The holidays are just around the corner, and you probably still need to pick up some unique gifts for those good folks on your list, but that’s not the biggest thing to worry about right now. You’ll find something for everyone eventually. But then what? Next to actually buying Christmas presents, the toughest assignment on your holiday to-do list is to hide them. Don’t bother putting them on the floor of your closet. Your kids probably have a remote camera set up there already.
No. What you need is some advice on where to stash all those awesome gifts from your super nosy kids. Children have gotten loads better at snooping around (I blame Dora the Explorer), so you need to get infinitely better at hiding things. Here’s a look at some places to hide the christmas presents from the kids and family!
The attic
It’s dusty. It’s scary. It might be impossible for the kids to even get up there. Heck, it may even be hard for you to get up there, but trust us, it’s a great place for a hiding spot. Just be sure to store your gifts in a big black garbage bag or two to keep the dust off!
Your underwear drawer
No kid (especially a boy) is going to want to dig through your underwear drawer. Or even worse, dad’s drawer. If the underwear drawer is not deep enough, find a drawer that holds anything else and stash some of the gifts under the clothes.
Suitcases
Kids will never suspect this one! Whether you have small duffel bags or huge suitcases, hide as many of your gifts as you can in these travel necessities. Ours are hidden away in the laundry room and the kids have never even once tried to go in them. Just make sure you’re not going on any trips before the holidays!
Right in front of their eyes
The best hiding place is right out in the open. Well not completely. But store your gifts in crates or large boxes, and label them with boring, frightening things that will terrify your children. Grab a Sharpie and write “Math Study Guides” or “Tax Receipts 2010” on them. Lowe’s, for example, provides these Holidays Under Wraps boxes completely free in-store only (at select Lowe’s locations) from December 3 through 19, for MyLowe’s Rewards and MyLowe’s Pro Rewards members. Genius!
The garbage
Get yourself an extra large garbage can and keep it in your garage. Put your presents in a large black garbage bag and then keep it in the can. Just be careful NOT to put that can out on garbage day!
Under your bed
Put your gifts in large black garbage bags and hide them under your bed. Too obvious, you say? Okay, then add a number of decoys. Fill a handful of bags with old clothes and stick those under the bed too, surrounding the actual gifts.
In the hamper
If you have a large hamper, stick the presents at the bottom and cover them with dirty clothes. Alternatively, do the same thing in your closet with a large box, but cover it with a mound of old dirty clothes.
In the car
Keep what you can in the locked trunk of your car. As long as your kids don’t look back there while you’re out shopping, they’ll never think to look there. If you have an SUV open trunk, stash them in decoy bags or boxes, or cover them with some blankets and try to minimize the amount of time you use the car with the kids. They’ll never suspect a thing.
