Dorm Room Makeover or How I Learned to Love Grommets (Part 2)

 As I was reaching the finishing steps of my shower curtain, I was looking forward to using the easy, no-tool grommets. I was fantasizing about sitting on the couch and just snapping those grommets together. Fortunately when I am working with a product I have not used before, I always test it on some scrap fabric which is the same density I will have on the finished product. This will give me a good feel for the product. So I sewed two scraps together and followed the directions on the back of the package. Included in the package is a great template to use on your fabric so you can space your grommets correctly.  Following the directions, I drew a circle on the fabric back with a pencil. So far so good. Then you cut the circle out with a pair of scissors and fit the raised side of the grommet through the circular hole from the right side of the fabric. Then you take the grommet with the prongs and press onto the first grommet. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Well, my grommet would not snap together, I couldn't even snap them together without the fabric. What the heck is going on? I am a patient person, but how much can a tired sewer endure. After an hour I was still trying to snap this grommet together. I tried a different set, still didn't work! I was thinking well maybe I need to do buttonholes after all! Can I hot glue these together?? I was desperate at this stage. Wait a minute I say to myself. Get a grip, other people are doing this. What am I doing wrong? I started to research the internet and yes, there is a trick to this. I heartily recommend you look at this video. Click here to view.

First of I was using my fingers to press the grommet sets together. Wrong. You should use the palm or heel of your hand to press the grommets together against a hard surface. Also when you draw your template on the fabric, you should zig zag around the circle to stabilize the fabric. This is a great help. Also while these grommets are washable, you cannot dry them in the dryer. You may want to remove them before washing. There is a notch in the grommet where you can insert the tip of a flat edge of a screwdriver and separate the grommet set. Once I mastered these 2 steps, these grommets went together like a dream.  I love the product and heartily endorse it and would use it again.