What? I’m sure you’re thinking I’ve lost my marbles. Why would I even dream of giving SpaghettiOs to someone as a gift? Besides, this is supposed to be Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas. And popcorn? That’s kind of boring.
Well, that’s exactly the point. You want these gifts to look as uninteresting as possible. Why? Because they are diversion safes — containers that look like everyday objects on the outside but hold valuables on the inside. You can hide your cache in plain sight!
If you search online, you’ll find all sorts of diversion safes that you can purchase or DIY. It’s a good idea to consider who you’re giving the safe to and where they’re most likely to use a safe. Personality and lifestyle are important to keep in mind. Does your recipient like to travel? A small, portable safe (think Chapstick, sunblock, deodorant containers) might be nice. Does your recipient stash cash all around the house? Then a pantry-based safe (popcorn or canned goods) might be better. (I really like this Miracle Whip safe that you store in the fridge.) Are you making this for a kid? Use an item that wouldn’t look out of place in a kid’s room (think books, wipes containers, stuffed toys). One word of caution: choose something that you won’t forget is a safe and throw away because it looks like it’s used up or old!
Canned good version
Full disclosure: I made this SpaghettiOs safe about 10 years ago. (I used this tutorial on Instructables.) This one is mine, but I made a second one for a friend. For whatever reason, this friend loves to hide money all over her house. She has told me, “Now, if I die, I have money here, here, and here.” Do you think I’m going to remember all of her hiding spots? Are you kidding? But I guess I’ll know that we should look.
This type of safe uses a food can that is opened from the bottom with a side-cutting can opener, leaving the top of the can intact. The old-fashioned opener won’t work. A smaller, plastic bottle with a lid needs to fit inside. This small bottle is held in place with plaster of Paris, and its lid is glued to the cut bottom of the can. This allows the bottom of the can to screw on and the entire safe to stand right side up, completing the illusion.
I chose a tall can of SpaghettiOs for a few reasons. First, it was tall enough to fit a plastic spice jar inside. But more importantly, I knew that she hates SpaghettiOs, so she would never try to open the can by mistake and destroy it. It would also be obvious enough to her that she would question it before tossing it in the trash when cleaning out the pantry. Anyone else rifling through the cabinet would just question her eating habits.
Popcorn jar version
I made the popcorn diversion safe this week. I think it took me all of 15 minutes to make. I even had all the supplies on hand.
Fill a Mason jar nearly full with popcorn kernels. Press a wide-mouthed bottle into the popcorn until the mouth of the bottle is just below the mouth of the glass jar. I used a medicine bottle, but some tutorials I’ve seen online use a clear water bottle that is trimmed down. There is one spot on mine where the white bottle peeks through a tiny bit near the top. The popcorn shifted a little, so I should have added a few more kernels to fill it; a clear inner bottle would have been disguised better.
Add popcorn around the sides of the bottle until all the space is filled, all the way to the top. Squeeze hot glue in and around the popcorn near the mouth of the jar, ensuring that contact is made with the jar and the bottle. Tip the jar over to test that no popcorn will spill. Let the glue cool, then cap with a jar lid and ring.
I like both of these safes because they feel as heavy as the real thing. If anyone were to poke around in the pantry, these safes would shift around just like their genuine counterparts.
So take a look around your house for items you can convert into diversion safes. Do you have someone in mind who might appreciate something like this? I’d love to see what you come up with! Share your projects with me either by email or on social media. Be sure to tag them with #bronwynshandmadechristmas.
