Eyelets Questions - Newbie

I am very new to scrapbooking and purchased an eyelet set at JoAnn Fabric. The brand is Darice and it came with five little box of eyelets with washers and a little eyelet setting tool that you hit with a hammer. Works fine, probably not the best quality as I got it fairly cheap.

I also found 80 mini gold eyelets 1/8" (JoAnn Scrap Essentials brand) on clearance for $2. Then when I went to the dollar shop here - I found some antique brass mini eyelets (doodlebug design brand) - thought I may as well get some of those... it was only a $1.

When I got home and started trying out this eyelet kit everything worked fine. Then when I tried the mini eyelets I noticed that they don't have any washers and my eyesetting tools does not work with them. If I try to hammer the eyelet hole it gets stuck on the tool. Are the mini eyelets suppose to have washers? Is there a special tool to set the mini's? Is there any particular brand that works better?

We don't have much scrap shops around here -- they are working on a Hobby Lobby -- I can't wait - hope they have a lot of good stuff.

Thank you for any help you might have --- I have much to learn.

I typically don't use washers at all with my eyelets. Although, I think the finished result looks better when washers are used. To my knowledge, I think any eyelet can be set without a washer, regardless of size.
I've only used the 1/8" size eyelets, so I don't know if there are special tools you need to set the mini's.

I have never heard of a washer and didn't know they exist. I have the MM tool kit but I purchsed the Darcie one for my friend. You should be able to hit the eyelet and flower the back of it close to the paper. Once the shank starts to fold down, you can give it a good whack and it should fit snug up against the paper. If you have problems, you can use a phillips screwdriver and hammer, check out Mercy4Free's resource list below her name. She is the queen of doing them this way.

I have the mini mini eylets. They are 1/16 inch. They don't do well with a setter. I just poke a hole and then pop the eyelet in and whack the eyelet shank with the hammer. They folded in on themselves when I used the setter.

washers are typically used if the shaft of the eyelet is a little longer... I think this was the case with different eyelets when they just came out, but now they are all pretty much ":standard"
I think

Has anyone had a problem with the mini eyelets not fitting in the hole? I have the MM hole punch and the MM eyelet setter tool. I use the smalled hole punch and the smallest setting head; however, when I'm done, the eyelet seems to not fit the hole (hole seems too big for the eyelet). Sometimes it actually falls out and I have to glue it in place (kind of defeats the purpose). Could I be bashing it too hard??

Thanks in advance!

For mini eyelet setting:

I don't punch the hole with the tool for the minis because they're very tiny!! I just use the paper piecer and then push the eyelet through. I've found that this method works best.

Mini eyelets can't be set with the standard size flower setter because it's too big--you'll just end up smashing the eyelet instead of setting it. (The flower setter is the eyelet setter that has the shape of a flower at the bottom with a small bump in the middle--the bump is where the it goes into the middle of the eyelet.) In order to set the minis you need to buy a universal setter. The universal setter has a sharp point. Imagine a newly sharpened pencil made of metal and that is what the universal setter looks like. To use it, just position the point into the eyelet hole and tap gently until the base flares. Then use your hammer to give a good whack complete setting it.

Another alternative is to purchase the ReadySet tool--it's a hammerless eyelet setter--it comes with a special flower setter that is made especially for minis so it works great!

The easiest thing to use to set the mini eyelets is a precision phillips head screwdriver. You know, the kind you use with eyeglasses. Just put it in the eyelet, hit with hammer..you might have to take screwdrive out and put it back in with the ridges againt where it didnt spread out (if it happens) and hit again. Then just take the screwdriver out and hit the eyelet with hammer. that sounded a lot more complicated than it is! basically do same as you would an eyelet setter but with screwdriver!

I just bought the Making Memories scrapbooking kit thing from Michaels for 38.99 with a 50% coupon making it 20 dollars it was pretty exspensive but it came with a hammer, two needles for stitching, a hole puncher with three settings and the metal tube thingy (sorry i do not know the proper terms) and tweezers and setter in a nice tin case So far i've used it and found it really worked well. Maybe next time you have a michaels coupon this set it's worth it ~candi~

Doesn't everybody just love to "whack"??? I know I do!