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 (1)

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
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April 19, 2010
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