How to Make a Cheap Safe

If you want to keep your valuable safe, you don't have to spend a fortune on a fancy safe with all the trimmings. You can make a safe in your workshop and use it to secure certain items. The material you use will depend on the size of the contents.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Metal box
• Drill
• Screws

1. Use a metal box if you want to make a safe that you will likely keep in your house. Depending on the size of the valuables, use a metal candy tin, tackle box or any other box with a hinged lid. Hinges on the inside of the box rather than the outside will be the safest choice.
2. Fasten a lock to the box. You can choose between locks that require a key or use a combination.
3. Drill holes in the bottom of the box and attach it to a shelf or a floor. If not, hide it as well as you can. Under a bed is an obvious place, so get creative.
4. Realize that it will be very hard to make a safe that is fireproof, so think carefully about what you are going to hide in the homemade safe. The main purpose of this cheap safe is to keep thieves from stealing your things.

Tips & Warnings

• Find a container that you could hide small valuables in if you need something with which to travel. Some examples are a marker to hide money in, or a hollowed out book that you glued shut to hide jewelry in.