How to Install Grommets

Posted on March 19th, 2009 by Marck

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Grommets are a great way to protect the edges of useful holes made on canvas, cloth, or tarp. Instead of ripping apart at the fibers of the hole edges, grommets provide the support and protection needed by the cloth material if you have to thread cord, wire, or rope into it. Installing grommets are easy, provided you have the right tools to get the job done.

Tools

Tarp or cloth you want to install grommets on
Grommets with washers
Grommet hole cutter
Grommet anvil and punch
Small hammer
Small wooden block
Pencil

Steps

Set the tarp on a flat, level surface.
Mark the edge or area you want to install a grommet on with a pencil.
Lay the marked area on a small piece of wood.
Using a hammer and the grommet hole cutter, punch a hole on the tarp. Make sure to strike the punch with just enough force to make a hole on the tarp.
Set the grommet anvil just below the hole.
Insert a grommet inside the hole, and lay the bottom part of the grommet flush inside the recessed part of the anvil.
Slide the washer on top of the grommet, and make sure that the grommet assembly fits in flush on the tarp and the anvil.
Fit the punch on top the grommet tube, and strike the punch with a soft, steady blow from a small hammer. One blow is usually enough to set a small grommet.
For larger grommets, you may need more than one blow to completely set and secure the grommet. Rotate the punch a quarter turn clockwise or counter-clockwise, and give the punch another steady blow.
Remove the punch, and inspect the grommet to check if it is completely secure. Set the punch again if the grommet is not completely attached to the tarp.

Setting grommets on any size of tarp is easy, and can be done just about anywhere. With these tips to help you set grommets, you no longer have to wonder whether or not the hole in a piece of tarp will hold up to strong winds and rain.