Sewing Supplies Blog / Grommets, Snaps & Tools

Grommets are an important tool in nearly every industry. Although you might not recognize them by name, they provide essential protection and reinforcement for holes, tubes, wires, and cables. Without grommets, textile products would be more susceptible to wear and tear.

Grommets are essential hardware components that reinforce holes in various materials, such as fabric, leather, and vinyl. Understanding the differences between these grommets is crucial for selecting the right one for your project. 

Grommets are a highly useful tool for certain sewing projects. When your garment needs a functional hole that is reinforced and impervious to tearing, a grommet is your best friend. However, grommets can sometimes be tricky to work with, especially if you’re trying a new type of grommet.

You can’t always rely on elastic to hold your garments in place, and not every piece of clothing looks right with belt loops. You can always tailor a pair of pants, dress, or shirt to an exact size, but that means the wearer can never lose or gain weight.

Instead, you can add a drawstring for maximum flexibility and incorporate grommets to guide the drawstring for some added visual flair!

Grommets are extremely functional pieces of hardware. They add strength to fabric, providing a sturdy place for laces, ropes, or ribbons. Without grommets, many common items — such as shoes, banners, tents, and tarps — would wear out after only a few uses.

Grommets are designed to reinforce intentional holes in garments. They come in a variety of sizes and depths depending on the material and how the grommet will be used.

As you explore the world of DIY crafting and elevate your sewing skills over time, you’ll realize you can incorporate many different sewing tools into your routine.

Leather is one of the most durable fabrics around, which is why it takes special tools to work with when you use it in a DIY crafting or sewing project. If you want to add holes to your leather pieces for functionality or decoration, you’ll need to rely on grommets and grommet tools.

The purpose of grommets is to add strength. By definition, they must be able to withstand high pressures and stresses! When you tie down a tarp, lace up a boot, or raise a flag, you rely on grommets to prevent the material from wearing and tearing.

No matter the material, it will eventually rip or fray if it is under constant tension or has laces or ropes running through non-reinforced holes.

If you’ve ever examined a quality pair of boots, corsets, or a tarp, you most likely noticed that the laces passed through small metal reinforcement rivets. These rivets, called grommets, prevent the material from fraying or tearing from tension and friction.

Grommets and eyelets are usually more functional and practical than aesthetic, but there’s no reason they can’t be used to stunning effect! They’re versatile, come in various sizes, shapes, and materials, and are a cinch to install.

Grommets are a tried and true method of adding strength to materials that might otherwise rip, tear, or stretch. If, for example, you want to ensure a drawstring won’t saw away at the fabric around it, you can use grommets for the drawstring’s openings.

Even the hardiest, sturdiest fabrics can tear and fray over time. Leather and vinyl, despite their strength, can stretch and rip with enough stress. Items you like get worn out of use, while the ones you don’t care for stay pristine in storage.