You've seen grommets many times: on apparel, bags, athletic gear, etc. They're those metal circles with some type of rope or cording woven through at a closure point. Well...things are beginning to change in the world of grommets (bet you didn't know there was a world of grommets ... did ya?!). Dritz® Home has a great product available for home décor enthusiasts, snap-on Curtain Grommets. Fast, fashionable and functional.

The industrial installation of metal grommets usually involves a large, also metal, machine, which uses an intense force of weighted pressure to secure these circles in place. You may have also seen metal grommets in your local fabric and craft stores that require you to purchase a metal tool (looks something like a pair of pliers) to install them on your home projects.

The Dritz® Home snap-on grommets require NO tools. They come in various sizes, colors, and finishes. You'll have no problem matching your selected fabric. They're packed in sets of 8 and include a plastic see-through template for positioning (we really liked this!). You'll be delighted to know that these are incredibly easy to install.

Grommeted curtains have traditionally been associated with a modern style interior. However, we've noticed them showing up in home furnishing stores and catalogs more and more lately, and in fabric styles that blend with all types of interiors. Grommets are an easy way to hang a curtain from a rod, they're functional (you can actually open and close the curtain without sweating), and they look clean and sleek.

And ... who said grommets can only be used on a window curtain? For our sample test, we decided to give them a try in on a bathroom shower curtain.

1. To start, pair the grommets. There's actually a front ('raised center' side) and a back ('prong' side).
   
2. Use the included plastic template to mark the position of each grommet on the header of your shower curtain. Grommets are a ‘final' step, which means your curtain should be finished and ready to hang prior to marking and inserting the grommets. The template has a cross-hair to help determine the center of each circle. However, we discovered it would be more helpful if the template had a small center hole for marking. So, we used an awl to make that hole.
   
3. Determine the overall positioning of your grommets across the top of your curtain, making note of the distance from center point to center point. Using a see-through ruler and the template, we marked the center points and traced the circles.
   
   
4. We decided to zig zag the marked circle before cutting it out. Why? Because we learned these grommets easily snap on and off for laundering. Cool. But, we wanted to be sure the fabric wouldn't fray when we washed our shower curtain. The zig zag reinforces the cut edges.
   
5. Cut out the circle close to the zigzag stitching. Fold the sewn circle in half and make a ½" slit. Then, cut around the circle.   
   
   
6. With the wrong side facing up, insert snap grommets. Place the 'raised center' side of the grommet in the circle so the ridge of the ring pokes up around the inside edge of the circle.
   
7. Snap the 'prong' side of the grommet on to complete. Done!
   
8. If you decide to remove your grommets for laundering, just find a small flathead screwdriver or even a letter opener. Slide the end into the tiny slot on the back side grommet. Twist the screwdriver slightly, and the grommet will snap off.
   
   

We had some leftover grommets after we completed our shower curtain project, and figured there must be a lot of other great uses for these. Sure enough, we found a number of handbag and tote patterns where grommets are used. Sweet!

Comments (8)

wi.dragonfly said:

... To Alicia and Deanna, The grommet pictured in your flicker picture is actually sold as a premade tape that you mount to the top of the curtain. Itis designed so the curtain can be easily removed for washing without removing the rod. Last I checked, the tape runs about $10.00 per yard. I much prefer the grommets as shown in this tutorial- and the idea to zigzag around the holes is inspired!

October 30, 2011

mamaCon said:

... I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! These curtains with grommets cost a fortune if you buy it from the stores...thanks so much for the tutorials!

October 01, 2011

alicia.thommas said:

... Hi Deanne, I think this is the style of grommet you saw http://www.flickr.com/photos/3...009909280/, however, I don't know where they are sold. Maybe you could call the hotel and ask who supplies their shower curtains; see if they are custom or sold retail or even wholesale. They are cool.

August 12, 2011

Deanne said:

... I was in the Oxford Suites Hotel in Idaho, and they had this grommeted kind of shower curtain. However, there was something ingenious about it. I have been looking EVERYWHERE to find out more about where to buy these special grommets. That is how I found this site. I will try to describe the grommet and the effect. Imagine that each grommet on the shower curtain had a cut completely through both sides of the ring at the 3 on a clock face. The cut then extended into the fabric until it reached the 9 side of the next grommet. The cut in the fabric was reinforced like a buttenhole. To get the shower curtain on the rod, all you did was bend the grommet in order to seperate the crack a little (it was slightly flexible plastic) so the rod slipped between the crack and into the hole. The fabric followed because of the slit. Does that make sense? Can you picture what I am trying to describe? I tried to look on the gromet for a manufacturer, but there was none. The coolest thing about this is that the shower curtain was one layer of fairly light weight material. It appeared that housekeeping was able to take the curtain down and wash it -- possibly after each guest. I would love to make several of these curtains and then throw them in the wash once a week. Think how nice it would be to have a clean shower curtain every week. And, it would be no more trouble to wash and dry than a reqular sheet! If anyone has ever seen or heard about this kind of grommet, can you please let me know? Thanks!

August 12, 2011

NorthWestSea said:

... I thought it would be appropriate to comment on the “snap on grommets” since it was this exact instructional page that brought me to Sew4Home.com and I am so glad it did. I just finished my first project, curtains, using the snap on grommets. Honestly, they truly do work. Don’t try and snap them together by pinching between your fingers… lay the grommet on a flat surface and press the two sides together, with the fabric in between the two rings, with the palm of your hand. A couple of “lessons learned” that I thought I would share. Dritz, the manufacture of the grommets, say that you can use the grommets without sewing along the line that you created using the template. I did take the recommendation of Sew4Home, since I was using a lining (2 layers of fabric) for the curtains, but none of my zigzag stitching was a perfect as shown above. If you do decide to stitch, go slow and take your time. If you stray too far away from the line your stitching can show beyond the grommet ring. Luckily my thread blended with the fabric. Last little tid-bit. When using grommets make sure you always use an even number of grommets on a curtain panel or shower curtain. You always want a “mate” for each grommet so the side edge of the panel “points” towards the wall (hopefully that makes sense).

July 25, 2011

Liz Johnson, Editor, Sew4Home said:

... Hi HighRidge -- we've used these grommets in several projects now and found they hold up just great. So glad you found our tutorial inspiring. Let us know how it turns out

August 17, 2010

HighRidge said:

... I am making a shower long curtain and plan to use them. I have tried a sample and couldn't get the first one to snap shut. I tried another in the same package and it worked. I do have some concerns about the plastic grommets holding up. It is a guest bathroom so it will not be used very much. I am also using a mesh screening at the top of the curtain to allow for light. Looks great. I am anxious to see how it all turns out.

August 16, 2010

ladylush118 said:

... i was @ a fabric store a few days ago and saw some, but was too scared of taking on doing a curtain with these! i'll definitely try them out on my next project! thanks

April 19, 2010

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