Rivets are everywhere. Airliners have rivets. The pockets of your Levis® have rivets. Frogs make the sound, “rrriiiiiivvvet.” That last example probably isn’t applicable, but it kinda makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Not only are rivets ubiquitous, they look super professional when used on a sewing project. Rivets also have a very logical purpose: they hold lots of thick layers together at points where it would be impossible to stitch with a sewing machine.

For sewing applications, you often see rivets attaching heavy straps to bags, holding belt buckles in place or reinforcing the corner stress points of a pocket or pouch. Rivets are the smooth, cool, tough guys of sewing. But here’s their secret: with the right tools, they’re actually quite easy to apply.

Heavy duty tools

Hole punch

Many riveting tutorials we reviewed left out this important tool. Or, perhaps they assumed everyone had one of these wacky hole punches. We kind of doubt that. But, this tool is one of the keys to making the process easy, especially with heavier fabrics, faux leathers and vinyls, and real leather. You can find punch tools online from Amazon as well as locally at traditional hardware stores; Harbor Freight is one good option.

A hole punch is a plier-like tool with a rotating wheel of variously sized sharpened, hollow spikes. Squeeze the plier, and the selected spike strikes against the opposing anvil. When your layers of fabric are in between the spike and the anvil, a clean hole is cut.

Awl or small, sharp scissors

We have had very good luck with the hole punch on a variety of the heavier wovens into which rivets are placed as well as in faux and real leathers. However, If you can’t find or don’t wish to purchase a heavy-duty hole punch, you can make holes using a sewing awl.

An awl is also a good option when working with lighter-weight wovens. For these fabrics, you’ll get a much stronger rivet by carefully prying a hole between the threads of the fabric with an awl than by cutting the threads with the hole punch. The lighter the weight of the substrate and the smaller the hole (and the rivet), the more careful the cut. That said, if you still have trouble inserting the rivet, it’s okay to use a pair of small, sharp scissors to clean up and slightly enlarge the hole. This is true when using either a hole punch or an awl.

“Always” and “Never” are hard to use when it comes to creative processes. As usual, we recommend testing any process on scraps of the project’s fabric prior to trying it on the final piece.

Plastic or leather hammer

The really fun part of riveting is the fact you get to whack something with a hammer. It’s what ultimately seals the deal, locking the rivet post and cap. But it’s also a great stress reliever, and if you’re like us, it allows you to take out a bit of frustration on what might be an otherwise uncooperative project. Don’t use a regular metal hammer as it could damage the setting post and/or your rivet. Look for a plastic mallet (shown above) or rawhide hammer. You can find either of these online (using our links) or in the woodworking department of your local hardware store.

Light duty tools

Setting post and anvil

Much like how a snap is applied, you need to press together two pieces to create a finished rivet. Due to the thickness and quantity of layers with which you are usually working, this can take quite a bit of pressure. You need an anvil to help support the base of the rivet and a setting post to hold the top of the rivet in place and on which to strike your hammer. These tools are machined with one side concave (on the left above) and one side flat (on the right above). This allows you to match the surfaces of the anvil and post to the surfaces of your rivet pieces. Many rivet sets come with an appropriate post and anvil tool.

Dritz® tool

Dritz® makes an easy plastic setting tool that allows you to place a rivet back/post in one cup and a rivet cap in an opposing cup. You can find and purchase the tool by itself, but are more likely to find it in a kit with rivets. The layers of fabric go in between, against the tool’s hinge, then you gently hammer cap to post. We show more detailed steps below.

The Dritz® Double Cap Rivets (described below and a Sew4Home favorite) use the more traditional setting post and anvil for application, and also comes with a matching cutting tool (shown above).

Both the Dritz® tools and most post and anvil tools are considered home options. If you are planning to do a lot of riveting, you might try looking for combination piercing and setting tools, commonly found for leather working. EZ Rivet makes an affordable option.

Rivets

There are MANY options for the rivets themselves. Most rivets are metal, and usually come in either gold (brass) or silver (nickel). The cap of the rivet sometimes offers a bit of decoration. You can find engraved decorative rivets , and there are even rivets with crystal or semi-precious stone caps. Remember, you are striking the top of the rivet with a hammer, so the more decorative options do require extra protection (covering with a cloth or leather) and care when inserting them.

