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How to Make a Super Secret Wall Safe for Less Than $3

Oct 17, 2013 02:49 PM
Oct 17, 2013 04:23 PM
Indoor setting featuring a potted plant next to a wall outlet, highlighted with an arrow.

Sometimes the best place to hide something is where people least expect it, so in this project, we're making a super secret safe that only you'll know about.

You'll need either a single- or double-gang plastic, old-work, electrical box made for existing walls, depending on how much stuff you have to hide. Also, you'll need a blank wall plate or receptacle cover (with receptacle) that matches the ones in your house already. Click here for a complete parts list.

I saw a picture of a hidden wall safe on LifeHacker and found it was a product being sold for about $8.00 from ThinkGeek, but rather than order one, it seemed feasible to make one with just a couple of materials from the hardware store. Not to mention, much cheaper.

Blue electrical box containing batteries and a small container.

There are so many variations that could be done with this idea. I demonstrated four that I came up with in my video—a single-gang box with blank cover, single-gang with receptacle and cover, double-gang with receptacles and cover, and a preexisting cable outlet box.

Electrical outlet next to a potted plant.
Light switch cover plate on a gray wall.
Electrical outlet with a plugged-in cord.
Light switch on a plain wall.
Electrical outlet next to a potted plant.
Light switch cover plate on a gray wall.
Electrical outlet with a plugged-in cord.
Light switch on a plain wall.

Perhaps the best one was the fact that you could just use an existing coaxial cable box in your wall. Just look around for one of those cable jacks around your place.

Cable installation in an electrical outlet box.

If you use one of those, it's completely free, and you don't have to cut any new holes in your drywall. The cable is protected, there's plenty of space inside, and it's a great place for hiding small things, like your list of computer passwords.

Mail being inserted into a wall-mounted mailbox.

If you choose to use a cut-in box, extreme caution should be used when cutting into sheetrock. There may be electrical wires or other sensitive materials behind the wall that can't be seen and could be damaged when cutting.

Hand repairing a wall with a putty knife.

If you liked this project, perhaps you'll like some of my others. Check them out here on WonderHowTo or over at thekingofrandom.com.

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

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