Back in the old timey days, before they had metal eyelets, people used to create embroidered eyelets.  Just because metal eyelets are now more of the norm, doesn't mean that embroidered eyelets are obsolete.  In fact, embroidered eyelets can be use not only as a type of fastener but they can also be quite decorative and beautiful.  If you want to create a more authentic period costume consider the embroidered eyelet.  Want to add a unique, eye-catching embellishment?  How about an embroidered eyelet?  With a few simple tools, you can definitely pull one off, and with practice, they'll look better and better.  In my examples, I did round embroidered eyelets, but you can easily make these into different shapes and get really creative with them.