I have a grommet tool that has made installing grommets a real cinch! I've put them in belts, purses, and more. You can get one for less than $15. I got mine at a fabric store and it came with multiple sizes of grommets. Google "grommet tool" and you should have no trouble finding one. Hope this helps!

I put in a shade pull on one window and I just poked a tiny hole very near the wood slat in the hem...I didn't want to see the hole and I think a grommet will emphasize it more...

I made my own pulls out of a thin ribbon and a large button...or I've crocheted in cotton thread over a metal ring....

This post was edited by AnnieDeighnaugh on Sun, Jan 13, 13 at 21:35

Annie, what material is your shade? This one I'm using is a thin vinyl. I got the grommet idea by Googling "how to attach a shade pull" and a Martha Steward website showed the use of small grommets. Makes sense when you say the grommet would emphasize the hole. I'm worried that if I merely make a hole in the vinyl and thread cord through that, the material will eventually tear when I pull down on the shade pull. Maybe not? Perhaps the hole being "very near the slat" helps to prevent that tho. This shade has a plastic slat.

I think I'll practice on a piece of the shade that I removed when I was cutting it to fit. Thanks for the input.

Spent this afternoon working on this idea of a shade pull. I went to JoAnns for ideas, cord for the pull, something to reinforce the hole. Just putting a hole through the vinyl near the edge of the hem with the slat did not work. Tried white duct tape on the reverse side of the hole before punching, didn't like the way the shadow of the duct tape shown through for one, plus it may work if two pieces were used - one on the back, one on the front. But I thought it looked tacky. What about the glue gun? If I were to smear a small circle of hot glue around the hole, that should help resist tearing shouldn't it? or too messy?

I couldn't find the type of cord I was looking for either. Chose some thin white cord used in upholstery and then the fabric cutter at JoAnns brought me some regular cord used for sewing Roman shades, in red. Both frayed really badly when I tried to thread the ends through the hole and through the pull. I think what I need is more like heavy string?

If I replace the plastic slat with a thin piece of wood, could I then push a sharp tack through it and secure it on the backside somehow? I'm thinking along the lines of those buttons or pins that come in two pieces, one is pushed on the back to hold it.

Maybe a tiny grommet is the way the go afterall. I put everything away until I come up with something.