How To: Make an Impossible-to-Find Doortop Safe to Hide Secrets, Cash, & Other Valuables

Thanks to the internet and its increasingly lack of privacy, secrets don't even seem safe in our own homes anymore. So how do you hide your secrets, stash your cash, or keep your valuable jewelry out of sight where no one can find it? Well, the answer might be right above you... if you're standing under the threshold of a door, that is.

Instead of going out and buying a super expensive safe for your valuables, keep your riches hidden in your home. Literally. You can use any wooden door in your house or apartment to hide any small item you need without anyone figuring out your secrets. It's the most unsuspecting place to keep things hidden.

What You'll Need

• A drill (with regular drill bits)
• Cigar tube
• 1¼ inch spade bit
• 1 inch spade bit
• Magnet
• Large 1¼ inch washer
• Small ½ inch washer
• Lock washer
• Machine screw (flat head, not round head)
• Hex nut for screw

How to Build It

1. Drill a small whole in the center of the cigar tube's lid.

2. Slightly drill the center of the large washer to create a small bezel so that the screw sits flat.

3. Fit the screw in and secure it with a small washer, lock washer, and hex nut.

4. Once you've chosen which door you will use, mark the inner corner in the middle and drill a small pilot hole.

5. Take the 1¼ spade bit (the size of your large washer) and drill into the small hole you created. Don't drill more than the thickness of the washer.

6. Take the 1 inch spade bit (that is a little wider than your cigar tube) and drill into the door until it is long enough to fit the entire tube.

7. Fill your tube up with treasure, slip it into the door, and use the magnet to retrieve it any time you need.

Whether you're trying to keep a family heirloom hidden, or you want to keep the Krabby Patty recipe safe from Plankton himself, this door is a great place to hide your valuables in plain sight. You'll always have you're eye on it, knowing your enemies will never find where it is.

For more details and more step-by-step pictures, check out Sean Michael Ragan's post over on MAKE.

More DIY Secret Hiding Places

• How to Make a Super Secret Book Safe
• How to Make a Secret Safe Out of DVD Cases
• How to Make a Super Secret Wall Safe for Less Than $3
• How to Hollow Out a Book to Keep Your Tablet Safe & Sound