Setting Eyelets
By Angie Felix

Eyelets (also referred to as grommets) are a great way to attach things to a page, card or other paper crafting project. Eyelets also add color, dimension and interest to projects. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes—from flowers, stars and hearts to the typical circle—and can help draw attention to a focal point or serve as a great place to thread ribbon or fibers on a page or card. Here are a few examples:

Ribbons and Fibers
See how designer LeNae Gerig strung this piece of ribbon through the eyelets of a label made from the Tags #2 Template? The purple eyelets not only coordinate perfectly with the colors of the patterned papers, but also serve as reinforcements for the holes she punched in the label.

Attaching Paper or Vellum
Eyelets are also frequently used to attach vellum or patterned paper to a layout or other project. Designer Paris Dukes used gold eyelets to attach the torn-edge vellum to the left side of this music page. The eyelets not only hold the vellum in place, eliminating the need for glue which often shows through vellum, but also adds a gold touch, coordinating with the antiqued tone of the page. (Paris also used eyelets on the Buckle Up Treasure across the bottom of the page.)

Tags
Many also use eyelets to top off a tag that they’ve added to a project. LeNae placed a black eyelet in the top of each of these two tags, then threaded them with fibers and tied them together. The black eyelets coordinate nicely with the tape-style fragments on the purple tag and the printed tape fragments on the card quotes.

Inserting an Eyelet
To insert an eyelet in your paper crafting project, you’ll need an anywhere hole punch, an eyelet setter, a hammer and a mat. The anywhere hole punch allows you to make a hole anywhere you want, regardless of how far it is from the edge of the paper. Simply place the tip of the hole punch where you want the eyelet and tap the top with the hammer.

Step One: Making the Hole
Lay your paper on the mat face up and select where you want to insert your eyelet. Hold the anywhere hole punch upright with the punch part on the spot where you want your eyelet. Use the hammer to hit the top of the punch, creating the hole in the paper. Hint: You can also use a standard hole punch to make holes near the edge of the paper—simply insert the paper in the punch and press the handle.

Step Two: Place the Eyelet
Insert the eyelet, then turn the paper over. Tip: Slip a piece of cardboard under your paper and eyelet to keep it from falling out when you turn it over.

Step Three: Setting the Eyelet
Place the eyelet setter on top of the eyelet. Tap the setter with a hammer, flattening the eyelet into the paper and voila!

Remember, all the hammering can be a bit noisy—if you need a quieter way to set your eyelets, try the Home Pro Eyelet Setter. This tool is perfect to pre-punch your holes and set the eyelets—just insert the eyelets an squeeze!