Make: Projects – Doortop Stash

Computers & Mobile Craft & Design Furniture & Lighting
Make: Projects – Doortop Stash

What does the top edge of say, your utility closet door look like? I’m betting that you’ve probably never seen it, even if you’ve lived in your home for awhile. And although there’s not a lot of room to hide stuff in there, well, if you’re like me, the stuff you want to hide is usually on the smaller side. Not many people think of the space inside the door as a hiding spot, but it’s right there in easy reaching distance when you need to get to it. And it’s devious enough that, yes, I think this trick will still be effective even after we blog it all over the tubes.

120 thoughts on “Make: Projects – Doortop Stash

  1. Make: Projects – Doortop Stash Becky Stern says:

    I agree, useful even after it’s blogged all over the place, except at /your/ house! =] Nice project, Sean.

  2. Anonymous says:

    I hope that the police see this and make use of it when searching houses.

    1. Sean Michael Ragan says:

      I hope so, too! Our penetration into the police demographic could be
      a lot better.

    2. Nathanael Phillips says:

      I think this is great for “personal use” like stashing important private data that you don’t want stolen by petty criminals (or parents, kids, whatever).

      But most of the stuff posted around for hiding places I would think are pretty obvious for law enforcement searches. You’re going to need something a lot better than anything presented around here if you’re trying to hide things from the Feds. At least, I would certainly hope so.

      1. Napalm Nate says:

        The best way to hide anything from any kind of authority is to hide said object(s) away from one’s living space. In another building or outdoors. Also by making sure to only open said stash when absolutely necessary and by making sure you’re not followed/watched.

        1. Jim Sadler says:

              Dominion and control define possession. So if you are trying to isolate yourself legally from a stash then it is important for it to not be on your property. Also seizure of private property is not uncommon for certain crimes so your trove won’t be available to you if you are swept up. So you need to hide things in a public space that will not be altered by man or nature over a span of time.
               So all you have to do is worry about people who hunt troves as a very serious hobby or make a living on their finds. There are more people than you can imagine who seek buried treasures of various types and some are a lot more skilled and dedicated than any cops you might be worried about. It is not at all unusual for troves to be recovered quietly with no mention of it ever being made. Apparently burglars who hide items likely to get them convicted in hope that time provides the cover that they need often do not get back to their troves and you may be locating items stolen in crimes in decades gone by.

    3. Anonymous says:

      I’ll bet you’re loads of fun at parties.

    4. Ant OSullivan says:

      on tv last week here in Australia, police bust drug dealer, found one stash in top half of hollowed out door

    5. Anonymous says:

      Police always checked the doors as they are common places to hide contraband. Most commonly its hidden behind a mirror that covers a hole to the hollow door, one thing that this has going for it is that its hard to reach so it may be missed, but an officer could just reach the top and feel for any irregularities to the door.

    6. Courtney Rae Johnson says:

      what a downer..dont hate appreciate

    7. Ned Carter says:

      I smell a snitch.

    8. Dasha Hawk says:

      i hope you get busted for whatever you do thats against the law…..everyone does something illegal…

      1. Jon Geler says:

        Including yourself. Such as speeding. Go 5 mph over the speed limit! I DARE YOU!

      2. Jon Geler says:

        Including yourself. Such as speeding. Go 5 mph over the speed limit! I DARE YOU!

    9. Stephanie Ann Dawson says:

      Yes, lets spend more of our tax money on the tiny quarter sack of weed that can fit in the hole, as if we aren’t in debt enough.

      1. leslie estrada says:

        How would that be spending tax money?  It’s for a person to hide something they feel is valuable, a personal choice and therefore a personal expense…Let it be….
         

      2. leslie estrada says:

        How would that be spending tax money?  It’s for a person to hide something they feel is valuable, a personal choice and therefore a personal expense…Let it be….
         

        1. Alex Rupert says:

          clearly you didn’t read the comment she was replying to.

        2. Alex Rupert says:

          clearly you didn’t read the comment she was replying to.

        3. Mackenzie Hans says:

          im pretty sure they were talking about police raids investigating peoples doors. how do you think the cops get paid? bake sales?

    10. Aaron says:

      “I hope that the police see this and make use of it when searching houses.”

      I gotta say, your reply makes you sound like kind of a d*ckbag.

