There are a bunch of advantages to picking this spot. The first is that these items are both ubiquitous and totally invaluable to anybody who isn’t interested in vacation pictures. The second is that it makes perfect sense to grab your photo album if there’s a fire, even if there isn’t anything extra hidden inside.
If the pictures are inside small plastic sleeves you can slip tiny pieces of paper or big bills behind them. Since albums are often boring and cheap-looking, they rarely catch a criminal’s eye.
A Colorful Stash Spot
If you're someone who likes to give rooms a fresh color every once in a while, you've probably thrown out your fair share of paint cans. Next time, save one of them, clean it out, and keep it with the others that still have paint in them. Don't forget to put the lid back in place!
Stacked among all the others, it's a one-in-a-hundred chance of finding the right one, even if they think to look inside. Want to keep something REALLY safe? Put your things in a sealed plastic bag inside a can that still has paint in it!
Create a False Bottom in a Drawer
A classic hiding spot, but one that can still be useful is the false bottom. All you should do is cut a one-fourth inch piece of plywood one-sixteenth of an inch shorter than the drawer opening. Now, put it on some wood strips that you've hot-glued to the bottom.
Hot glue another item to the top of the false bottom to make a handle, which you can easily grab and lift to reveal the secret goodies that you wanted to keep protected. Use wood that is the same color and type as the drawer.
Use Some Fake Plumbing Pipes
We all have some white PVC pipes sticking through walls SOMEWHERE in our homes, especially in crawl spaces or utility rooms. It's pretty cheap to go to the hardware store, pick up a few pipes and a cleanout plug (which you can open), and attach them to the wall in a manner you find easiest. Glue, probably. Then, use the cleanout plug as a handy hiding spot that will never get wet.
The people looking for your stuff won't even think about opening it! Make sure this one doesn't stand out and that plumber knows there's nothing wrong with it.
A Sneaky Sporty Hiding Place
Even if you don't play tennis or have a dog, we wouldn't be surprised if you have a tennis ball or two at home somewhere. As long as you're willing to sacrifice one, you can use a knife to cut one open and remove the guts. You suddenly have a hiding spot that will take a moment to suss out.
We don't recommend putting really valuable things in here, since it could be easy to tell it isn't a normal tennis ball. Also, make sure this one doesn't hang out in the garage with the other balls to avoid confusion.
Behind a Drawer
Frequently, drawers don't go all the way back to the edge of the cabinet. There's space between the back of the drawer and the wall, or wood, or whatever. It's easy enough to take an envelope and some tape and attach a couple of big bills or some really important documents where nobody would think to look – deep inside a kitchen cabinet.
You could also do this in the bathroom, the office, the bedroom, or anywhere that has drawers to pull out. This might be one of the easiest spots on the list!
Not Too Visible
There are some hiding places that could be completely visible, and no one would ever know there is something valuable inside. Any kind of item that has a cavity you can easily access would function. These include old vacuum cleaners, computer towers, printers, televisions, children's toys – the list goes on.
You'll want to make sure they aren't too noticeable, or thieves might start to get wise. You'll also need to make sure that family or friends that you live with are aware the item is important so your valuables don't get thrown out or donated without your knowledge.
A Fake Outlet
Fake outlets are a well-known hiding spot as long as you're in the business of hiding (or hunting for) valuables in homes, but that doesn't mean they aren't useful. You can find outlet safes at places like Bed Bath and Beyond or online for low prices, and they aren't that difficult to install as long as you're a bit handy.
You'll, of course, have to use an outlet that isn't powered up, but even if a break-in artist knows about the trick, they're unlikely to go around trying all the outlets to find your favorite pearl necklace.
The False Air Return Trick
Want to create your own special hiding place? Get the tools out. An air return is a grille in the wall that brings air back into the vents, but it's relatively easy to make a fake one to stash the goods.
First cut a space in the wall between the studs that would fit any old grille. Get screws into the corners of the wall around where the grille will be, and attach electromagnets to the back of the grille so it sticks to the screwheads. Finally, glue grille screwheads to the front of the grille.
Time to Hide Your Valuables
Personally, I find clocks pretty cool. If I was a robber, they're mostly what I would steal. But, I'm not a criminal, of course. If you need a quick place to stash some flat items, there might be a little opening behind a wall or mantel clock. You could hold valuables inside the cavities or fasten them to the back.
