Teri Anderson
I’m just going to put it out there. My name is Teri, and I am an eyelet hoarder.
I have been hoarding eyelets for years now, since I first got into paper crafting. I have every color of eyelet you can imagine: red; red-orange; pink; dark pink; green; green-blue and many more.
Funny thing is for all the hoarding I wasn’t using them. So I recently dumped all of my eyelets into a spice jar. I put it on my craft table and left it out so I would see them every time I sat down to play. Guess what? It’s working. I’m making more cards and scrapbook pages than ever with eyelets on them. And I’m rediscovering long-forgotten, fun ways to use them.
I used eyelets to make the circle on this card.
I used a placement template from Timeless Touches to mark the holes for the eyelets. If you don’t have the template, you could do the same thing by drawing a circle with a pencil and marking the spots for your eyelets.
I also used eyelets for the flower centers on this card.
The eyelets provided a nice alternative to the brads and gems I normally use for flower centers.
I also like to use eyelets to:
- Embellish patterned paper. It’s fun to randomly add them to the circles and squares that often appear on patterned papers.
- Make hearts and letters with them. Draw your letter or heart with a pencil and then poke holes for the eyelets.
- Adhere sentiment strips and tags to cards.
Are you an eyelet hoarder, too? Tell me about it. What ideas do you have for using them? If you are not an eyelet fan, is there a supply you hoard? Leave me a comment and I’ll pick one random winner to receive both of my eyelet cards shown above. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Thursday, Sept. 17.
Teri Anderson,
Paper Crafts Go-to Gal
P.S. It’s time to announce the three winners from Kim Hughes’ Back to School-Part II post! Here they are in no particular order:
1. Sherry (Sept. 14, 7:25 a.m.)
2. SMK (Sept. 14, 9:24 a.m.)
3. Jen (Sept. 14, 10:15 p.m.)
Congrats, winners! Each of you will receive a copy of Stamp It! Cards! Kelly will be contacting you shortly for your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!
I think the question should be “what is it that you don’t hoard?” I can’t let go of anything! It’s just like I collect it!
Your cards are awesome!
Lori
i use eyelets for tag books. keeps ‘em strong & durable where i put the binder ring or chain through.
I am a eyelet hoarder and a ribbon hoarder. I love using eyelets and ribbon together, love using eyelets to secure the ribbon to my cards!
Yep, I’m a hoarder too–have tons of ‘em and also forget to use them! But since at the moment I can’t find the top of my scrap table–too much stuff piled on it–can’t find a jar to put them in! Since I also love flowers, I think I gotta use ‘em on the flowers and in patterns as you did–like a card “thinking outside the box” and make the box with eyelets!
My husband calls it insane and he can’t believe I bought a huge wardrobe closet it to store all my paper crafting supplies that I never make time to use. Oh, I think about cool ideas on what to do with all my supplies, usually in those few moments when my head hits the pillow and I drift off to dream land. But during the waking hours of my life it seems that I haven’t had time to use all my thousands of supplies. Mostly, when I do have time, I spend it organizing my collection, instead of making things with it. So, yes I guess I would be considered a hoarder. In fact, while I was reading all the other posts I thought, “wow, if any of these people gave up their hobby, I’d take what supplies they didn’t want anymore.” That spells “hoarder” to me big time. Thanks for the fun ideas. Once I get the baby to sleep tonight … I may have some time for more organizing or perhaps a little creating!
I hoard a lot of things, including eyelets! I think the thing I hoard the most, though, is jewel brads – just too pretty to give away! I know, dumb – why then, do I have them?
I’ve got eyelets in all the colors to match Stampin’ Up’s 4 color families as well as ones to match retired In Colors. I don’t use them and would love ideas similar to your cards for ways to use them so I can decrease my stash!
Robbie
Your cards are precious. I love supplies period and I collect them, thank you very much. LOL
I love eyelets and brads alike and am always trying to figure out a way to use one or the other. Especially with all the variations that are on the market the possibilities are endless.
teri – love your cards!!
Well this has been a great post to read through the comments….to see that I am not the only one who ‘collects’ (papercrafting supplies & tools)……It is hard not to, with all the yummy things that companies come out with all the time!
