the 19 best places to hide his gift

People love to snoop for gifts—including your S.O. And even if you and your guy don’t live together, leaving your expertly picked gift on the counter isn’t a viable option. Lucky for you, we made a handbook to successfully hiding his holiday gift.

in a cabinet

Everyone has those empty, up-high cabinets that are rarely—if ever—opened. The only risk with this hiding place is he might have the same, straightforward idea.

in your closet or desk

Nobody knows your closet—or desk—like you do. Stash his gift somewhere you know he’ll never think to look.

a locked space

I mean, obviously! Whether you have a safe (that he doesn’t know the combo to) or keep a closet under lock and key, there’s no way he’ll find it there.

your holiday destination

Have your gift shipped to wherever you’ll be over the holidays, which is presumably one of your families, who will be more than willing to help hide the surprise. Bring wrapping supplies and of course, a gift for the host for their extra trouble.

with your shoes

No matter where you store your shoes, your guy probably isn’t searching through them. This hiding place is perfect for a mid-sized gift.

your friend’s place

Your BFF will be sympathetic to your cause. Dump it in one of her closets—just don’t forget which one.

at work

Storing your man’s present in your cubicle is the easiest way to keep it out of his hair. Just make sure it’s locked up so no office thieves can lift it.

camouflaged in your pile of presents for other people

If you’re a present hoarder, throw his at the bottom of the pile (unless it’s fragile, of course). While he might sift through the new ones on top, the likelihood he snoops all the way to the bottom of the pile is not high.

in your laundry hamper

Even if your clothes are smelly (I know, gross) a sealed package will be fine—and out of sight.

in empty suitcases

No matter where you store your empty suitcase, chances are nobody is poking around there. Just make sure you didn’t promise to lend your luggage to your guy for his holiday travels.

under your bed

This is the perfect storage space for just about anything. And chances are, there’s no way anybody—especially your guy—will go looking for anything down there.

in your hard to reach, rarely used pots and pans

Do all the cooking? This one is a safe bet. Stick small gifts inside large pots and pans. Just make sure not to ask your man to grab it for you if you’re entertaining for a large crowd.

in your car

Keep your gift in your car—specifically your trunk—and don’t forget to cover it, just in case.

rent storage space

If you’re buying your guy a serious, sizeable gift like furniture, think about renting a storage unit for the month. Storage usually starts at around $20 a month depending on your location, which is well worth the price.

in a basket

Much like the hamper trick, throw the gift in a basket. If you usually keep pillows or blankets in the basket, just make sure to throw a thin, trick blanket over the present in the bottom to throw him off.

buried in a drawer

If your man has a tendency to snoop through your underwear drawer, hide smaller gifts in a less sexy storage location…. Like with your workout clothes or t-shirts.

mislabel the wrapped present

Hide the present in. Plain. Sight! Wrap the gift when he’s not around and throw another name on the label. Make sure to know what your fake present is, though, so you don’t blow your cover.

your cleaning supplies closet

This also applies to a craft or linen closet. Basically, store your gift in a closet where you store stuff you guy doesn’t regularly meddle in.