The Original Diversion Safe: a Book

stack of colorful books protected with a chain (over a white background)

Diversion safes are security devices which allow you to hide valuables in common items, assuming that a criminal will pass by. Two great examples are can safes and book safes. Book safes are particularly easy to make for yourself.

Choose a Book

Choose a book that will blend nicely into your other books. Hardcovers are best, since they hold their shape and thick books will allow you to hide more inside. If you do not have a book that you are willing to tear up, go to the used book store and purchase a cheap one.

Glue the Pages

Protect the book's cover and the first few pages by putting them in a plastic bag. Then, use a brush to paint a coat of glue on the outside of the book, gluing all of the pages together. You can use regular white glue diluted with a little bit of water. Target a mix of about three-quarters glue to one quarter-water. Once you are doing gluing the outside edges of the pages together, place the book under a weight and let the glue dry.

Puzzle glue works even better than diluted regular white glue, although it is more expensive.

Cut Out the Compartment

Mark the outline of the area that you want to cut out on the first page of the glue section of the book and use a box cutter to slowly cut through as many pages as reasonably possible. Odds are that you will not be able to cut through all of the pages in your first cut and will need to continue cutting deeper and deeper. A box cutter will do the job, although you should be ready to replace the blade as it will dull quickly.

Use a drill to drill four holes in the corners of the compartment before you start cutting. That way, you can just cut between them.

Glue the Compartment

Once you are done cutting the compartment, use your brush to put more glue on the inside of the compartment. This will support the gluing that you did on the outside and keep the pages together.

Line the Compartment (optional)

While the glue is wet, you can use it to glue a felt lining into the compartment. This will give your book safe a more professional appearance, as well as provide some protection for what you store inside.

Choose a book that will blend nicely into your other books