of plastic eyelets

There are several objective reasons why you should give preference to plastic bushings:

They do not deform the frame or spoil the curtains;
Plastic rings do not create noise when moving along the cornice;
They don’t tend to get stuck while moving;
Plastic bushings last a long time;
Curtains do not get dirty, which cannot be said about their metal counterparts;
No special tool or forceps required. Fixation is carried out with finger pressure, with your own hands.