We’ve become big fans of the Dritz® Double Cap Rivets which have a smooth curved cap on both the front and back and come in several finish options. This gives you a pro look from either side and is especially nice for strap and flap applications where you can almost always see both sides on your finished project.

The size of the head or cap varies as does the length of the post. The size of the cap is going to be important decoratively as it is what you see on your project. Choose a size that looks good for your application.

Even more important is the length of the post. It has to be long enough to penetrate through all the layers of fabric.

Other than the Double Cap Rivets mentioned above, the back of rivets are usually flat and plain, revealing the hole that forms the post.

Ready to rivet

1. Your first step is to determine the length of the post required to make it through the layers of your project. Hold up the rivet next to ALL the actual layers and depress the fabric slightly between your fingers. The post should just barely clear the fabric.
   
   
2. Test the post of your selected rivet in the hollow spikes of the hole punch. You want the smallest hole into which the rivet post will slide. If it won’t slide in, that hole is too small. If it slides in and swims around, that hole to too big. Pick the hole that is just right.
   
   
3. With a fabric pen or pencil, mark the exact point where you want the CENTER of your rivet to fall. Make centering marks on
   both the front and back of your fabric.
   
4. Align the hole punch over the centering points. Be VERY careful to make sure the center of spike is directly over your mark. Squeeze like heck! If you’re going through a particularly thick set of layers, you can also rotate the punch slightly, while closed, to insure a clean punch through all the layers. Release the punch and carefully remove the fabric. If you are not satisfied the hole is clean all the way through, you can flip your project over and punch again from back to front. Or, as mentioned above, clean the hole with a pair of small, sharp scissors.
   
5. Push the post of the rivet through the hole from the back so the top of the post just comes through on the front.
   
6. Place the anvil directly under the back of the rivet. The back of our rivet was flat, so we made sure the flat side of the anvil was facing up. Place the cap of the rivet on the post.
   
7. Place the setting post carefully over the cap of the rivet. The cap of our rivet was curved, so we made sure the curved side of the setting post was facing down. Holding the setting post firmly at the base, whack the post with the hammer four or five times to set the rivet. Use smooth, strong blows, and be careful not to let the post slip to one side or the other. If you are using a decorative rivet cap, you will need to protect the cap with a cloth or small piece of thin leather. As always, test your rivets first so you can determine exactly the type of protection needed, if any.
   
   
8. Ta-da! A finished rivet front and back

Riveting with the Dritz® Rivet Tool

1. As above, make sure your rivet is long enough to go through all the layers.
   
2. Mark the position for the rivet.
   
3. Use a hole cutter or awl to pierce a hole through all the layers at your marked point.
   
   NOTE: The Dritz® Rivet Tool Kit does include a hole cutting tool. Remove one of the rubber trays and insert the cutting tool, which looks like a small post. Insert so the tapered end of the post is facing down. Place the padded disc under your marked point and, holding the Rivet Tool flat, position the cutting tool against the fabric at the marked point. Strike with a hammer to pierce the fabric. This is certainly an option should you not have a separate hole cutter.
   
4. Place a rubber tray into each hole at the tips of the Rivet Tool. This is done by inserting the tray’s post into the hole and pushing until you hear and feel it “click” into position. There is a smooth tray for the rivet stud cap and a dimpled tray for the rivet back.
   
5. Place a rivet stud cap and a rivet back into the appropriate rubber trays.
   
6. The stud (which is the cap/front of the snap) is inserted first through the fabric.
   
7. Push the rivet stud through from the front to the back.
   
8. Rotate the strap so the Rivet Tool is sitting flat on your work surface and the top of the stud is visible coming through the back layer of the strap. Slip the black padded disk that comes with the kit under the Rivet Tool. This helps cushion the tool and protect your work surface.
   
9. Close the Rivet Tool, bringing the side with the back of the rivet down into position over the rivet cap stud. In the photo below you can see the black padded disk in position under the tool.
   
10. Strike the top of the tool with a hammer to secure the back against the stud. It shouldn’t take more than one or two smooth, even blows to set the rivet. Don’t go too wild with your hammering; if you strike off-center, it may not secure correctly.
11. Gently open up the tool to reveal your pretty rivet, from the back…
    
12. … and from the front.
    

A final note: There really isn’t any great way to take a rivet out of a sewn project; they are designed to be permanent after all. We have had some luck carefully cutting them out, then filling the hole with a fabric and interfacing patch — trimmed very closely — you can then install a larger rivet, a snap or a button to cover up the repair.