Full description of eyelets
In the life of every person there comes a moment when he has a choice - to pay a higher price in the store for an absolutely finished product or save 30-50 percent of the cost, but bring the thing to mind on his own. And often the choice falls on the second option, because it involves less spending - it is often implied that the master of the house who has taken up the matter for himself has the simplest things that he will have to work with, and there is no need to buy anything in order to complete the task of “finishing the purchase of a house” ...
What are eyelets, why are they needed
Eyelets are one of those things that you can do at home with your own hands, so as not to overpay in the store for fabric with already attached fasteners. What are eyelets by themselves? These are accessories, whose main manufacturer is Taiwan, which is used for products from various fabrics - from thin to dense, even for things made of leather, you can take eyelets.
This version of fasteners was invented specifically for threading laces, ropes or even pipes through it (if we are talking about curtains on eyelets hanging on the 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 is put on a hole in the fabric.
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 flat canvas that hangs beautifully on the window. Well, shoes with laces, in the design of which these same eyelets are far from the last place, are known and loved by almost everyone.
Varieties of eyelets
Eyelets are quite varied: the most important difference, of course, in the form of 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 form of flowers - today you can find absolutely any options that will be functional, but at the same time look very original ...
It was also previously believed that eyelets can 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 like drawings and rhinestones (the latter is most popular in children's shoe stores, not a single princess's shoes are complete without pink eyelets in the form of flowers decorated with rhinestones).
By fastening
Also, eyelets differ in fastening: some of them are designed for fastening with rope, tapes or cords and can be soft, while others are used only with hard objects, such as a cornice rod, and must be hard.
It is also important to clarify that there is a difference between how metal rings attach to fabric: there are options that require a hammer, others can be glued on, and still others can be sewn onto the fabric if they are soft enough. All these options quite provide a fairly reliable connection between the eyelet and the fabric, and therefore it will not be possible to highlight the most popular option among them.
By materials (plastic, metal)
Basically, eyelets are made of two materials - plastic and metal, usually the products are completely made of one material, but sometimes manufacturers mix them. The most reliable, of course, is the metal version: stronger and more durable, this material outperforms plastic in all respects.
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 canvas from the curtain, which will be a good addition for any room. For shoes, on the other hand, plastic eyelets are mainly used, because they are lighter and on shoes there is no need to keep the fabric suspended so that it does not fall, does not stretch or lose its shape.
When choosing eyelets, it is necessary to clearly understand for what purpose they are needed: for the canvas fabric, from which the camping tent will then be made, it is better to take the strongest metal fasteners that are only in the store, for curtains - thinner, but still from metal so that the curtains stay on the cornice and do not fall, but for thin fabric, if you suddenly had to sew some kind of clothes or something like that, you can do with plastic eyelets, their strength will be enough in this case.
Sizes of eyelets
The size of the eyelets is another criterion when choosing fasteners in the store. What does it depend on? The most important point that affects what size of the eyelet in the end is 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 can be from 15 to 50 millimeters).
The second important point is the thickness of the rope or pipe that is threaded through the eyelet rings. The mounts should slide easily over the cord or cornice rod, and therefore choose a larger diameter.
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, it is a little more difficult to install large eyelets than small ones - it is impossible to cover the whole ring with a hammer and you have to carefully make the connection in parts.
Features of rectangular eyelet with retaining strap
A separate name is “rectangular eyelet with a retaining strap” - what is it and how to use it? In general, it is a grommet that attaches the curtain to the frame.To do this, you need to put the eyelet on a special bracket and fix this whole structure with a PVC strap. What is a staple? By itself, the bracket is a piece of hardware that helps to fix the curtains on the frame, since an oval-shaped eyelet is put on this very bracket.
The bracket can be rotatable, which means that the “eyelet” of the bracket can change its position. There are also stationary brackets, whose position in space cannot be changed in any way. In general, it is the pivoting brackets with a retaining strap that are much more popular. Why is it worth buying such an eyelet strap? The reason is quite simple - the belt provides a more reliable connection between the curtain and the frame, as it firmly holds the bracket and the eyelet on which the curtain hangs.
How to choose the right diameter
To correctly select the diameter of the eyelet, 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) to 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 on the way and create a beautiful even curtain sheet that will look great and refresh any room, giving it a special charm and a cozy atmosphere.
The diameter of the eyelets ranges from one and a half to fifty millimeters and it is often difficult to choose the most suitable option, because although everyone understands that larger rings look prettier 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 version.
How to glue eyelet tape
First you need to figure out what this eyelet tape is. An eyelet tape is a special adhesive strip made of dense material, with the help of which the upper edge of the curtain is secured before the eyelets are installed on it. Eyelet tape is an alternative way to increase fabric density.
The eyelet tape should be quite wide: the diameter of the rings is + 2-3 centimeters. The hot-melt material from which the tape is made can be either dense enough for heavy curtains, or very thin and transparent for light curtains. Often, eyelet tape is used as a substrate for decorative elements that must be placed on the curtain.
To glue the eyelet tape, you first need to determine how many layers it contains:
- For a single layer, you can simply use an iron - such a tape will quickly connect to the fabric.
- The two-layer tape is distinguished by the fact that the glue is applied to both sides of the material and is protected by a special heat-resistant mesh.
To glue the eyelet tape to the curtains, you need to do the following steps:
- Mark the two widths of the tape on the top of the curtain
- Fold the curtains inside out to each other and iron
- Take the tape and attach the adhesive side down to the edge of the fold
- Wait for the tape to cool
- Remove excess material
- Sew the tape and the curtain approximately in the middle of the width of the tape, this is necessary for a stronger fixation.
How to install eyelets on fabric
To install the eyelets on the fabric, you need to do the following:
- Strengthen the attachment point
- Attach the eyelet ring and press it against the fabric
- Cut holes according to the resulting stencil
- Fold the layers of fabric together, chop them off and insert the ring from the outside
- Install the other half of the eyelet from the inside out
- Knock on the eyelet with a hammer
For installation, you may also need punch pliers or a press in order to simultaneously punch a hole in the material and insert the eyelet.
Installing the eyelet on your own 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.
Video: do-it-yourself curtains on eyelets
