Look, when you went on that awesome roadtrip last summer, you left Goldie at home. And that rockin’ concert you went to last weekend, same deal. Goldie held down the fort. He did that for you.

Sure, it’s not “practical” to take Goldie with you wherever you go… and we’ve all heard that goldfish only remember the last 30 seconds anyway, but even Goldie deserves a vacation, right?

Here’s a project that’ll help you satisfy Goldie’s wanderlust while keeping him safely submerged in his aquatic home.

Give the ole fishtank a photo makeover. It’s easy, looks great, and Goldie gets a glamorous new view!

Read our tutorial to find out how…

So why a photo aquarium? Besides giving your scaly pal a beautiful new vista, it’s a great way to freshen up your home or apartment. Or surprise a friend and dress up his fishtank for the holidays!

You can make a photo aquarium with everything from the tiniest plastic tank to the very largest glass behemoth.

What You’re About to Make

Before we get started, here’s a quick look at what we’re working towards.

Ingredient List

• Ruler
  
• Scissors
  
• Double-sided tape or sticky tack
  
• Photo
  
• Aquarium
  
• Fish!

Photo ideas

A great photo aquarium requires a great photo. Here are some photo ideas to get you going:

• Other animals (Example: your kitty, ready to pounce)

• Landscapes and cityscapes (Take Goldie to the Grand Canyon or Times Square!)

• Large portraits or colorful, abstract photos that match your aquarium rocks and decor

• Small, fish-sized subjects to give Goldie some new friends. Maybe a photo edited to show 2″ versions of you and your friends!

Step 1: Measure your tank

First things first, you’ll want to measure the back of your aquarium.

You’ll use these measurements to ensure your photo’s large enough to cover the entire back pane of your tank, overlapping the metal on the top and bottom.

It’s a simple step, but remember to include the metal borders–not just the glass–when measuring the height of your tank.

Step 2: Print Your Photo

When printing your photo, be sure the height and width equal or exceed the dimensions of the back of your aquarium. If you have a large tank, you may need to get your prints made online with a printer with larger sizes available.

We recommend matte prints over glossy–they mean less glare reflecting off your photo.

Step 3: Crop & Prepare Your Photo

Choose a good crop that matches the tank dimensions you measured earlier and draw it in on the back of your photo.

Use scissors or an exacto knife to crop your photo. (You may want to leave a little extra just in case and trim it off later if you need to.)

Step 4: Stick it On!

Stick double sided tape, sticky tack, or plain tape rolled up, to the four corners of the front of your photo. Don’t fret — the hood on the top and rocks on the bottom of the aquarium will hide the tape.

Press your picture to the outside (repeat after us, outside) of the back of your aquarium, facing forward.

Ta da! You’re done!

Yes, it was that easy. And your photo will not only show through the front, it’ll also reflect at fun angles through the sides. You’ve got a beautiful new tank, and you’ve given your friend Goldie a fresh new outlook on life!

Take it Further…

Any time Goldie gets bored, simply swap out his photo for a new one. Take him around the world by bringing back photos for his tank whenever you travel.

• Aquariums made out of Macs

• Coffee Table Aquarium

• A Fish Tank in a TV!

Photojojo’s New Pet Fish, ‘The Raj’

PHOTO CREDITS: Bruno Girin (pyramids), Fazen (cat), Mosseby (Taj Mahal), Amit Gupta (step-by-step)

Make Perfect Photo Gifts in 15 Minutes — Introducing the Photojojo DIY Photo Block Kit
We're very proud of this one. We've been working for months to perfect our Do-It-Yourself Photo Blocks -- the perfectly simple photo gifts you can make...

The Game of Photo-opoly! — Customize Your Own Board Game with Your Photos
Uncle Herman may be a greedy, monopolistic tycoon, but you're the one with the deed for your sister Betty's dusty old garage. In the game of...

Make iPod Ad Silhouettes From Your Photos
Unless you've been living under a stack of LPs and 8-tracks for the past few years, you've seen the too-hip-for-you iPod ads everywhere by now....

Want more?
Photojojo covers the best photo projects,
DIY ideas, and gear, twice a week.

Subscribe by Email We solemnly swear: "No spam, not ever"

or, Grab our RSS → What's RSS? | How do I use it?