You'll have to make sure that the clock itself isn't worth stealing, as previously discussed, but most basic wall clocks are probably pretty safe. This is the kind of place that works best for simple items.
A False-Bottom Birdhouse
Ah, the humble birdhouse. The kind of thing that parents and kids can build together to invite feathered friends. But it can also be a handy hiding spot for items you might need outside, like emergency keys. Build a false bottom into the birdhouse that opens with a hinge and attaches with a hook, and you're ready to go.
There are probably hundreds of different designs out there you can pick from. Who will think to look for goods in a bird's house? Plus, some nice songbirds are always a bonus!
Hidden by Grains
If you have a few small jars, it's easy to create simple hiding spots that are always within reach. Take a jar, tape down an empty toilet paper roll or something similar to the bottom of it, fill it up with valuables, and put the roll in with beans, grains, legumes – even sugar or spices.
It's the perfect hiding spot for petty cash in the kitchen. You can even still use the jars to actually store items you cook or bake with, as long as you make sure to refill the jars to hide the roll within.
A Stinky Hiding Spot
Even if you live alone, you're bound to have an old pair of sneakers lying around somewhere to use for this option. A lot of shoes have a removable liner, the foam pad that your foot rests on top of inside the shoe, and if you were a robber in the night, would you check there?
No, we didn't think so. Not only does this option work at home, but it can also work if you're out and about. Just make sure you aren't wearing sneakers that are nice enough to steal on their own.
The Hidden Stair Safe
This one definitely takes a lot of work, but if you're willing to put in the time you'll have a big hiding spot that won't be easy to find. You'll first have to remove a tread (the part that you walk on) from your stairs.
You should be able to attach a hinge to the back, allowing you to lift the tread up and access the interior of the stair. Now, you should have a big enough space to hold all kinds of important documents, cash, and even bigger valuables that you want to remain hidden.
Planted for Only You to Find
A lot of us have empty pill bottles lying around, or some other small container that is good for a few small bills or other essential items. Put them inside, make sure to cap them off securely, and bury them inside a random houseplant.
You'll probably have a lump of dirt, but you can cover it up with a pinecone, turn the plant so it's facing the wall, or use a little more dirt to smooth the lump out. The plant might actually like that, and since you did just intrude on its space, it's only fair to give it a little more.
A Doorway to Secrets
You'd be surprised how easy it is to create this unique kind of hiding spot. Choose a nice, solid wood, and use a drill to make a hole big enough for something like a cigar tube or an old film container.
Push it down into the hole, and you can be sure that nobody will find that thing. Your new hiding spot might not be able to hold anything that is very big, but you can still keep some emergency cash, a flash drive with important documents, or other smaller items safe and secure.
A Secret Seat
Is there anywhere you can't hide something? Chairs are yet another option, as long as they're the right kind.
A dining room chair can be a sneaky good place to hide some items. Remove the cushion from the chair and attach it to the frame again by using a few simple hinges, and you'll have a perfect hiding spot. Few will think to look here since it doesn't even look like there could be any space there. They might be sitting right on top of what they're looking for.
Nobody Is Going to Steal a Diaper
Everybody who knows what a diaper is for won't ever be interested in stealing one. If you're headed to the beach, you can keep your valuables a little safer by wrapping them up inside a disposable diaper.
If you have young children, a diaper hiding spot is perfectly natural to have near you – nobody will try to investigate it. Even if you don't have kids, a lot of crimes of opportunity will be stopped by hiding it inside something that usually smells.
Hidden in the Wall
This hiding spot is a little harder to build without professional help, but it can certainly be done. There are lots of tiles in bathrooms and kitchens, and any one of them, as long as there is space on the other side, can be used to create a small pull-out drawer.
A small drawer cut in the right size with some small rollers and topped with a tile will create a hiding spot that is right there waiting to be opened...but nobody will try to work their fingernails under every tile, just to see if it slides open.
Inside a Picture Frame
One of the more common places to hide your valuables is behind a picture frame, but it's become so well-known it isn't recommended anymore. However, one thing that can still be done is hiding valuables INSIDE a picture frame.
Choose a favorite pic and create a frame that has a lot of interior space. You can't hide a whole lot of big items, but there is space for cash, keys, envelopes of important documents, or maybe some pictures that you REALLY need to keep hidden.