      What were you going for with that, anyway? You sound as if you think this post was intended to help people hide heroin from the police or something. I’d say it’s probably intended as, and certainly far more useful for, hiding small important items from potential thieves / snoops.

      Aside from the fact that the tone of your comment is ignorantly anti-privacy, anti-freedom, and seemingly in favor of the atrocious “War On Drugs” which has done innumerable amounts of damage to society, it usually takes a bit more than a simple trick like this when trying to stash stuff from the cops. Well, if they have good reason to suspect you, and they’re really intent on finding something, that is. All things considered, though, I suppose you could do worse.

      The fact is that most “criminals” who have something to hide in their homes, typically do not “hide” it very well, if at all. And those “serious” criminals who are intent on safely storing contraband, typically know what they’re doing, and rely on tricks considerably more advance than seen here.

      Again, I say I’m not sure what the point of your comment was, other than signaling to the world your hatred of privacy and freedom, your love of the police state, and generally overall how much of a deluded, self-righteous ****** you are.

  3. Matthew Miller says:

    I’m a big fan of putting “Easter Eggs” in places you live for future owners / tenants to find. This could be a fun option for doing that. If the door is in part of the house with relatively stable temperature conditions I might even hide a few hot pepper and tomato seeds for future owners to discover. I’m trying to grow Lady apple trees from seed and if they come out well this might be a fun way to hide some seeds in the house for replanting in the distant future.

    I wonder what people would think, finding a collection of seeds in a hidden capsule in a door. Should I include a letter explaining what they are, or simply a vague note reassuring them that it’s nothing illegal?

    1. Alan says:

      I regret not having gotten around to planting any “Easter eggs” back in my apartment-living days. I thought about it several times, but then always seemed to get bogged down in other things and not following through.

      As for the apple seeds, you should pick a different plant. Apples don’t breed true from seed. The tree that grows from your Lady apple seeds not only won’t be a Lady, it will most likely yield completely unpalatable fruit.

    2. Lexi Hanson says:

      Maybe this explains the sea shell I found when I moved in. Leave a note, it seems more purposeful. But maybe write it in the form of a riddle or poem.

    3. Nancy Sandoval says:

      Who cares?

      1. Cindi says:

        Nancy – I’m sorry you have no imagination or vision. Bummer for you !

      2. Kristin Monahan says:

        You cared enough to respond.  Even if it was a dumb response.

    4. Cindi says:

      You could make it like a treasure hunt – hide clues that lead to clues. it might be a good way to preserve some history and/or get uninterested people to replant your seeds. I love it!

    5. Lia Rue Ripple says:

      Yes, you should leave a note explaining! I used to do stuff like this all the time…I always wanted to be the one to find something, though!

    6. Lia Rue Ripple says:

      Yes, you should leave a note explaining! I used to do stuff like this all the time…I always wanted to be the one to find something, though!

  4. Staff de SPK (Gilberto) says:

    Cool, I love clever ways to hide things, ha ha

  5. Jim Sadler says:

    For a better stash that will tend to pass even a police search do not use any metal as a detector can find it. Drill the door’s bottom so that the door must be taken down to open the stash. Use a plastic tube to hold the stash. And plug the drilled hole with a tight fitting wood plug that is painted.
    Also if you have wall to wall carpet you might consider rolling up carpet and drilling a hole and placing the plastic tube into the hole and covering it with a hard epoxy or stucco. Thieves and officials normally do not remove the carpet from a home during a search. Juts make certain that the carpet looks perfectly installed. These are long term storage tricks.

  6. vida says:

    devious indeed , but will server the purpose

  7. Brea Andriev-Kirkham says:

    ingenious if i had the slightest idea of how to do this i would

  8. Crystal Sriver says:

    bet you didn’t know this, but you can also hide your weed in there.

  9. Crystal Sriver says:

    deff a movie quote. nobody freak out.

  10. Joel Matthewman says:

    anybody give reccomendations for how/what to make from? preferably from things available in UK?

  11. Natalie Kelsey says:

    Very awesome idea!!!! :)

  12. StevenMoore says:

    Man- I have like dozen of these spots available- it would of been interesting to do this in my childhood home and then like go back and visit with my kids and see what I could of put in there 30 years ago. Great Idea

  13. Grace Noyes says:

    What a great idea….. I would never have thought of something like this

  14. Amberlee Mucha says:

    The cops however do actually think about people hiding things there though… FYI

  15. Frank M Solorio says:

    thats cool

  16. Julie Timsak says:

    Hmmm, this is pretty stealth….

