What are grommets?
When people refer to grommets, they either mean a hole in material that is reinforced with a hard ring usually made of metal or plastic, or they mean the ring itself. The word grommet is derived from the Old French word: gromette, meaning chain joining the ends of a bit, from gourmer, to bridle. If you have ever been camping, you know what a grommet is; the grommets are the rings through which you drive the tent stakes into the ground. You can also see simple examples of grommets if you look at a commercial tarp used to cover outdoor furniture, cars, boats or woodpiles. Most tarps have grommets installed around the edges so they can be lashed down with rope or cords to keep the tarp from flapping around in the wind. Grommets come in countless sizes, although they are generally round in shape. Their main purpose is to reinforce the area around a hole cut into any type of fabric or plastic. By providing that reinforcement, the grommets eliminate any fraying or cutting through of the hole
