Replace Eyelets by Sewing

I have a nice re-usable bag with rope handles, which has lost its eyelets, even though the rest of it is perfectly good. After putting off getting some new eyelets for several years, I decided to try and sew around the holes instead. This is the result. I like to call them my "view of a departing cat" eyelets.

You don't need much for this:

About a yard of thick thread, plus a needle - try to use the smallest needle that will fit the thread.
Scissors, or thread snipper
Something that needs eyelets making...

The hole has a thread wound round inside it, so you need something to wind it round. Stitch a few widely spaced "spokes" around the hole, then pass the thread under them to create a ring in the middle. Go round a few times, gently tightening it. Test the fit of whatever is meant to go through the hole. It should be a little tight.

To put each spoke in, just pass the thread through the hole, and back through the surrounding fabric.

Once you are happy with the hole middle, start putting stitches in the gaps between the spokes. I just went round and round and round, putting one stitch in each space until it was all filled up. Don't put the ends of the stiches all in the same circle - scatter them a bit so you have a mix of long and short stiches. This will stop the fabric getting tightly compressed where you are sewing, and should also make it a bit stronger, too.

Sew the thread into the back of the eyelet, and tie it off and trim the end. You could hide the end of the thread, but I didn't bother.