Where to Hide the Really Good Stuff
You probably aren't looking to hide your cash and jewelry in the freezer, but you can still use it to keep some things safe. Kids are preternaturally good at finding sweets and treats, but they'd never think to look inside a bag of peas, frozen green beans, or anything green/orange.
Once you're done enjoying the healthy goodness of some veggies, keep the bag and hide it in the back of the freezer. You can now fill it up with candy, cookies, or other things you don't want kids to paw at. They might never figure it out.
Turn Old CDs Into a New Hiding Spot
We all owned a pile of CDs at one point. Most of us don't really need to keep them around anymore, but they can still be useful. Take a stack of them (it's up to you how big you want this spot to be, as long as you have the discs to use) and create an opening inside. Yes, this will render the discs unusable.
Take a final CD to use as the lid, this will be used both as camouflage and as a nifty handle for revealing the good bits inside.
Delicious Mayonnaise Money
If you've just scooped out the last of that eggy goodness, don't throw the bottle away just yet – it can make for a handy hiding spot. Wash it out until it's pristine, and then find a paint that is the same color as mayo to paint the inside. You might have to take some time making it actually look like it's mayonnaise.
Once you're done, you'll have a clean spot to store some items in the fridge. You'd be surprised how many robbers don't think to check inside every bottle of mayonnaise when they've broken into a home.
Fake Plants to the Rescue
Even if they aren't real plants, a little bit of greenery can really spruce the place up. However, fake plants give you yet another option: a secret place to hide your goods. Since plastic greenery doesn't have roots and doesn't need dirt, you can pretty easily create a nifty opening in the flower pot, as long as you have the right kind of cover on top of it, such as the picture shows.
In fact, you might be able to do it with some of the plastic plants you already have lying around. How about that – functional AND stylish.
Drawers Hold All Kinds of Stuff
As long as you pick a drawer that has a little bit of a deep edge, you can turn almost any of them into a practical little hiding spot. With some extra plywood, cut a piece that slides out after a little bit of pulling – you don't want it to be too easy to discover.
Just like that, you have a hiding spot that could be in your bathroom, kitchen, or office, and isn't too tough to make on your own. Store cash, documents, or some of your personal treasures!
Just Make Sure the Hornets Are Gone
Hornets nests. Usually, when you see them hanging in the corner of your roof, sweat starts dripping down your face. However, hornets are migratory, meaning eventually they'll move on, leaving the nest behind.
If that's the case for the one you need to get rid of, you can take it down, clean it out, and create a hole that is big enough for a little hiding spot. Place it back where it was using some tape or other adhesive, and you have an entirely unexpected spot to keep keys or anything else. As long as the hornets don't come back.
Where in the World are the Valuables?
Keeping secret items inside a globe might seem like something out of a spy movie, but it can really be done. You could always spring for the full section that opens in the middle to turn it into a safe.
Or, you could pick just one small bit of the globe – somewhere that's special to you, maybe – and chisel out a small space to keep items you don't want others finding. You'll need a steady hand and a little bit of skill to make sure you don't create a mess or something that is too easy to discover.
A Water Bottle
Obviously, you can put your stuff inside a water bottle, but that will be fairly easy to find if the thieves lay their eyes on it. What's a little tougher is a bottle that has a secret dry compartment behind the label, but still looks like a regular bottle with a removable cap.
It's excellent for stashing jewelry you don't want anyone to find, but there isn't a whole lot of space to take advantage of. If you need to keep anything bigger start looking for other options.
Small Tubes
If you have a pack of markers, it's pretty likely that you have some markers that don't have any ink left in them. Or, maybe you've been meaning to throw out those nearly empty tubes of chapstick that clutter one of your drawers.
Hold on a second – as long as they're carefully cleaned out, they're the perfect hiding spot for a bit of security cash or some important documents that you want to keep away from prying eyes.
Fake Firewood
If you have a fireplace but rarely end up using it, you might end up having some firewood sitting next to it that is little more than decorative. It could be the perfect, unthinkable spot for some of your valuables.
Improve your woodworking skills with an online guide that will teach you how to do this. You'll just have to make a basic drawer and glue the log back together. Of course, take heed not to toss this piece into the fireplace. Mark it or set it up in some way so you can remember.
Saving It For the Winter
If you have a closet full of winter coats or sweaters, they can make for a nifty hiding spot during the warm months. Few people who are trying to find your valuables will look through every pocket of the items hanging in your closet. Once the weather starts to turn sour, of course, you'll need to relocate them to a different spot.
