Where to Hide Christmas Presents in Your Home’s Closets

Custom design can transform any closet into a multipurpose storage space that’s perfect for stashing presents!

When it comes to presents, are you a peeker or a secret-keeper? The answer to this question might move you over to the naughty list, so tread lightly. We all know those family members, spouses, kids, or friends that go on the prowl to discover their Christmas gifts long before the appointed date. This is a constant problem for those among us who adore surprises and spend so much energy trying to devise new ways to keep our holiday plans under wraps.

Thought the closet was too obvious a hiding spot for Christmas presents? Think again! A specially-designed organization system can transform any closet into a multipurpose storage space. With creative accessories and some stealthy rearranging, you can hide just about anything in your home’s closets. Although some of these ideas will work for traditional closets as well, custom design makes it easy to rearrange each space for temporary holiday storage and then go back to normal after the holiday rush ends.

Keep reading for the elves’ best ideas for storing holiday gifts in closets around the home.

Keep Presents in Plain Sight

My favorite way to disguise holiday gifts is simple—wrap them immediately. Once the gift is wrapped up with paper and string (for extra security, of course), I always suggest that my Christmas-celebrating clients display their gifts proudly around the house. A beautiful present or two make fantastic additions to any mantle display. You can also place wrapped gifts strategically in your foyer’s mudroom shelves to add festiveness to your entryway. Or, consider spacing a few gifts on the shelves of your main room’s entertainment center.

When gifts are hidden in plain sight like this, it’s much harder for prying fingers to sneak off and get a quick peek without being seen. I’ve even been known to double wrap gifts for my most stealthy loved ones, who can manage to get past one layer of wrapping paper without detection but most certainly can’t get through the second without serious damage. I wrap my gifts early and leave them under the tree (or in the closet) in all of their holiday glory.

Protect Your Presents Under Lock and Key

I know it may sound silly, but if you’re in a family of tricksters, sometimes the best defense is a good padlock. If you happen to have a safe in your home, this is a great place to store those really special surprises away from curious eyes—just make sure the combination is cryptic enough, or that you change it regularly during the holiday season for good measure.

I don’t have a safe on hand, but I do always recommend that my clients include a locked drawer or cabinet when they have their next custom closet installed. You never know when such precautions might prove useful! With a custom designed master closet, you could even include multiple locked cabinets that only you hold the key to. If you’re really desperate, you could also request a custom-built drawer with a false floor or a cabinet with a false back. The beauty of custom closets is that you can truly create anything your heart desires.

Stash Gifts Where They’ll Never Think to Look

Here’s the thing. While hiding gifts on the top shelf or under the bed (or in the attic) might seem clever, the real trick is finding those places where your loved ones wouldn’t dream of looking in the first place. Find those little places your intended recipients avoid like the plague, and you’ll land yourself with a really stellar storage space.

My favorite: the bottom of my laundry hamper. When I had my own master closet renovated, I made sure to include a beautifully sophisticated tip-out laundry hamper that blended in with the cabinetry. It’s one of my favorite custom accessories in the entire closet, and it makes the perfect hiding spot. I simply pull out the cloth liner, place gifts below, and replace the liner (with a foot of dirty clothes on top for good measure).

Conceal Presents Cleverly Using a Disguise

Along a similar vein, it’s always prudent to hide (wrapped) gifts inside other containers that will thoroughly disguise their identity. For kids, try stuffing small gifts in the hall closet inside a bag from a lingerie store. You know your boys will never be caught dead looking in there. Even better, hide a gift or two inside an old box of your high school mementos that you store in the spare bedroom closet. The reach-in closets in your home are perfect places to store holiday surprises, especially when you give each gift an appropriate disguise.

Interested in storing your gifts in the garage closet instead? You’ve hit the jackpot for disguised gift containers. You can hide gifts inside:

• A clean litter box or kitty litter bag

• The box that your kitchen trash bags came in

• The bottom of your cleaning products bin (wrapped in plastic)

• Your empty Christmas tree box

Hiding Your Christmas Presents in Custom Closets

Whether you hide your gifts in a well-thought-out location or you wrap them and leave them under the tree for the entire season, keeping presents a surprise is always a fun and festive challenge. With the creative ideas above, you’ll have a new arsenal of sneak attacks ready that will help you make the most of your closets this holiday season. And if all else fails, you can always hide wrapped gifts in the trunk of your car.

Want to get in on some of the custom design elements described above? Schedule a free design consultation with Closet America. One of our design experts will come directly to your DC area home to discuss your closet dreams, and you’ll end up with the perfect storage solution for the entire year.

Lead image by Unsplash user Kira auf der Heide
Image 1 by Unsplash user rawpixel.com