Directions for Eyelet Pliers

Eyelets are small metal fasteners used on paper or fabric. They can be used as decorative elements or fasteners on scrapbook pages, cards or clothing. They come in a variety of colors, including silver and gold. Eyelets are attached using eyelet pliers. Basic directions for eyelet pliers are found on the packaging, but like most small tools, the packaging and instructions are often discarded. Using your pliers on a regular basis will ensure the instructions will be remembered and perfected.

Things You'll Need

• Paper or fabric
• Toothpick or wooden skewer
• Ink pen

Instructions

1. Poke a small hole through the fabric layers where the eyelet will be placed using a toothpick or wooden skewer. The hole should be smaller than the eyelet's center. Paper or thin fabric will not need a hole; just mark the placement with a pen.

2. Place the eyelet on the eyelet pliers. At rest, eyelet pliers will lay with the mouth open. The top of the mouth has a round platform with a post protruding from the center. The bottom of the mouth has a round socket with a hole. When the mouth is closed, the post on the top of the mouth will slip inside the hole of the socket. The eyelet is a tube with a ring capping one end. Place the eyelet over the post with the ring end sliding over the post first.

3. Insert the fabric or paper into the mouth of the eyelet pliers with the top of the mouth on the front or right side. Place the eyelet that is at the top of the mouth over the hole or pen mark on your paper or fabric. The bottom of the plier's mouth is on the back or wrong side of the fabric or paper.

4. Squeeze the eyelet pliers, squishing the eyelet in the mouth with firm pressure to bring the platform and the socket of the mouth together on opposite sides of the paper or fabric. The tube of the eyelet will either cut through the marked paper or fabric or slip through the hole. The end of the eyelet tube then spreads out and flattens over the edges of the hole, attaching the eyelet.

5. Release the pressure on the plier handles. Remove the mouth from both sides of the paper or fabric. Remove the pliers.