Uh-huh, I hoard eyelets and patterned paper! What is with that? I recently made a card with eyelets in each of the four corners of the card and ran ribbon/cord through it to make a frame for my main image! I like your circle better than my idea though. I have no idea what I will do with all that paper. I can’t imagine holding off on buying any new patterned paper until I use up my stash. I’ll just have to keep crafting!
Hi everyone!
Thanks for all your comments.
So fun to read them and to know I am not alone.
June, J.J. and Michelle A., I love how you put it. Collecting! Hee hee!
Laura, I use both. I like to use a setter. I also use the Crop-a-Dile tool.
Let me stress that it is just my personal opinion, but I feel all eyelets are not equal. Some, like Making Memories’ eyelets, are made of heavier metal that works wonderfully with the Crop-a-Dile tool. Others are made of a lightweight aluminum, which I find easier to set with a setter. When I use those ones with my Crop-a-Dile, I tend to warp them. With the setter and hammer, I do not. It is just speculation on my part, but I think it is because I have more control over how much force I use when setting the eyelet.
Oh, and this is my method when I set eyelets:
1. Place paper on a self-healing mat.
2. Punch a hole for the eyelet.
3. Place eyelet through the hole.
4. Flip paper over so the eyelet’s backside is facing up.
5. Set eyelet.
Teri
Hi Teri!
Very beautiful card!!!! First card just perfect!!!!!
Teri,
You are not alone. I had so many I purchased several organizers to keep them seperated. I will use some this week. I use them in flower centers, on animals to make them movableand, to hold tags and vellum sentements in place. I love your work. Keep up the great work.
I am a hoarder too…and I hardly ever use them! I love your ideas and will have to try them. I also recently saw someone use them with brads in the center. Super cute! I really need to use some. Thanks for the inspiration!
I am a hoarder of brads. It used to be eyelets but then I jumped on the brad band wagon and well, it’s just crazy how many I have. I recently transfered them all into a spice rack I found at a thrift store. I’ve sorted the brads by type/theme/color and have them sitting out so I can see them. I have started using more brads but I still have trouble resisting purchasing new brads, especially the dollar spot and the clearance ones. A close runner up is gems but I’m trying not to let them get to the point the brads have.
I hoard eyelets, brads, buttons and any other embellishments I have found along the way. They hide and I forget to use them. I need to try your idea and put them right out in front of me. Then maybe I’ll use them. Thanks for you great ideas. I love the hi card with the eyelets all around it.
Teri – FABULOUS eyelet cards! From all the comments on this subject, I see I’m not the only crafter who hoards. You asked if anyone knows of different uses for eyelets, and I have one. I often set 3-5 large (3/16″) eyelets in a row, and affix mini brads in the centers. This adds a lot of punch to a card, tag, or sb page, especially if you use contrasting colors. The same technique looks nice for flower centers too. Most of us have wa-a-ay too many eyelets & mini brads. Your card ideas are great motivation to use them!
I am worse, not only do I hoard eyelets, but brads, bling you name it ~ I hoard it LOL!
It’s a good life!
Terri E.
wow, these cards are great – I do hoard a lot of things – eyelets are not one of them – I do manage to use them!
Sandra
I hoard eyelets too! But I don’t stop there…I also hoard brads unashamed….I love your idea of putting them all in a jar on the work table…I’m going to try that! Thanks for sharing your adorable cards…I love the colors!
Kim Marie
Teri,
Thank you ***so*** much for taking the time to answer my question about the best tools to use with eyelets and telling me how it’s done.
Have a great weekend!
Laura
I love your cards. Now I need to get the Eyelet Friend Circle Template. Thanks for the ideas.
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LOL Teri, I shoulda known you were an eyelet hoarder
We were just talking about this over at 2 Peas! (Eyelets in general, not your hoarding tendencies, although a lot of fellow hoarders came out of the closet 
Here’s what I do with them:
Use them on the top of tags & bookmarks to thread ribbon through
Accent on cards/scrapbook layouts
Fold back a corner on projects
Hold layers together
As a finishing touch / threading agent for charms and jewelry pieces
Use them as a bookbinding tool
Too late for prizes, but hopefully helpful to someone.
Cheers,
Sue
Oh, and P.S. – I really LOVE what you did with those hoarded eyelets