My grandma has instilled in me since I was a young girl that one should always have somewhere to store valuables, sentimental items and cash. While she recommends rigging up a secret safe or hidden compartment I live in a rental property and this just isn’t feasible. I decided to come up with a way to hide my precious items that I could take with me wherever I move to. I am an avid reader and book collector so I decided that a book safe would be perfect!

The trick to pulling this off is in the book that you choose. I chose a collection of Virginia Woolf novels because it doesn’t look out of place on my book shelf. The last thing you want is for a friend to come over and pick up a book that contains your valuables! For example, if your book shelf is full of text books then use an old one as your safe. A law student might use their Tort text book and a cooking enthusiast might choose to use a cooking encyclopedia. The key is not to draw attention to your book safe.

For this project you will need:

A book with suitable dimensions for your valuables. I would recommend a thick, hardcover book.

PVA or other clear drying glue

A ruler (preferably metal)

A hobby or craft knife

A pencil

Cardboard

2 Ziploc bags big enough to accommodate the cover of your book

Step One:

Place your Ziploc bags over the back cover of your book and the front cover of your book. You may wish to leave a few pages that will not be cut into. If so, please ensure that these pages are protected by the Ziploc.

Step Two:

Apply glue to the sides of your book (not including the spine). Other tutorials suggest applying glue to each page but I find that this warps the book and the pages. I prefer to apply the glue along each side as shown and then use my finger to smooth it over the entire surface, making sure to apply glue to all corners and to all pages. Your Ziploc bags will ensure that the book covers will not stick to the book pages. Leave to dry.

Step Three:

Make a template for where you wish to cut using your cardboard, pencil and ruler. Creating a template will make cutting into your book easier.

Step Four:

Using your knife and template, start cutting into your book pages. The corners can be tricky so make sure that you pay special attention to them. It helps to begin this project with a new knife blade.

Step Five:

Keep cutting into the book until you have reached your designated depth. The corners will become trickier as you cut deeper into the book. You may need to extend your knife to make things easier.

Step Six (optional)

When I had finished cutting into my book I decided that I wanted to line the inside of my safe with fabric.

Using the cutting template, I cut my fabric with an allowance which was the same measurement as the depth of my book safe. For this project I used a piece of thick cream satin which was actually an offcut from my wedding dress. After I had cut the fabric to size, I used Fray Stoppa to seal the edges. I then inserted the fabric into the hollow of my book and glued it in place. Voila – done!

I am extremely happy with how my safe has turned out and even happier to have somewhere to store my valuables!

Please let me know if you have any trouble with this tutorial and I will try and talk you through it

L x