How to Hide Things in Your Dorm Room
Original image by RODNAE Productions from Pexels.
SMALL ITEM
Use an old textbook.
Stash cash between pages. For other items, make a secret compartment.
Open the book to page 50 or beyond.
Use a razor blade or a sharp knife to cut a square hole in the center of the book. Use a metal ruler to guide you, and keep repeating your cut lines to go deeper and deeper.
Remove the square cut-out pages.
Put the item in the compartment.
Reshelve the book.
Use a potted plant.
Seal the item in a plastic bag.
Dig a hole several inches deep in the soil.
Bury the bag.
Construct a beer can safe.
Using a nail or pen, poke a small hole in one side of a beer can, near the bottom. Drink or discard the contents.
Use scissors or tin snips to cut away the side of the can with the hole, leaving the top and bottom intact.
Stash valuables in the can and place it on a wall covered with other, similar cans. Make sure the hole in the can faces the wall.
Use electrical outlets.
This location is suitable for very small and dry items only.
Use a screwdriver to unscrew the switch plate that surrounds a light switch or electrical outlet.
Insert the item in the wall cavity.
Replace the plate.
Use shampoo bottles.
Seal the item in a waterproof bag.
Hide the bag in a bottle of shampoo.
Keep your bathroom items separate from your roommate’s to avoid detection.
Use baseboards.
Pry a small section of baseboard away from the wall, using a hammer and chisel or flat screwdriver.
Use the hammer to pound a hole in the drywall just above the floor, in an area that will be concealed by the baseboard.
Stash the item in the hole.
Replace the baseboard by wedging it in place.
LARGE ITEM
Camouflage.
Pile dirty or damp clothing on the item to be hidden.
Make sure the pile looks and smells sufficiently unappealing to prevent scrutiny.
Use a feather pillow.
Depending on the size and weight of the item, you may be able to stash it in a feather pillow.
Unzip the pillow and bury the item in the middle.
Make sure all hard edges are well covered with several inches of feathers.
Re-zip and cover with a dirty pillowcase to deter inspection.
Use your roommate.
If you suspect you will be the subject of a search (particularly a search by a thieving roommate), hide valuables among your roommate’s possessions.
Make sure the hidden item is well concealed in the back of a closet, under her bed, or in another location she is unlikely to visit regularly.
Check periodically to be certain the hidden item has not been detected.