7 Clever Hiding Places To Stash Your Valuables

Shady roommates? Worried about burglars? Or just want to be on the safe side when you're on vacation or misplace your house key? If you want to protect your cash, diaries, or other precious items from overly curious glances or sticky fingers, here are 7 clever secret hiding spots that thieves will never think to check.

1. Disguised Teddy Bear

You'll need

stuffed animal
small Mason jar
hot glue

Here's how:

1.1 Unfortunately you will have to briefly detach Mr. Bear's head from his body, but it's all for the greater good and the two will be reunited shortly!

1.2 Remove enough stuffing from the neck and body of the stuffed animal for a small Mason jar to fit inside. Place the mason jar in the torso of the stuffed animal so that the edge of the jar lines up with the bear's neck.

1.3 Glue the inner neck area of the stuffed animal to the ribbed edges of the jar.

1.4 Glue the stuffed animal head to the edge of the lid.

1.5 Now you can deposit your treasures in the Mason jar and seal it with the teddy's head. No one will suspect what this stuffed animal's got stashed away!

2. Decoy Sticky Note Block

You'll need:

sticky note block
craft knife

Here's how:

Cut out a rectangle in the center of the note block, but leave an undamaged layer of paper on the top and bottom.

Tip: For a larger version, you can do the same with a book you no longer need.

3. Hidden House Key

You'll need:

small container with screw cap (like a prescription bottle)
inconspicuous stone (pick one from your garden or yard so it matches the others around it)
super glue

Here's how:

3.1 Glue the stone to the lid of the container.

3.2 Place the key in the container and screw on the lid, which is glued to the stone.

3.3 Dig out a small hole in the ground that will fit the container. Stick the container in the hole so that the stone sits normally on top and doesn't stand out.

4. Book Safe

You'll need:

books you no longer need
small box
hot glue

Here's how:

4.1 How many books you need depends on how wide the box is. The books should be taller than the box and the combined width should be the same as the box. First, remove all of the pages from the books.

4.2 Cut the book covers so that only about an inch remains on either side of the book spine.

Note: Make sure to leave the front cover on the first book and the back cover on the last book so that they will look like real books.

4.3 Glue the book spines together on the outsides of the remaining "lids."

4.4 Glue the inner wall of the intact front and back covers to the sides of the box.

4. Place your hidden safe on the bookshelf and others will be none the wiser that the literary classics are housing your valuables. It's best to put the box on top of the shelf so that no one can see that the books are really just covers. Also make sure that the books don't protrude past the other books on the shelf.

5. Fake Sunscreen

You'll need

clean and empty sunscreen bottle
utility knife

Here's how:

5.1 Just remove the bottle cap and cut out half of the neck area with a box cutter.

5.2 Put your money and small valuables in the bottle and put the cap back on. No one will suspect that the bottle is housing anything other than some serious protection against the sun.

6. Trick Lip Balm

Another way to make use of this handy cosmetic product is to remove the lip balm stick within the container, push a rolled-up bill into the shell, and put the lid back on top. Easy breezy!