Convert your cupboard into an 'aquarium'

Most study tables or book cases have glass-front panels. While these panels help you to see what is arranged inside easily, sometimes you may not want others to know what is inside. This is especially true when you stuff things into the cabinet rather hurriedly.

Glass-front panels are nice when the books or objects are neatly placed, spines straightened and colour co-ordinated. But with homework and tests, who can afford to set aside a few minutes every day to keep things neat and tidy?

You can cover up the mess by hanging tiny curtains inside the panels. You can paint or embroider these curtains with goldfish and bubbles to simulate an aquarium.
You will require the following:

-  Light blue-coloured muslin fabric
- Small nails/ hook-type screws
- Nylon thread
- A pair of scissors
- Acrylic paint
- Brushes
- Paper plates
- Gateway tracing paper
- A craft knife
- Some gold and silver sequins
- Fabric glue
- A template of a goldfish

Method: Measure the length of the glass panels from the inside of the cabinet. Add two inches to it and cut the muslin to fit. You can fold the edges of the muslin to form a hem at the top and bottom as indicated. Take the help of an adult to stitch the curtains.

The adult could also help you with the hammering of the nails or hook-type screws as indicated.  

Trace the goldfish on the gateway paper to form a template and cut it with the help of a craft knife. Turn the gateway around and make another tracing of the goldfish on the reverse. Cut this as well. You will now have two stencils with the goldfish looking in opposite directions.

Mix a small amount of orange colour on a paper plate until you get the right shade for a goldfish. Mix a batch of pink and dark blue on two other plates. Place the stencil at random intervals on the curtain and start dabbing the orange colour through the cutouts.

Make sure that the colour is not too watery as it will seep out from under the edges of the stencil. Carefully lift the stencil after you finish one fish, place at a small distance and repeat.

Do the same with the pink colour, using the other stencil. Paint tiny circles of blue above the mouth of your goldfish. After the paint dries, you can place a dot of fabric glue on the eye of the goldfish and place a sequin on it.

Iron the muslin on the reverse after 24 hours.  Cut a length of nylon thread and insert into the hems at the top and bottom of the curtains.

Tie the ends to the nails inside the cabinet, making sure the painted side faces outwards when the doors are closed.