  17. WORM says:

     SWEET!

  18. WORM says:

     SWEET!

  19. Layne Mathiesen says:

    heh heh, even better than the trick wall outlet I made in high school 20+ years ago,  

  20. Layne Mathiesen says:

    heh heh, even better than the trick wall outlet I made in high school 20+ years ago,  

  21. Samantha Gangacharan says:

    it only work if you have a solid door. any ideas for a hollow door?

    1. Sean Michael Ragan says:

       Thanks for your comment, but you’re mistaken.  The door in the project is a hollow-core door.  It would be a lot harder, actually, with a solid door because you’d have to have a large-diameter drill bit that was as long as the cigar tube, which would not be cheap.  Most hollow core doors have a perimeter frame of solid material (wood or wood composite) that’s about 3.5″ wide. 

  22. marxdarx says:

    Perhaps if you had the skill and the tools, you could make a hidden puzzle box style setup in that spot. All wood. wouldn’t be detectible easily..a quick look would reveal nothing unusual if done right.

    Just a thought…might still not work.

  23. marxdarx says:

    Perhaps if you had the skill and the tools, you could make a hidden puzzle box style setup in that spot. All wood. wouldn’t be detectible easily..a quick look would reveal nothing unusual if done right.

    Just a thought…might still not work.

  24. marxdarx says:

    Perhaps if you had the skill and the tools, you could make a hidden puzzle box style setup in that spot. All wood. wouldn’t be detectible easily..a quick look would reveal nothing unusual if done right.

    Just a thought…might still not work.

  25. Factory Alliance says:

    That’s such a clever idea, never thought of it. :)

  26. Anonymous says:

    well its not a secret now is it lol jk i really like this idea and might try it out soon

  27. Tobias Prell says:

    How the hell did you get a romeo y julieta cigar cylinder? I thougt you don’t get cuban cigars in the US.

  28. Anonymous says:

    I would just use it for the emergency $10 for when you really really need it… and the couch and the kitchen drawer are empty, and the poodle needs dinner and you need chocolate and it’s 11.30pm & $3.55 is too little to put on a card… and a good place to hide your stick with all that really really important (not) stuff on it. How about love letters? wound ever so tight  – they couldn,t breathe so they would suffocate anyway….no just money and sticks. Drugs would be too obvious – and of course you would be paranoid wouldn’t you….?

  29. Anonymous says:

    I would just use it for the emergency $10 for when you really really need it… and the couch and the kitchen drawer are empty, and the poodle needs dinner and you need chocolate and it’s 11.30pm & $3.55 is too little to put on a card… and a good place to hide your stick with all that really really important (not) stuff on it. How about love letters? wound ever so tight  – they couldn,t breathe so they would suffocate anyway….no just money and sticks. Drugs would be too obvious – and of course you would be paranoid wouldn’t you….?

  30. Madison Roby says:

    First of all, where do you get the container, and second of all, where do you get he door?

  31. Ruth Lopez says:

    what if there is a fire? 

  32. damneardone says:

    Arrrggh… but you gotta remember to OPEN the door when trying to get at the stash… Ahh, F it, too much to remember, I’ll just put it under the couch, nobody’ll think to look there!

  33. Best of MAKE: Most Popular Posts of 2011 says:

    […] Make: Projects – Doortop Stash […]

  34. MAKE | Build a Secret Doorway on a Budget says:

    […] Make: Projects – Doortop Stash […]

  35. Cody says:

    This is not a new idea. Immigrant tenets at the turn of the 20th century frequently utilized this idea. In solid older doors you can occasionally find “wallet holes” where the door was carved out big enough to hide a wallet. Found a few in Chicago myself.

    1. Sean Michael Ragan says:

      Never intended to represent it as such. In fact, as I recall, I first read about in one of the old Loompanics books.

  36. Design | Pearltrees says:

    […] Make: Online | Make: Projects – Doortop Stash […]

  37. Nerdig ist | bastels blog – Ein netcat Fan und Linux Nerd says:

    […] USB Sticks vor _irgendwem-der-eventuell-euer-Haus-durchsuchen-darf-da-er-euch-einen-Zettel-zeigt-der-nach-einem-richterlichen-Beschluss-aussieht_ in einer Tür verstecken: http://blog.makezine.com/2011/03/11/make-projects-doortop-stash/ […]

  38. Arman Erfanfar says:

    :-)

  39. kulundra says:

    Reblogged this on kulundra.

