Hidden Cabinet

This is a hidden cabinet large enough to fit two remote controls, a wallet, a watch, and a bunch of other small items. Using this guide to direct you through this project will facilitate the process. The cabinet is hidden by a faux DVD collection that flips upward when pressed inward.

WHY: My TV was mounted onto the wall using a bulky bracket. From the left and right sides of the TV, the brackets would show. I covered them up by making two smaller sized boxes to fit and block the bracket area. I just recently remodeled my room, so I thought it would be nice to do something a little more creative than a standard shelf. The hidden shelf looks like a stack of dvds, but is in fact a hidden door.

This secret door is also a fairly nice way to conceal electronics.

Cost: Roughly $25

Every part seen in this guide can easily be purchased at your local hardware store.

This project should probably be done before the assembly of the outer cabinet, it will make measurements easier. Otherwise be ready to be asphyxiated by bondo fumes.

Step 1 Materials and Tools

You will need:

Materials:

1x metal rod (needs to be able to slip through the spring of a mouse trap)
1x mouse trap
2x Bottle of 5 minute epoxy
1x magnetic cabinet clutch (push in/out)
1x 2'x4' laminated 1/8 MDF board
1x Tube of PL glue
Tape
Bondo (too cover up mistakes)
Tin Foil

Tools:

Clamps
Drill and drill bit
Hack saw
Table saw
Miter Saw
Level

As many DVD cases needed to fill in the empty space

Comments

[wolfcrow]

Very cool idea... I may have to thieve this and mod it to work with books. I know, very Bruce Wayne, but why not?

[Romado12187]

yeah books would be cool too, I just felt bad ruining books, you'd have to get a set too, they all should be the same height.

[nixiadel]

just get some water damaged books or the 'throwaways' for some place like halfprice books. they get rid of a lot of books that are unreadable/saleable everyday.

[fretted]

Some of the major booksellers have blank books in hardback of all sizes i've gotten a few from borders books they have all sizes and colors that way you wouldn't have to ruin anything litteral ....

[ousire]

the only problem is that if a friend comes over they might want to watch or borrow one of the DVD's. then you gotta problem XD i might re-tool this for a picture or newspaper clipping....

[steveo625c6]

Here is what you do...

Go to Walmart
Find $3-$5 movie bin
Buy the most boring named movies

Instant "No one wants to watch these movies" cabinet cover! ;)

[Vinsu]

Just use so bad movies as cover that no one will want to touch them.

[jmonty]

dude thats awesome!

[jamiec53]

Good idea! Except you just posted what your new safe looks like on the web!

[harley_rly]

this would be a good way to hide "questionable" substances from parents

[Redgerr]

you sly fox you

[harley_rly]

lol

[boblordofmonkeys]

cool ill try it with books no one reads thatsolves that problem ps go colbert

[pyroal]

My little brother use to read Shoen Jumps (some Japanese comics in English) so i'm gonna make one with the spines from them.

[el Viejo]

Question: step 10, pic #5, I see an AC duplex outlet on the top center of the door with plug going into what I suppose is another DVD cover display. Wahzzup? Your idea is terrific and I intend to adapt it into a bookshelf. El Viejo

[see-saw]

I think it's a coat hook... but I first thought it was an AC outlet

[syrax]

excellent :)) great work

[scott!]

Awesome idea! (oh, and I'm watching the colbert report right now too!)

[poparoo4]

Good instructable, Well written and good pictures! *scribbles something down seems to be about next house to rob*

[Ginge6]

Very nice, I love the wallpaper too!

[stephenniall]

would be better if they were books but i like it

[Romado12187]

Well then I'd have to ruin the books... the cases were expendable because the disks are in an album. I thought about it too... but books are also more old school "hidden door" I wanted to give it a twist

[porcupinemamma]

Thrift storesoften have books with ripped pages or scribbling on some of the pages, so it's just recycling them. Think you have a cool idea Romado

[srilyk]

If you built some forms and got some nice-ish fabric, all you need is cardstock and PVA (Elmer's) Glue to make your own "books". Or you could hit up a thrift shop/garage sale and pick up those "Reader's Digest" book collections.

[mounces]

Seems like a lot of work! Since DVDs are popular and someone just might want to try and steal these, how about making a box out of VHS tape boxes, instead! No one wants those anymore at all! Cool idea, though --

[pmac93]

dude no one would steal matrix revolutions...

[mounces]

HA - good point!!

[Romado12187]

woah woah woah! die hard matrix fan over here... you should see pictures of my walls... framed movie posters from the matrix trilogy. hahah.

[pmac93]

I loved the first one, but the others paled in comparison. if you like it so much why did you cut up the box?

[Romado12187]

great question... SINCE everyone knows how much I love it, I received about 8 different boxed dvd sets for my birthday... hahah

[mounces]

Okay - you guys totally youp'd away from the topic, here!! Funny funny!!

[aaronjehall]

Bondo works for 5-7 yrs before breaking down.

[Solderguy]

You should also add some sort of locking mechanism.

[frollard]

Awesome ible - I'd be worried that if you're hiding stuff from would-be thieves, dvd's are possibly one of the first items to get taken... For hiding in plain sight, not a bad idea at all! Great build and concept though!

[arekkusu82]

You could also print your own covers and replace the originals with your favorite movies/games.

You can download them from http://www.cdcovers.cc/

[InvaderDig]

This is a pretty cool idea.. we're remodeling our daughter's bedroom and this might be something she'd enjoy (keep things secret from her other sister). Now the interesting part would be using your design and creating the storage box out of the rest of the glued together dvd cases, so it looks like 8-9 dvds just sitting there, until you pop open the spines! Great instructable :)

[thinkdunson]

that is an excellent idea

[Fretka]

I think this is an awesome 'ible ! My question is...what is going on on the door to the right? is that an outlet? did you rig a light of some sort? I was so impressed with your 'ible, I called in my son, and he was more impressed with your selection of DVDs...lol...tho he did say, that the hidey hole was awesome too.

[spook66]

You can never have enough clamps in your toolkit.

[LazyEight]

This is SERIOUSLY cool but I do have to agree with an earlier poster. The DVD's will be the first thing to be stolen. 90% of home break ins are done by kids looking for something to convert quickly into cash. At least use titles that seem dull. (I worked in a pawn shop for a while and saw a LOT of stolen DVDs)