This is the kind of hiding spot that big families will be able to take advantage of, both for keeping things from each other, and from intruders.
A Kitty Litter Box — No Kitten Needed
Hiding your valuables in a kitty litter box definitely wouldn't work if you have a kitty in the house. For obvious reasons. But, if your home is pet-free, creating a fake litter box just might be the trick to keeping your important items safe from snatching hands.
Wrap them in a Ziploc bag and place them under the kitty litter. Somebody who is familiar with your home will know to look there, but somebody who breaks in wouldn't bother. Again, if you do actually have a cat, this spot might not work. Or...will it work even better?
The Classic Book Safe
Ah, the book-safe. Used ever since 1973, when Thomas Booksafe hid his chewing gum in the pages of a Stephen King novel. In reality, a book safe is a fun idea, but it's not the best place to hide your valuables. Still, they're relatively easy to make on your own and can be fun gifts.
Take a book you don't like (we recommend anything from the “Twilight” series), glue about two-thirds of the book's pages together, slice through the center of those pages to make an opening and start stashing. Optionally, line it with felt for a smoother look.
An Entire Fake Bookshelf
If a single book isn't big enough to hold your secret stuff, why not an entire bookshelf? You'll need a collection of books, and you'll have to be willing to sacrifice those books. Chop them down to their spines and the tops, and glue them to a couple of pieces of wood that make a space that will hide on your shelves and make a wonderful hiding spot.
Of course, if anyone is actually interested in reading any of the books, your secret will be revealed, so we recommend dry textbooks or reference books as the camouflage.
Under the Numbers
A lot of people nowadays use the number pad on the right side of a normal keyboard for everyday work, but if you aren't one of those people, you can still get some use out of it. Pry it off, remove the electronic components, and stash some of your valuables behind it before placing the pad back on.
You won't be able to have anything too big there, but in an old, outdated keyboard, this is the perfect option – nobody is going to steal one of those.
A High-Tech Hiding Spot
You might have an old Xbox or Xbox 360 unit lying around that you don't use anymore. You can use the newer versions to play all the old games, so why not repurpose the old box into something else?
Open up the Xbox and remove all the parts to make a perfect hiding spot. There are even people who sell them pre-cleaned out and with a hinge added to make it even easier. Of course, if someone busts into your home, they might think that the game console sitting on your shelf is the perfect little item to nab.
VHS Tape Boxes
We're here to let you know: nobody watches VHS tapes anymore. Sorry, but it's true. If you still have a big collection of tapes lying around, you can still use them to store some valuables.
Whether you want to toss the tapes themselves and just use the little cardboard boxes as hiding spots, or you're interested in cleaning out the tape and reels from the VHS tapes themselves, both options will work to keep people from going through your stuff. Unless they're really good tapes, like “Toy Story” or “Aladdin,” your stuff is probably going to be perfectly safe.
Under Your Trash
It may surprise you to learn that trash cans can get pretty dirty. We know! It's incredible. But, even if something is dirty, that doesn't mean it can't still be useful. Keep some of your valuables in a Ziploc bag underneath the can liner or in a false bottom to discourage criminals from finding them.
Only the most desperate of thieves will go pawing through your bin to find something good, and even if they are doing that, they're probably just more interested in finding something to eat.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Take a big bin into the garage and label it something like “Christmas decorations” or “Old kid's clothes” and put the items you want to keep away from prying eyes inside.
As long as you have a few other bins that actually have the kinds of things you would find in garage storage, they make the perfect smokescreen for places to hide valuables. Make sure you don't label them “Donations” or “Toys” or anything like that – you don't want them getting carted off or opened up by anyone else who might reveal the secret to others.
Behind Pictures in an Album
There are a bunch of advantages to picking this spot. The first is that these items are both ubiquitous and totally invaluable to anybody who isn't interested in vacation pictures. The second is that it makes perfect sense to grab your photo album if there's a fire, even if there isn't anything extra hidden inside.
If the pictures are inside small plastic sleeves you can slip tiny pieces of paper or big bills behind them. Since albums are often boring and cheap-looking, they rarely catch a criminal's eye.
Keep the Thermometer Around
Thanks to our handy dandy cell phones, not a lot of us need mercury thermometers in the home anymore. But, here's a reason not to get rid of them just yet. You can not only make your own with a little bit of DIY knowledge, but you can also buy them pre-made at certain stores.