  40. Hidden Security Storage Space | DIY Safe At Home says:

    […] You can read more about this DIY hidden storage project here. […]

  41. A dozen perfect stash spots | Asakite.com says:

    […] DIY – doortop stash […]

  42. รูลับในขอบประตู [diy] | POPpaganda.net says:

    […] [via Make] […]

  43. 15 Secret Hiding Places That Will Fool Even the Smartest Burglar - DIY & Crafts says:

    […] and anything relatively small and you can stash away some extra cash to save for a rainy day. Via: Makezine Share on Facebook […]

  44. 17 Secret Hiding Places That Will Fool Even the Smartest Burglar says:

    […] Via: Makezine […]

  45. 15 Genius DIY Ways To Hide Your Important Stuff, That Nobody Knows. | Colors And Joy says:

    […] 1.  Stash Cash in the Door.Source : Makezine […]

  46. 17 Secret Hiding Places That Will Fool Even the Smartest Burglar - Architecture & Design says:

    […] Via: Makezine […]

  47. 16 Secret Hiding Places For Your Valuables says:

    […] Makezine […]

  48. 15 วิธี "ซ่อนของ" ในบ้านที่ให้ตายยังไงก็ไม่มีใครหาเจอ!! - KIITDOO says:

    […] Stash Cash in the Door. Source : Makezine […]

  49. Guest says:

    Where does one find the container you use to hide things in?

    1. Guest says:

      click on the hyperlink embedded in the last sentence. The part that says “this trick”…it will take you to the step by step process (and yes, cigar tube). I love this idea!

      1. Redman 51230 says:

        I tried clicking “this trick” but it said the page cannot be found!

  50. Bangkok Breaking News | These 15 Secret Storage Can Fool Anyone Even The Smartest Burglar says:

    […] Via: Makezine […]

  51. Frank Fox says:

    It looks like a cigar tube to me, with a steel washer added to the top. Use a simple magnet to remove it from the door.

  52. 16 Secret Hiding Places For Your Valuables | eKanpSack says:

    […] Makezine […]

  53. 16 locuri secrete unde sa-ti ascunzi obiectele de valoare - HotDeco.ro says:

    […] Sursa […]

  54. ideascute » Blog Archive » 15 Secret Hiding Places That Will Fool Even the Smartest Burglar says:

    […] You can actually create a great hiding place for cash in the top of any interior door. You just have to drill a hole and insert a metal tube that will keep cash and smaller items out of view. This is a great place to hide jewelry and anything relatively small and you can stash away some extra cash to save for a rainy day. Via: Makezine […]

  55. A Cheater’s Guide To Improving Your Home Security – Urban Times says:

    […] secret bookcase compartments to a truly hidden doortop stash, there are literally hundreds of great projects with the focus on concealing your valuables. With […]

  56. Hidden In Plain Sight - Prepper Storage Solutions - PrepperZine says:

    […] Via: Makezine […]

  57. guest says:

    Just keep in mind that drilling through the top rail of a hollow-core door, leaving just the ‘skin’ or surface layers intact, will seriously diminish the integrity of the door’s construction. So, I would do this with a solid-core door or with a hollow-core door that wasn’t used very often (like on a closet that’s seldom used). Just my 2 cents.

  58. GLShamma says:

    Great Idea!

  59. 15 Secret Hiding Places That Will Fool Even the Smartest Burglar | Handmade Ideas says:

    […] You can actually create a great hiding place for cash in the top of any interior door. You just have to drill a hole and insert a metal tube that will keep cash and smaller items out of view. This is a great place to hide jewelry and anything relatively small and you can stash away some extra cash to save for a rainy day. Via: Makezine […]

  60. 25 esconderijos secretos para guardar seus itens de valor - Não Sabia says:

    […] Foto: makezine […]

  61. 25 Sneaky Hiding Places To Stash Your Valuables… #9 Will Fool The Smartest Thief. – Babelque – News For Your Mind says:

    […] makezine […]

  62. 15 Sneaky Hiding Places To Stash Your Valuables… #15 Is My Favorite | Clevernova says:

    […] Via Make […]

  63. 15 Secret Hiding Places: That Will Fool Even the Smartest Burglar! – BozzFeed says:

    […] You can actually create a great hiding place for cash in the top of any interior door. You just have to drill a hole and insert a metal tube that will keep cash and smaller items out of view. This is a great place to hide jewelry and anything relatively small and you can stash away some extra cash to save for a rainy day. Via: Makezine […]

  64. Amazing Hidden Storage Ideas says:

    […] DIY Details : makezine […]

  65. Rani putri says:

    thank you , so to increase the knowledge and weighted content of its news , I am so excited to continue to read the article that you made ​​this, I hope you can make the writing better , because I would come back here to see what you would say on the latest postings you. …… thank you , visit the turning me on Obat Pelancar Haid Di Apotik otherwise can also visit me at Obat Penurun Berat Badan Di Apotik do not forget to comment also on my site !!! ok !

  66. 25 πονηρά κρυφά μέρη για να κρύψετε τα τιμαλφή σας. Το #9 θα ξεγελάσει και τον πιο έξυπνο κλέφτη. - Τι λες τώρα; says:

    […] makezine  […]

  67. DIY Sneaky Secret Hiding Places to Stash Your Valuables says:

    […] 6. Doortop Stash […]

  68. 17 Ingenious Design Ideas that Can Help You Hide Your Treasures from Burglars! - UpNewsz.com Up News Hot Breaking News Viral Trends says:

    […] Photo credit: Makezine […]

  69. 17 Ingenious Design Ideas that Can Help You Hide Your Treasures from Burglars! | Last virals says:

    […] Photo credit: Makezine […]

  70. 8 DIY Secret Hiding Places – Cammy says:

    […] What does the top edge of your utility closet look like? Chances are you’ve never thought to look…  This simple but clever solution is the perfect place to hide money away from prying eyes. The full installation instructions can be found by here. […]

  71. Seven Ways To Ensure Your Home Is SecureNewsInGeneral says:

    […] your home. This could be behind a tile in your kitchen or inside an empty beer can. You can even insert a stash into a doorway if you’re inventive. This is a great way to keep your valuables hidden. Leaving them on display […]

  72. 隠し場所ってどこにしてる?絶対に見つかりたくない!とっておきの隠し場所7選 | Bleue Fab says:

    […] makezine.com […]

  73. People Are Sharing The Best Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves - Czaal is a source for latest happening around the world. says:

    […] source […]

  74. People Are Sharing The Best Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves – TrendyBoosts – Online Fun Magazine says:

    […] source […]

  75. People Are Sharing The Best Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves – Headlines says:

    […] source […]

  76. 30+ Of The Most Genius Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves | Junk Host says:

    […] source […]

  77. Los mejores lugares para esconder tus objetos valiosos de los ladrones says:

    […] source […]

  78. Folks Are Sharing The Finest Hiding Locations To Conceal Your Valuables From Thieves - Viral Work says:

    […] supply […]

  79. People Are Sharing The Best Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves - Exclusive current headlines and India news live on Reporter India says:

    […] source […]

  80. People Are Sharing The Best Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves - Viral Web Host says:

    […] source […]

  81. People Are Sharing The Best Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves - The Most Viral collection of feel good stories & videos, delicious recipes and awesome DIY projects says:

    […] source […]

  82. People Are Sharing The Best Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves says:

    […] source […]

  83. Voici les 9 meilleures cachettes pour vos objets de valeur | Daymotiv says:

    […] Crédit : makezine.com […]

  84. Folks Are Sharing The Greatest Hiding Locations To Disguise Your Valuables From Thieves - Find trending news, viral photos and videos on Bittabi says:

    […] supply […]

  85. Άvθρωπoι απokαλύπtouv tα kαλύtερα μέρη πou kρύβouv tα πoλύtιμα αvtιkεiμεvα touς | Missousouro.gr says:

    […] makezine.com […]

  86. People Are Sharing The Best Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves | ViralVision says:

    […] source […]

  87. 21 rejtekhely és titkos rekesz amit te is elkészíthetsz - Otthon24.hu says:

    […] Forrás: Make […]

  88. The Best 13 Hiding Places To Hide Your Valuables From Thieves - KEEP YOU FIT says:

    […] source […]

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

View more articles by Sean Michael Ragan

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK