DIY eyelet curtains: step by step instructions

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:47

The emerging fashion trends to decorate curtains on the grommets, as it turned out, have a long history. This device was used in fastening sails in the fleet. The sailors first adapted to sheathe the holes on the fabric of the sails with threads, then they began to strengthen them with metal rings. Gradually, eyelets began to be used in tailoring shoes and clothes, belts and parachute systems. You can also find them on advertising banners, awnings for tents, canopies. Truck bodies are also covered with durable material, secured with ropes using eyelets.

In the article we will look at what these devices are, how you can make curtains on the grommets, share knowledge about choosing a fabric, how to correctly calculate its quantity, find out how easy it is to install this device on curtains at home.

What is an eyelet

The eyelet in English sounds like an eyelet, which translates as a small eye. This item is a small type of fittings, which is most oftencan be found in shoes with laces. The grommet consists of two parts - a bushing and a washer. Such fittings are usually put on at enterprises automatically. But even at home, you can perfectly cope with such a task.

Grommets are available in metal, wood or plastic. When assembling them on fabric, leather or plastic film, a hole is first cut in the right place, then a sleeve is inserted from the front side, a washer is put on it from the wrong side. The parts are fastened together by flaring.

The advantage of such curtains

There are many advantages of curtains that are attached to the cornice with eyelets. We list the main advantages and ease of use.

1. Uniform waves are obtained when installing such an attachment on curtains, which will be perfectly preserved even after washing.
2. Gingles prevent rapid abrasion of the fabric, protect against wear when windows are opened frequently.
3. Since when installing the eyelets, a sealing tape is placed under the main fabric, the draperies look dense and more accurate.
4. You can choose the right fittings for any style of decorating the room. Eyelets are produced in a variety of types. Metal or plastic products are painted in different colors, can be decorated to look like wood or leather. The front part of the system - the sleeve - can have a different shape, patterns around the hole, or even framed with rhinestones and pebbles.
5. If there are curtains on the grommets in the room, thenthe cornices are clearly visible, and this is also an important detail of the interior of the room. They can be forged, chrome-plated, you can pick up products of any color with interesting tips at the ends.
6. Curtains with eyelets move easily along the entire length, even a child can easily open them.
7. Even with prolonged use of such curtains, they will not sag, as in the case of sewing on hooks, they will not tear at the attachment points of clothespins.

Varieties of eyelets for curtains

Modern designers have come up with a huge variety of eyelets for attaching to curtains. They can be metal, plastic or wood. Distinguish such fittings even in form. It can be not only standard circles, but also triangles, polyhedrons, ovals, hearts, drops, flowers, stars and corrugated products. They cover the surface of the eyelets with any color, so choosing the option for your curtains is quite simple.

When making curtains on grommets, craftsmen recommend attaching plastic parts with their own hands, as they do not rust over time, and even when the curtains are pulled, the sound will not be so loud and sharp. The outer surface of the bushings is decorated with drawings, rhinestones, pebbles, beads.

When buying accessories for sewing curtains, you need to consider not only the color and material of the eyelets, but also their size. It will be correct to proceed from the diameter of the eaves. The bushings should be 2 cm larger, then the curtains will move freely on the surface.

What you need to know whenself-tailoring

If you decide to sew curtains on the grommets at home, then use the following tips from the masters.

• After measuring the distance from the eaves to the floor, be sure to add 5 cm from the bottom and 15 cm from the top to the measurements to decorate the edges of the product.
• The piece of dense fabric on the curtain should be twice as wide as the window, and light tulle - even 3 times.
• Count an even number of eyelets for each curtain. This is necessary so that the edges of the fabric do not look towards the room, they should always be located in the direction of the window.
• Extreme eyelets should be no closer than 5 cm to the side of the curtains.
• There are special ready-made tapes with rings for sale, which you can also use.
• If you want to do this yourself, you will need to purchase self-adhesive tape to seal the fabric where the eyelets are attached.
• The distance between the holes of the bushings must match the size of the wave of the curtain. Most often they are placed at a distance of 16-22 cm, and measurements are taken from the center of one to the middle of the other eyelet.

Step by step instructions

Do-it-yourself curtains on eyelets are made in several stages. First you need to compact the fabric with a strip of interlining, wrapping it with a cloth and ironing it with a hot iron through a sheet of paper. Only in this way will the self-adhesive strip attach tightly to the fabric. Then the paper is carefully removed, holding the fabric with your hand.

Flizelin strip on topleave so much matter so that you can wrap it completely from the back and bend the bottom for a seam. If, for example, the width of the tape is 10 cm, then it is attached to the fabric 12 cm from the edge. After gluing, the remaining 10 cm are bent at the back of the product, and 2 cm are wrapped inward and attached with a sewing machine.

After sealing the upper part of the curtains, make a markup for attaching the eyelets. On average, the points are placed at a distance of 18 cm. It is most convenient to take the eyelet and circle its inner hole with a pencil so that the measurement point is in the center.

When the fabric is completely marked, you need to carefully cut out the circles with small sharp-edged scissors, starting from the middle.

Installation of eyelets

Plastic grommets are very easy to attach, just insert the grommet on the outside of the curtain, adjust the fabric so that the cut hole is directly above it. A washer is attached from the back and pressed down with fingers until a characteristic click.

Metal items will take a little longer. The fabric is prepared in the same way, the sleeve is inserted from the outside and everything is turned over to the back side. The washer is attached to the hole and flared with a hammer. Some craftsmen use a metal ball or round head bolt for ease of use.

You need to act gently so as not to flatten the sleeve itself. If you make curtains on grommets (there is a photo in the article) on your own for the whole apartment, you can buy a specialinstallation tool. Its cost is small, but it will make the job much easier.

Curtains on the grommets for the kitchen

Kitchen curtains are most often made short using natural fabric. They can be hung on the top edge of the window or in its middle. Since the fabric is dense in itself, it is not necessary to strengthen it with a layer of interlining.

Eyelets are plastic, they are light and will not burden the fabric. The color can be chosen similar to the fabric, but contrasting products will also look beautiful.

If your kitchen is made of natural wood, has a rustic or country style, then the curtains are attached on wooden grommets or use plastic, painted like a tree.

Interesting sewing ideas

Curtains, the folds of which are held by grommets, can be additionally decorated with fabric tucks in the center of each wave. They can be single or double, as in the photo below.

Curtains look original, in which a strip for placing eyelets is decorated with another fabric. Usually, monochromatic curtains are selected for colored curtains, in harmony with the main fabric.

In some cases, they do the opposite, that is, the eyelet attachment area is decorated with a bright, colored or striped fabric, and the curtains themselves are sewn in plain color.

Sometimes they use the combination of thick curtains with tulle curtains. The top bar whereeyelets are attached, made of curtain fabric, and tulle is already sewn to it. It turns out a harmonious ensemble of dense and thin curtains.

Conclusion

You now know how to make grommets on curtains. As you can see, it is absolutely simple, and you do not need to overpay in workshops for their installation. If you have a sewing machine and at least an initial level of sewing skills, then you can easily make beautiful eyelet curtains for the whole apartment. Such products look neat and original, and the work is done quickly. Good luck!