ooh, Bonnie, that's a GREAT idea! Wow, what a way to improvise! It would work beautifully. If your entry area is skinny, like mine, and you don't have room for a bench that permanently sticks out, you could get a stool, and slide it under, next to the boots. I don't know for sure what they're called, either. I had a neat looking wooden one that was one of the first ones I saw, and it looked very nice. In a rental apt., where you can't hang stuff on the walls, that was really nice! it didn't have doors, the way some of them do now, but it was still very useful. I can't use one in my current home--a window 0ver the toilet in one bathroom, and a cabinet on the wall in the other--so I donated it somewhere. But what a neat other use for them! You could add hooks to the sides, or even get those double hooks to hang from the underside of the top section, just like the cubbies at day-care have! Michie, there IS a wicker cabinet like that (search "preserves cabinet")--it's a bit more money, and doesn't have a drawer. But that drawer is a teeny bit high for a short kid. The reason I didn't point you to that cabinet is, it's hard to attach hooks to the wicker, and I think the hooks are important--hanging the clothes up means she can see what she wants to use. You could use a freestanding coat tree, though. Do a Froogle.com search on "coat tree" + child's, and you'll see lots of them, in prices from $20 to $80. The only think I'd think is, there are only 4 hooks on most of them--not a lot, but better than nothing. I also don't trust clothes trees not to fall over. Another reason NOT to put dress-up stuff in a big box: when they're trying to find the necklaces that have slide to the bottom, they dig EVERYTHING out and throw it on the floor. (how old is this kid? And are you gonna have any money--or ROOM--left to get her presents *next* Christmas? My kids are 10 and 6, and I've realized that too much at Christmas is a bad thing. When there's a lot of stuff, it just doesn't register. It's disappointing to me to scale back, but it's necessary. Plus, there are so many OTHER people giving them presents, it's just too much STUFF.) Good luck!

Well, I'm not sure which way to go, but I REALLY do appreciate all the responses. It seems like 'the vote' is leaning toward NOT putting fabric behind the glass, which was the majority opinion in the first place!!! Like I said, I just had to satisfy my curiosity. I may play around with putting the fabric I puchased inside the cabinet on the back. As with most any project, there are quite a few options and no ONE right way to do it. BTW, sharon, I just wanted to clarify that I'm using this cabinet in the office/sewing room to store my sewing supplies.

I would really like to. But as of right now, I don't even know what any of my kids are going to wear. We have had a crazy October and it just hasn't gotten done. That is today's single goal. I'm browsing, looking for original but simples ideas. As soon as they get home from school, we're making decisions. First, we'll go through the "Box of Halloweens Past," get creative, and go for any supplies we still need. So if that goes well and I get inspired instead of frustrated, maybe I'll think of something for myself. I don't go anywhere special, just walk with kids around the neighborhood/answer the door. But it would still be fun. I just read an idea on line for "substitute teacher." Dressing in "teacher clothes," then making it all disarrayed, hair frazzled, chalk prints on the clothes, paper airplane in the hair, "kick me" note on the back. I was actually thinking of wearing it to school book fair tomorrow (I'm volunteering all day). Since I actually am one, it might get some laughs. My 15 y/o likes to do something with a pun. Last year he was "white trash." Cover w/white trash bag and tape pieces of trash all over himself. He and a neighbor both. I could see him walk up to people several houses away, then just hear the hooting laughter and knew they asked "what are you" and he answered. I was a little nervous he might offend someone, but he said absolutely everyone that it was very funny. And some thought it was hysterical! LOL! I still have to get candy, too. I decided to just give full size candy bars this year. I almost bought them two weeks ago, but DD said, "Moo-ooom! You know we'll eat them all before Halloween!" And I knew she was right. ;o) We will have tons of kids, many of whom we know well.

I have french doors at the end of my dining room, and no matter what the color of the drapes, they are going to look like a big blob when closed. You might consider mixing the drapes with patterned or textured blinds, in which case you could open the drapes most of the time, particularly when you were in there. Or if you are handy, sew a patterned panel into the bottom of the drapes. But no matter how you slice it, closed long drapes are a big blob of something on a wall. If it were me, I'd spend the money on blinds for the windows and mix them with the current drapes. Another option I considered for privacy was fake or real stained glass inserts.