Turn a book into a box

But you know what? They have gleefully adorned many a bookshelf in the years since I drug them home. Sacrilege, I know. Not sorry. Guys, this project is actually so easy.

What's the one thing you never hear from people who have just been burgled? That's why you should hide your precious valuables in the last place thieves think to look—the bookshelf. Coming home to a tossed apartment, strolling over to the bookcase, and pulling out that fat stash of product that you've stolen from the cartels. Difficulty: On a scale of one to ten, this is about a four. To keep costs down, do not use a first-edition, rare, or autographed book.

Instead of buying cheap, mass-produced gewgaws to give out this season, show your loved ones you care with a little DIY. Everyone has secrets. Some of us keep them in boring old shoeboxes. And some of us — the best of us, really — make old books into the hidden compartments a Victorian spy would be proud of. Just do us a favor and pick a really boring book — no one will ever open it!