Lucy’s Book With Secret Compartments

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This is super easy to make—and super magical when it’s finished. It reminds me of something you’d read about in a Victorian mystery novel, but even if it doesn’t serve as the hiding place for any top-secret evidence or cryptic love letters, this little hiding place is still a very cool thing to give to (or get from) someone!

What you’ll need:

  • A hardcover book you don’t mind cutting up. You can often get one for as little as a dollar at thrift stores.
  • A pencil
  • An X-acto knife

How to do it:

Step One:

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With your pencil, trace the outline of the shape and size you want your secret compartments to be. My compartments are going to be rectangular, but you can make whatever shape you want.

Step Two:

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Cut along the lines with your X-acto knife.

Step Three:

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Peel away the layer of paper you just cut out. Repeat steps two and three on the next layers of paper in the book until your compartments are as deep as you’d like them to be.

Side note: I’m not going to pretend this isn’t going to take a looong time! Don’t rush, though, because you might end up with uneven, jagged, or ripped pages. I recommend working on this over a period of days, so this isn’t a TOTAL last-minute gift option.

Step Four:

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Fill the compartments with anything else you want to give to your giftee. Tie the book up with a ribbon and get excited about your recipient discovering the surprises inside!