Lay the garment on a stone block, piece of scrap wood, or other hard surface, with the rivet head facing down.

Use needle nose pliers to hold to rivet nail in place, making sure the head and nail pieces are still aligned.

Gently tap the back of the rivet with a hammer until the rivet is fastened enough to stay aligned without the pliers.

Remove the pliers, then hold the fabric around the rivet in place and continue to carefully hammer the rivet until it's securely fastened.