How to Safely Hide Holiday Gifts

Parents, friends, families, do you have prying eyes and snooping people in your homes around the holiday season? Are your kids expert detectives and know all of the hiding places in your house? Well, we at Albuquerque Self Storage have you covered. Here’s a few hiding spots for holiday gifts that even the smartest kid hasn’t thought of checking. 

But first, parents, a quick tip for you. 

Have A Strategic Plan When Shopping This Season

If you want to kill it this holiday season, that means strategically planning out when, where, and how you shop. 

If you’re buying their gifts at a store or mall, postpone the shopping trip until your kids aren’t home so you don’t have to worry about them knowing you’re gone or when you’re coming back. Then, you can both buy and hide the gifts without risking discovery.

If you’re shopping online, be sure to clear your internet history afterward (especially if you’re on a shared computer or using your phone). You’ll want to make sure your kids can’t get into your email or retail accounts. Even if you don’t share a computer with your kids, they may still find opportunities to check your accounts while you’re away. 

If your kids are particularly tech-savvy, it might be worth creating a separate email and retail account for holiday purchases—a good strategy to hide big Christmas presents from your spouse, too. And don’t hook up those emails to your phone, so no one will be able to see it on your lock screen. 

Write Down Where You Hide Your Christmas Presents

Keep a list of where you kept everything to ensure nothing gets forgotten. You can keep this list in a safe, under a fake name in your desk, or in your email account. For instance, you can create a password-protected list on your computer that has a boring name, like “Tax Returns 2017.” Never keep it on your phone or in plain view though. 

Genius Places to Hide Holiday Gifts

You may think your kids have thought of every place in the house to check, including the attic, basement, and your underwear drawer, but you can still outsmart them with these tips. 

In Mislabeled Boxes

If you have boxes around the home that are used for storage, they’re the perfect hiding places for gifts. Think of boxes in the garage that have been there for ages — boxes labeled “summer gear” or “tax books” are perfect. Your kids are used to seeing them and know they’re full. So, why not repurpose them? 

Take note of what’s on the top of the boxes and move the contents to another hidden location, like in your car, and put gifts in them. Then replace the top items and you’re done! 

And because it’s the giving season, your kid probably won’t think to check the “boxes for donation” out in the garage. Just make sure every adult knows what’s really in those boxes to avoid accidental donations. 

In Your Car Trunk 

The fact is, nosy family members are more likely to snoop for holidays gifts when you’re not home. In this case, the best thing you can do is take gifts with you. If you have a trunk cover or a blanket, throw that over the gifts when you are home. 

This won’t always work if your kids have access to the garage or your car keys, though, so be thinking ahead when you’re doing this. 

High Up Places

Most kids will snoop under beds and in closets, but what about on the top shelf of the closest, behind all the boxes, files, or cleaning supplies? 

If you’re especially daring, try hiding them in your kid’s room. They would never suspect it! You can bury the gifts in the top of their closets, under their beds (if they don’t go there), and behind their bathroom cleaning supplies. It’s risky, but it’s also the last place your kid would think to look. 

Mix it Up

As they get older, kids get craftier, taller, and more creative. As they age, you’re going to have to get more sneaky with your gifts. Don’t be afraid to mix up locations and ask for help. Your neighbors may be willing to store a couple gifts in their garage too!

Try a Storage Unit

Speaking of off-site locations, a storage unit is an amazing option. Self storage is affordable in both the short and long term. Albuquerque Self Storage offers month-to-month contracts, so you can use it when you need it and move out of it when you’re ready to go. To keep it easy, many of them only require a 10 day notice before you leave your unit. And we don’t require a deposit!

You don’t have to worry about security either — our storage units are safe. Albuquerque Self Storage, has a well lit and gated facility for you to store your items and every unit is protected by a padlock. 

If you’re interested in using us for your self storage needs, contact us today.

Wrap The Gifts Immediately

There is no better hiding place than in gift wrap. If you have an older family who knows where the holiday gifts come from, you won’t have to worry about hiding them. It may take away some of the holiday magic, but wrapping them immediately and displaying them — or keeping them in a generic spot like under a bed — is one of the best things you can do. After all, it’s much harder to sneak a peek at a tightly wrapped gift than one in a store bag.