Grommets


Grab a Grommet for Your Next Project!

Grommets reinforce a hole in a piece of fabric, just like its smaller cousin, the eyelet. These rings are usually used for heavier fabrics and applications, like tarps, tents, canvas and storage cubes, and drawstring bags. Costume corsets use both to accommodate lace-up closures. Large vinyl-coated canvas signs you see at sporting events and trade shows are held in place with a series of grommets throughout the edges and can be hung wherever needed.

Nearly anywhere you need to add a hole to a piece of fabric can be fastened with a grommet. At home, grommets are commonly seen in shower curtains and modern drapes. However, versatile grommets can be used as a utility or to add visual interest to an otherwise plain project.

Where Can You Use a Grommet?

You could make a pocket for a tote bag all by itself, or you can upgrade it with grommets, D-rings, and a long strap. Adding grommets to the bottom of a pair of jeans, trousers, skirt, and even home décor adds one-of-a-kind accents not available in ready-made products.

While Using Grommets at the Tops of Curtains is Apparent, Here are Some Other Fun Ideas:

  • Adding grommets to one corner of your potholders to hang them on a cup, magnetic, or command hook in your kitchen
  • Inserting grommet beads at the opening of kitchen gloves to hang them up to dry after use.    
  • Add a cord or thin decorative rope handle to the tote, shopping, and other bags. Use rubber grommets to add appropriately sized holes in the fabric. Inset the cord ends in the grommets to the inside or outside, tying tight knots in the ends.
  • Thread handles through grommeted holes in the sides of your floor cushions or other items.
  • Please make your square fabric storage bins to the size that suits your needs, adding a grommet to one side for either decoration or to pick them up.   
  • Make a cloth cover for a small side table or bar stool, and secure the corners using cord, ribbon, or fabric strips threaded through grommets in the corners. Tie cords together to keep the covers secured.
  • Turn an ordinary box into a storage area for ribbons, adding dividers inside to separate spools and an appropriate-sized grommet on the side to dispense the ribbon from the box.

Mesh Projects

Hats also utilize rubber grommets to allow airflow and to keep your head from sweating. Your head gives off a fair amount of heat, so a good hat helps you keep warm in cold weather. But while working outside or doing anything during the heat of summer, hats can trap heat, making you even more uncomfortable. Adding a mesh grommet to your hats offers ventilation and helps you cool off much more easily.

How to Install A Grommet

You’ll need a hammer, and a setting tool called an anvil. A grommet consists of two pieces: the barrel and the washer. Some brands of grommets have prongs on the barrel end.

Installation involves hammering them together in the opening to no longer be a ragged hole in the fabric. Mark each place you want a grommet, then cut a hole in the fabric smaller than the size of the barrel. Insert the barrel into the right side so it comes out on the wrong side of the fabric.

Thinner fabrics may require small pieces of iron-on interfacing or another stabilizer to keep the fabric in place in the grommet. 

Working on a hard surface like a floor or wood, center the stud end of the anvil on top and hit it with the hammer. A wooden cutting board may also work. You may want to work on a towel to keep your project from getting dirty. Hammer just until the ring is set completely. Pliers are also available to make installation simpler. Once completed, your fabric project is ready to use.

How Do You Know What Size Grommet is Best for Your Project?

Measure! 

If your project is from a pattern, the size will be in the instructions. (If not, you’ll need to do some figuring.) We carry many sizes and types—click here to visit our grommet and eyelet sizing chart.

Why Choose GoldStar Tool for Your Grommets?

Our online store offers a wide selection of grommets of all sizes and types for any sewing or other projects you have in mind. We carry grommets in antique brass, nickel, bronze, copper, and other metals and finishes. We also offer plastic grommet covers and grommet tape for draperies, and we even have grommets in various colors!

Our grommets are the same type we’ve supplied to the fashion industry since 1990 and are of higher quality than most available in retail shops. Since 2012, we have been offering these same professional-grade brands of grommets and other supplies to home sewers and crafters.

As the #1 independent web retailer of fashion and sewing supplies, Goldstar Tool has a wider variety of grommets, tools, and notions than anyone to satisfy your every sewing and crafting need.

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What Are Sewing Scissors Used For?

Fabric-specific scissors and shears are used for one thing: cutting fabric.

They should cut smoothly and cleanly and feel comfortable when you use them. You should always use the appropriate type of scissors and shears for your fabric if you want them to last and you want your fabric to cut cleanly.

Using your sewing scissors to cut anything but fabric is a quick way to ruin a good, and possibly expensive, pair of scissors. Keep them sheathed or otherwise properly stored when not in use and always use a different pair of scissors for paper and other non-fabric cutting applications.

Choosing the Right Scissors for Your Fabric

Different types of scissors have specific functions, such as spring-mounted thread clippers, which are perfect for opening buttonholes and snipping off thread ends in everyday sewing. Dressmaker shears are designed to cut just about any type of fabric, from fine silks and cotton to the heaviest denim and leather.  Synthetics tend to shred a little with dressmaker shears and standard fabric scissors, so serrated-edged scissors are a much better choice. These Mundial shears have cushioned handles and micro-serrated stainless steel edges that ensure clean cuts without slipping.

What to Look for In A Pair of Scissors or Shears + -

Of course, you want to look for a good quality brand. At Goldstar Tool, we carry brands like Mundial, Wescott, Wiss, and our own Goldstar brand of scissors. Scissors can be expensive, but price isn’t always a good indicator of how good they are. Just because they are pricey does not automatically make them good. Stainless steel forged blades are strong, sharp, and will last a long time. When choosing a good pair of blades, you should ask yourself… Are they comfortable? If they don’t feel right when you’re cutting, they’re not right for you. A good pair of shears should be sharp and cut cleanly through your fabric from the start to the end. Of course, with use, they may need sharpening, which should restore them to a like-new condition. However, if they don’t cut well when they’re new, sharpening really won’t help, and it may be time to invest in a better pair. When you buy new shears or scissors, ask yourself… Is it the right type for your needs? Do you need a longer set of dressmaker shears, or would a pair of offset scissors work better? Will they cut thin fabrics as well as thicker fabrics, or do you need a separate pair for heavier materials? Remember that a good pair of scissors is an investment, so put some thought into your choice and be sure to take care of them. Repeatedly buying inexpensive scissors that you throw away can add up to a costly expense. 

Types of Shears + -

Dressmaker shears are the most important scissors to have. Heavier than traditional scissors, they’re designed to cut fabrics of all types and typically do so very well. These Mundial shears are engineered for right-handed or left-handed users, and come in 6”, 7” and 8” models (including left-handed 8”.) Our Goldstar brand 8-inch forged stainless steel shears cut the entire length of the blade, all the way to the tip. If you prefer pinking shears, we have two types from the GoldStar line. Our heavy-duty shears have classic metal handles, and the other has cushioned plastic handles. For the quilter, Mundial professional quilting scissors in either 5 ½,” 8 ½, or 9 ½” offer soft grip cushioned insert handles for comfort and extended use.  Do you enjoy applique work? Our Mundial applique scissors help you make quick work of trimming around appliques, as well as evenly trimming Are buttonholes your nemesis? Our exclusive buttonhole scissors have a screw that stops you from cutting through your carefully made buttonholes. Safer than regular scissors or a scalpel, the screw limits your cutting length, so you cut exactly the length you need.

Other Cutting Products + -

Keep your scissors handy with a leather belt/hip holster, animal print belt holster or a lanyard that hangs around your neck. These will keep your shears handy and always available. Rotary cutters are a great way to do precise, fast cuts with ease. Goldstar Tool’s rotary cutters make fast work of whatever you need to cut. We also carry the replacement blades for all of our rotary cutting tools. Straight paper cutting is fast and easy with Westcott Titanium Bonded Paper Trimmer. It trims up to ten sheets of paper quickly with a completely safe, no-touch covered blade assembly.

Caring for Your Shears and Scissors

Caring for Your Shears and Scissors

Keeping Your Shears and Scissors in Tip Top Shape + -

The first thing you should NEVER do is cut anything but fabric with your scissors and shears intended for fabrics. The second is to never cut into a pin or needle since it will damage them permanently. When you’re finished using your shears, the best thing you can do is wipe the blades with a dry cloth to remove lint, threads, dust, and other small particles that can make them harder to use. Synthetic fibers can also dull the blades. Clean away the dry particles after every use. Keep your shears and scissors working smoothly with a small drop of quality sewing machine oil in the fulcrum or the pivot screw. Carefully open and close them a few times (point down) to distribute the oil, and wipe them, spreading some of the remnant oil over the blades. You want to oil your scissors and shears about once a month, more if you use them daily.  Of course, be careful not to drop them, or they could be damaged to the point of being unworkable.

Sharpening Your Shears and Scissors + -

When they just don’t cut like they used to, sharpening is a must to prevent damage to your fabrics. You may have heard that cutting through aluminum foil steel wool and/or sandpaper as a way to quickly sharpen your dulled scissors. Despite their popularity, we don’t recommend these methods. Think about it—if you shouldn’t use your sewing shears and scissors for paper and other things, or attempt to cut through a pin or needle, why would you use either of these to sharpen a blade? There are better ways to sharpen your shears at home or in your commercial shop. Need something small and efficient to keep around? These handy Scissors And Blade Sharpeners are economical, convenient, and sharpen on the fly. Our ExtremEdge V2 Knife and Shear Sharpener is a fast, easy way to sharpen non-serrated scissors and knives safely. The bottom section holds it in place for simple one-handed operation, and it’s sold for a reasonable price. If you have more than a few pairs of scissors, sending them out for sharpening can shut down operations. Our Wolff Industrial Twice as Sharp Scissor Sharpening System is an investment that will save you and your workers time and money, and keep your scissor arsenal sharp and cutting perfectly every time. Priced at under $500, you can sharpen your tools in-house whenever you need to. Plus, it comes with instructions so that anyone can learn to use it for fast on-demand sharpening.  Pinking shears, like our own soft-handled or heavy-duty shears, are best sharpened by a professional. There’s no reason to keep working with dull scissors and shears. Get one of our exclusive sharpening tools today.