Where do you hide the presents?

[missbella]

We live in a 3 bedroom ranch with virtually no closet space, an in-law apt in the basement and not easily accessible attic. I have always just wrapped presents and put them right under the tree but that is not going to work with a 2.5 year old and mobile 6 month old. So, where do you hide your presents?

[huskymom]

We have unfinished space over the garage where I store stuff like suitcases,clothes bins,Easter baskets etc.

In a couple years I'm going to have to get more creative though! My mom always hid our gifts at her friends house.

[hbomdiggity]

It's not an issue this year, but there is a locked dormer in my office that should work.

[stephogirl]

I do most of my shopping online, so I have them delivered to work and store them in my office. I take them all home at once when everything has arrived and I'm ready to wrap them all.

[scribellesam]

Garage cabinets, under my bed, on the top shelf of my closet covered in clothes. They're getting big items this year (a bike and a trike) so I may ask a friend to hide them in their garage/shed for a few days.

[jaycee]

I've heard of people hiding them in the trunk of their car in a trash bag.

[usuallylurking]

In our walk in closet, but I know that won't work long term.

My parents hid them at my grandparents house. Mom did all the wrapping there with my aunt helping and Grandma watching. They all drank wine, ate snacks (popcorn, crackers with cream cheese and pepper jelly, etc), chatted and wrapped. From what I understand it was a pretty good time!

[simpsongal]

I was just wondering about this. This year I just have them in two Amazon boxes (the big subscribe and save kind) in the garage. We have all our Christmas boxes in there at the moment so they don't stand out. I have stocking stuffers hidden on a garage shelf. Eventually we may put them in the attic above the garage. My closet isn't safe - I put a birthday present in there and he found it

[felicity]

Right now they are in a heap in my closet, because DS doesn't go in there and wouldn't really know what he was seeing at this age anyway.

I have no idea what I'll do what he gets older, but whatever I do it will be better than what my mom did. She put them in her closet. Really stealthy, mom. I'll probably put them in the back of the garage when he's younger in boring looking boxes and when he gets older up in the attic. I just hate going up there.

[thebreakfastclub]

I only have a few things for DS, but they're in my trunk in a big reusable bag.

[barefootcontessa]

DH takes theme to work, otherwise my kids would find them.

[Velar Fricative]

Our basement is unfinished and she never goes down there, so they're there (along with a ton of other presents for nieces and nephews). It will be finished by next Christmas so hopefully we can create enough closet space for presents!

In smaller spaces I'd recommend any closets you have (spread them out so you're not taking up a huge amount of space in one closet with presents if you can), your car(s), your workplace if you work outside of the home, or the houses of people willing to store them for you.

[honeydew1894]

We have these like portable hanging closet things in our basement, and I just wrap the gifts and then put them in a box and then in this thing. I zip it up, and so far so good. It is on the storage side of the basement so the kids are never over there anyway.

[katiecj6]

DS is 7 and he's just not a snooper.

Last year, we hid everything in boxes on the other side of the guest bed...like if he went into the guest room and around the bed, he would have found them. But he never goes in there.

This year, we are hiding everything in my mom's closet (he doesn't go in there - we live with my parents)

[ECB]

In my closet! I was just commenting to DH last night that I"m amazed that at almost 8, it's not on DSs radar AT ALL to look or notice gifts - esp unwrapped ones!

But at my parents??? He's ALL OVER IT. He knows all the hiding spots and will go look when he goes over.

Makes me laugh.

[puppylove64]

MIne are in my closet under my long dresses. There is a tc behind the door under a robe 😂. I might have to come up with a better place in a few years

[imimahoney]

In the trunk of my car, still in their bags from the store.

[timorousbeastie]

For now, they are under my bed. DD doesn't go in our bedroom without either me or H with her, so we can easily keep her from finding them. I need to come up with a better plan for the future, though, if she turns out to be anything like me. There wasn't a single hiding spot in my house growing up where I couldn't find the presents. I don't remember a single Christmas where I didn't know everything I was getting in advance, no matter where my parents tried hiding them.

[abs]

In our spare bedroom closet. DD knows exactly where they are hidden but I keep it locked so she can't get in it. I also have a few things in my closet but they are still in boxes so she has no idea.

[qcinoct]

In suitcases. Hidden in plain sight. But also, our furnace room

[sookie]

Our guest room closet and the top of our walk-in closet.

[imojoebunny]

I put all of ours in a huge box that I got from Amazon that came with paper towels and air filters. It is in the corner of our bedroom, under a box of DH's crap that DH has yet to unpack, since we moved, 2.5 years ago. The kids never notice it, and hardly ever come in our room. For really big things, I put them at my next door neighbors, in their garage, that they just use for storage, and try to wait until close to Christmas to get them delivered.

[InBetweenDays]

We have a sort of secret storage area in our basement that is hidden behind a 2x3 framed chalkboard. The kids know the storage area is there, but aren't big/strong enough to remove the frame and chalkboard.

How difficult is access to the attic? What about a garage?

[melmel48]

Can you stash them at a friend or relatives house?

[quesyrah]

In one of our large suitcases in my closet (which is were we store the suitcases)

[vikingfan4]

This year I cleared out a couple dresser drawers, and that's working for now. As a kid my mom hid the presents in her laundry hamper (solid sides and lid) so would just pike her dirty laundry on top. We didn't dare try to peek because of the risk of touching moms dirty underwear.

[pinkdutchtulips]

this might not help but ... my office and i smuggle them into the house the day of Christmas eve

[boiler717]

Our garage and basement are full of our friends and neighbors Santa gifts. Any friends you can count on?

[Pilsy]

E only opened one present early last year, and it was sitting on her Ikea table, not under the tree. I think that was our fault and have a good feeling she won't open stuff, so I plan to wrap things and put them under the tree as I go. (You might be pleasantly surprised if you try that, too.) That said, the few things I've bought already are in the basement right now.


If you are really worried, I'd try the car trunk in a trash bag or reusable grocery bags. A neighbor's house is a good idea, too, if you're really friendly with one. (I love our neighbors and we're friendly with them, but not to the extent so I'd be comfy with this. I wish I had a BFF next door, though!)

[chickadee77]

I don't. I keep them tucked away in my master closet, and H keeps his in his office.

I know, never say never, but I don't plan to hide them in the future, either. My parents never hid them, nor did H's. We were told that if we wanted to ruin our own surprise, that was our business (and we never snooped, lol, because Christmas is too fun to ruin!). I kind of plan to do the same. We'll see, though, I guess.