By Monica DeVore
Congratulations! This past weekend you probably knocked out your gift list and bagged the greatest holiday bargains of your life. But as you neared home you were suddenly wondering:
“Where do I hide them all from my in-house super sleuths?”
Whether you’ve got kids snooping around looking for Santa’s stash or a relentlessly nosy partner, here’s some unusual spots to hide those holiday treasures until Christmas arrives.
Your holiday storage boxes. All those boxes are empty while the decorations are out. I can’t imagine anyone will look there – certainly not my kids!
Mislabeled Boxes. How about hiding gifts in plain sight? Find big boxes and make creative labels, such as “baby clothes” or “Halloween Décor”. Store them where you normally would and your kids (spouse too!) will look right over them.
Pop the trunk. It’s probably already loaded, so this one is easy! It’s a perfect place, especially if you have small children; they’ll never get in there.
Unused luggage. If you’re not travelling before Christmas morning, use empty suitcases. They can hold a lot of presents.
Pockets. If you have small gifts, use pockets of clothes hanging in your closet.
Take stock of your kitchen. Got a large roaster or crock pot? Unless you plan on using them, both can hold a multitude of small gifts. How about an empty food box, like a cake mix? (No cereal boxes!) Drop in the item, glue it shut and place in the back of the cabinet.
If you’ve got some large items try these forgotten spaces:
Crack open the attic or crawl space. Both of these spots can hold some sizable gifts, if you don’t mind a few creepy-crawlies or a little dirt. Do be aware of moisture and temperature changes, especially when considering what items you choose to stash in the crawl space.
Back yard storage shed. If you’ve got a tool shed out back, who would ever consider this hiding space? Out of sight, out of mind during the winter months.
If you’ve truly run out of space at home, here’s a few off-site spots you find as doable options.
Make your office work for you. If your office is a safe, secure place, keep a few items there until it’s time to bring them home.
Borrow a friend’s house. Swap some space with a family member, good friend or neighbor. This is especially useful if you’ve bought bicycles or other large gifts. Talk your neighbors into letting you borrow some garage space until Christmas morning. With six kids, my parents did this many years.
Rent a storage unit. If you’ve got a ton of presents to hide, or some particularly large ones, try a one month rental at a local storage facility.
We’ve all been creative throughout the years dreaming up new hiding places for those special gifts. We’ll probably find another ingenious little nook this year. Keep in mind, the coming days will be busy, often with hectic schedules and lengthy “to-do” lists. So, as a subtle warning: don’t get so creative you forget where you put things! No one wants to be in a panic late Christmas Eve scrambling to remember where something might possibly be hidden away.
Hiding presents is part of the excitement of the holidays. Good luck with your secretive task this year. Remember…if your super-sleuths succeed in finding their gifts this year, maybe next year you can set up a scavenger hunt Christmas morning!
Now, sit back and relax. You deserve it!