They have a small compartment behind them to hold a few items you might need such as keys and cash. Not only that, but these items do still have a useful function, even if smartphones have largely co-opted them.
Keep Some Old Batteries Around
This one is so ingenious it seems like it could be right out of a James Bond movie. Once batteries lost their charge, you're always tempted to throw them away, but hold on to them for a tricky hiding spot nobody will see coming.
Carefully clean the batteries out, and make it so the contact pads slide away, as the pictures show. It's not the biggest hiding spot, but in a pinch, you can stash a few items inside, depending on the size of the battery.
The Incredible Sliding Fireplace
If you're really interested in making a secret compartment, then try building it behind your fireplace. First off, the fireplace cannot, in any way, be a real fireplace. You don't want that kind of smoke damage, trust us.
You might be able to swing a gas fireplace, but we'll leave that up to the home improvement experts. It will work like a sliding door, and the space behind will be pretty significant. There's enough to store all of your valuables or create a fun little area for something special.
Putting a Toe-Kick to Work
A “toe-kick” is the small recessed space under a kitchen or bathroom cabinet that has a little bit more space for your feet to fit. You probably have a number of these places, and with a little bit of woodworking, you can create a hiding spot that only the cleverest of crooks might be able to find.
Whether you make them with a hinge, leave them easy to open, or make it so they have to be pried away, people will still have to get down to their hands and knees to find the things you've hidden.
Beneath the Aquarium
This one can be a dynamite spot to keep your valuables out of sight. Plenty of fish tanks have a little riser underneath that lifts it off whatever table or desk it's resting on, and with a bit of woodworking, you can make a hidden drawer.
This can be as basic or as fancy as you want – as long as it's hard for people to see when they're looking for hiding spots. But maybe don't put REALLY important things there – it is hidden under a bunch of dirty water, after all.
Hairbrush Hiding Spot
You might already have this hiding spot at your disposal, and you might not even know it. A lot of regular plastic hair brushes come with a top part that you can easily unscrew or otherwise remove, revealing a hollow space (as long as it's one of the circular types of hairbrushes, anyway).
If you want a quick and easy place to store something valuable, this might work. It's a good choice for keeping items safe if you're traveling abroad – nobody is going to steal a humble hairbrush when they go through your bag.
Nobody Looks in the Knobs
If you're trying to find a small hiding place that might already be in your home, here's another option. A lot of sofas and beds with metal frames have knobs on the end to give them a little bit of flair, and they can easily be removed.
The spaces inside are quite small, but if you're looking for a place for a miniature item, it might be the right size. Go on and try to unscrew the posts for some of your furniture and you might find you have more options for keeping valuables safe than you thought.
A Deck of Cards for Your Money
If you really want to keep some items safe in a small area, consider using a deck of cards. All this little job requires is a deck of old cards and completely transparent glue.
Glue all but one of the cards into a pile, and then use a letter opener – oh, right, you'll also need a letter opener – to cut a hole in the center. Place your items inside, and leave the last card or cards as a lid. Slip everything back into the box it came out of and you're good to go.
Tissue Boxes For Valuables
Everybody has probably half a dozen boxes in their home. Turns out they can be a rather handy hiding spot. Cut a small opening in the side of the box, shift the tissues up, and slide your special items or your goodies underneath.
This is for sure not the kind of place to keep your really important stuff, but if you need a quick stash for things you don't want others finding, it's a pretty clever idea. Of course, once the tissues are all gone, you'll need to find a different spot.
Sitting Pretty
You've probably got an old bike sitting around that you aren't using anymore, so why not have it pull its weight a little bit? If you do use your bike a lot, you can use the seat to keep your valuables safe.
As long as the tube that keeps the bike seat upright is hollow, you should be able to pull the bike seat out of its connection and hide some items inside. Grab a cork to make sure none of the stuff falls out, and you're golden.
Staying Cool in the Freezer
If you're looking for a quick way to gain a little bit of security the next time you're out on a trip - wrap up some things you want to keep safe in aluminum foil and store them in the back of the freezer.
This not only makes them appear to be vegetables that you're keeping for later – both uninteresting to thieves, and also a good way to keep them safe in case of potential fires. It in no way ensures their safety, but the airtight quality of the freezer might just protect them from the heat and smoke.