Introduction: Hidden Drawer Compartment
Ever needed a place to hide your cash, a spare key, or something you may put in your wallet on a Saturday night that never ends up getting used, but just could find a good place to put it where there is only a tiny chance somebody would find it? Then you most likely didn't have a hidden drawer compartment.
This hidden compartment is something almost ANYONE can do. The only tools used were a pencil, ruler, a few sticker sheets (not necessary) and a small kitchen knife; things that are readily available to pretty much everyone.
I hope you enjoy this Instuctable. Thanks for taking a look!
Step 1: What You Need
The tools list may vary here depending on what you have, but this is what I used:
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Small kitchen knife (or anything that can cut through the material you have. Mine was hardboard)
- Sticker sheets (These help disguise the drawer compartment)
- Cardboard box
Thats all!
Step 2: Mark Out the Secret Compartment
Lets make the basic shape and size for our compartment.
1. Depending on how big your drawer is and what you want to hide, decide on the size of the compartment.
2. Draw out your compartment lid. Mine was 100mm x 100mm
3. Using your tool, cut out the lid. Using my kitchen knife was messy, so you may do a better job with other tools.
Step 3: Lid Hinge and Camouflaging
At the moment, the lid is kind of bovious and it has no way of lifting up. Lets camouflage it!
1. Grab your sticker sheets. I used these because they were readily available to me.
2. Cover the bottom of your drawer with them. This will help blend the lid with the rest of the drawer.
3. Cover the lid with sticker sheets also, but overlap them slightly and fold over the edge so there is a flap, but its not sticky, and also act as an invisible handle to open it up. (These 'flaps' can be seen in pictures 3 and 4)
4. To create a hinge, simply put a sticker on the hinged side as seen in pictures 3 and 4
Step 4: The Compartment
This step will vary for most people depending on the box you have, the kind of drawer, and the compartment size, so I will not have any steps. It is, however, very self explanatory.
Get a box that fits over it and stick it on the underside of the drawer, you can see how I did this in the pictures.
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17 Comments
9 years ago on Introduction
Most drawers stop 2 - 3 inches before reaching the rear wall of the dresser. Measure that distance behind your drawer then obtain a small box that will fit in that area. buy industrial strength adhesive velcro tape (comes in 5 foot length X 1.5 wide rolled into a box). buy at local home improvement, hardware, or Walmart (possibly). Cut tape length to fit your box. Put one side on the box and the other on the inside of your cabinet behind a drawer. If someone removes the drawer and dumps it, it is unlikely they will stoop down to look at the inside back of the cabinet. My house was robbed a few years back. They pulled out drawers, flipped mattress etc. All my guns were missed by the robbers. Guess where they were all SEVEN (3 hand guns and 4 long guns) were behind drawers in various furniture. I was lucky and I know it. Now in addition to that tactic I also use sealed air tight surplus ammo cans in secret wall compartments etc to store a lot of pilfer-able stuff and live modestly (looks can deceive) . You are limited only by your imagination. By the way. Everything I have is LEGAL.
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9 years ago on Introduction
One might consider using contact paper or a like material to line the drawer's interior, mind not as quickly accessible as the method shown but does a dutiful job of concealment.
As to bad people tossing drawers during break-ins, those little battery-powered 'shrieking' alarms are perfect 130db surprises to have attached inside desks or bureaus to send intruders fleeing in a panic !
9 years ago on Introduction
Nice work! :) However: Drawers arn't good places to hide things because bad people just rip the entire drawer out and dump it. So even taping something to the underside of the drawer wont work either. False cans and outlets are better ways to go.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
I agree.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
No, but it may well keep pilfering coworkers or snooping family members from finding it. :)
9 years ago on Introduction
Put a sheet of drawer liner in the bottom of the drawer (or left over wallpaper or wrapping paper), and it'll look completely hidden inside too.
9 years ago on Introduction
Some very unique ideas, that I plan to adapt to various other projects. Great Idea!
9 years ago on Introduction
won't work for my side table but it does give me an idea
9 years ago on Introduction
Cool!
9 years ago on Introduction
another thing you could do:
looking at the inside of your cabinet you see the gap between the back board and the top. you can cut a couple pieces of poster board the width of the insde of the cabinet and then tape or glue to the inside of the cabinet. this will create a secret compartment that you get to by reaching in from the back.
hopefully that discription made sense.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
It did, and that's an excellent idea. You could also modify the drawer slides so it could only come out a certain distance to avoid revealing the compartment, which means you have to take out the drawer to get to it.
9 years ago on Introduction
since it's under the drawer anyway wouldn't it make more sense just to attach a container to the bottom of the drawer?
9 years ago on Introduction
Ha, does mum and dad know you wrecked your room? :-)
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
They do not. Nor will ever know!
(hopefully)
9 years ago
Cheeky!
9 years ago
Nice instructable. Works better than a false bottom in some regards, because you haven't changed the depth of the drawer
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Thankyou!