What are Eyelet Curtains?

Eyelet curtains are also known as grommet curtains in certain parts of the world. They were different to the then traditional pinch or pencil pleat curtains, this gave them a slightly more modern look for the windows in modern houses.

The earliest form of these curtains where found in medieval times where leather panels were threaded onto iron rods. If the rods were threaded through the leather could this have been the first eyelet curtain?

Buying Grommet or Eyelet Curtains

When buying curtains like eyelet curtains the heading tape is all in place already, whether there is a heading tape with holes in it or individual rings like the ones below.

The beauty of buying them is that once you are home the curtains can go straight to the right window that you would have measured before hand so the right width and drop can be bought.

The pole will sit slightly away from the window so there will be a degree of light that can be seen around the edge of these curtains. 

What makes up eyelet curtains?

The main difference in most curtains are the headings used. This is what give the curtains their name.

When looking at the curtain heading, the heading tape for grommet or eyelet curtains is different from pencil pleat heading tape.

Tab top curtains use loops made from the same material so do not require special holes or in fact heading tape at all.

Eyelet headings have large or small holes (the eyes) that the curtain pole goes through. Poles can be made from wood or metal and come in varying width sizes and lengths.

The poles are fixed to the wall and are how these curtains are hung up at the window.

The eyelets can also be placed onto the strengthened curtain fabric individually so the ones that are chosen can have either form at the top of the curtain.

The Eyelet or Eyes

The individual holes in eyelet curtains have to be made directly through the fabric whether they are made in the factory or at home.

Metal or Plastic rings are then clipped into the holes to give support, strength and to stop the fabric from fraying.

These metal or plastic rings can separate so one half goes underneath the fabric at the back and the other half goes on top at the front.

These then clip together and hold the fabric in place to all the curtain to slide onto the pole with ease.

When the rings are in two halves, one side as a deeper protruding middle with little prongs around the outside of the hole.

The other side has ridges between the middle and the edge and has a shallower centre.

These rings are placed either side of the hole and clipped together. In a factory this process would be mechanised so lots of curtains could be produced.

The holes would be made directly on the fabric and depending on the weight of the fabric some interfacing may need to be added to extra strength. The curtains come in different fabric weights so will suit lots of different needs.

Variations of Eyelet Curtains

There are quite a some varieties of eyelet curtains. There are those that don't need to be constantly opened and closed so don't really need the complicated versions of heading tape and those that need a lot of opening and closing so the movement needs to be easy to use and quick.

Cafe Curtains

Another version of these curtains can also be hung on a tension wire. The tension wire is fixed to the actual window frame with small metal hoops screwed in. The ends of the tension wire have small hooks placed inside that could be clipped to the holes.

Nowadays many houses have double glazed windows so this may not be a choice to use but that look could still be achieved with tension poles.

The tape used in cafe curtains have holes that that are much smaller that ordinary eyelet curtains, these curtains are fixed across the lower part of the window slightly more than half way down the window.

Cafe curtains also usually have a frill at the top of the window leaving a space for people to look in or out of the window.

This type of curtain can be used in the kitchen, giving unhindered view out into the street or garden without passers by seeing the work being done.

Shower Curtains

Shower curtains usually have little holes at the top that hooks clip into to the go onto the shower curtain rail.

Although these are eyelet curtains, some are unable to go through the rail because the rail doesn't fix onto two walls without a ceiling fixing to hold it in place.

If the rail was between two walls in a straight line then the curtain could go directly onto the rail but when the curtain was being changed or washed the whole rail would need to be unscrewed making the fixing unstable. Hence the need for metal hooks.

Enjoy choosing your curtains..