Hide keys in trees that aren’t too close to the front, preferably out of site from the street. Make sure to stuff the house (newspapers work) or put in a little mesh at the bird house door so birds don’t settle in.
2. Cat Litter Bin
If you can access your garage without a key, hide spare keys and/or money or other emergency items inside a bin of cat litter.
3. Drain Cover
Attach a drain cover to a small container and then bury it where a drain would logically appear. A hot glue gun is handy here. If the container is large enough, you can also store emergency items.
If your dryer vent has iron in it, this will work. Again, hot glue works here – glue a small magnet to your key and pop it into your dryer vent. Aluminum, brass, copper, and zinc, do not attract magnets.
5. Fake Real-Looking Plants
With succulents being popular these days, you can find real-looking potted plastic succulents in many craft stores. Making a decorative planter is a crafty way to hide your key.
Another crafty way to hide a key is putting a fake hornet’s nest in a corner of your house. Whether they’re made out of paper mâché or craft foam, they not only hide your key, but can deter wasps and other pests as well. The caveat here is getting up to the nest to retrieve your key.
This method is a little involved so here are two links to instructions: How to paper mâché and make a Craft foam nest (CrazyClever).
You’ll generally have your car so hide your key behind it. Make sure your key has a hole that will accommodate the size of the license plate screw. Place your key behind the screw hole and screw your license plate and key in place. Remember to remove your key if you sell your car!
Exchanging keys with a trusted neighbor is a great way to keep your house key safe. You can also, use any of these methods to hide each other’s keys so you won’t need to bother each other if either of you gets locked out.
Burglars definitely won’t touch this hiding spot! Prank fake poop is available in novelty stores or online, or make it yourself with a lump of hot glue and brown paint. Attach this to an empty container and bury it up to the cover.
Similar to the dryer vent, you can use this method if your rain drain has iron in it. Many apartment buildings may not have dryer vents, but if they have gutters and rain drains, this method is effective.
This is a great method if you have rock borders around your property. Attach a little clump of rocks that look like the rest of the border and hide your key.
Another idea for multi-living units. While we don’t recommend hiding your key under a potted plant or near your door, if there are plants elsewhere, a painted rock adds decor while hiding your key. We would suggest placing several painted rocks in the area to make your key rock less conspicuous.
This is another DIY disguising real yard items. This method is especially do-able if you own your own home or business building. It takes a little work, but installing a fake socket box to a building wall provides a good hiding place.
15. Sprinkler and Irrigation Systems
This is another variant to attaching a fake typical yard item to a container. You can buy just the sprinkler head and attach it to a container like the rocks or drain cover. Ready-made commercial sprinkler containers are also available.
Don’t Make It Easy To Find Your Key
We recommend hiding your key at least fifteen feet away from your door and not within public view. Even if these seem like secure places to hide your keys, change your key hiding place now and then. Make sure it’s not visible and keep it unpredictable. If you have a genius key hiding spot, let us know and we’ll add it to our list!
Our Business is Your Security
Part of our security service is to provide help and information – tips like these are things you can do in conjunction with the security services we provide. Criminals will choose to target an easier property rather than risk entering a home or business that’s well-protected, especially when they can see signs of security from the street.
Our business is keeping your home and business and our community secure. Click to request a no-obligation quote today or call us at 888-788-0813. We look forward to helping you keep your home and business secure.
Keep a spare key in a creative hiding place and you won’t need to call an expensive locksmith service again.
Photo credits: bird house-The Green Head; drain cover-Practical Hacks; hornet’s nest-Instructables; license plate-Born Realist; rocks-Reuse Regrow Enjoy, Thrifty Fun, Jennine Perri; socket-Reader’s Digest; sprinklers-Cleverly, Lucky Line Products; thermometer-SpecificLove.com