The Best Ever Book Safe

I have never made a book safe before, so decided to give it a try. This one has three compartments (with a magnetic key), and was fun to make!

Materials you will need...

• box cutter or craft knife (with extra blades)
• hardcover book (as thick as possible)
• white glue
• gorilla glue (or other super glue)
• water
• paintbrush
• cup
• 3 strong magnets
• cardboard (from the recycling bin)
• fabric (an old shirt from your closet will work)
• pencil
• drill (optional, but highly recommended)
• self-healing cutting mat (link below)
• metal ruler (came with the knives & mat: link below)
• kitchen clips (two or more)
• wax paper
• heavy books or weights and/or clamps (clamps work best)
• something to hide your magnet in to create the key (I used a pack of gum)

Choosing my materials, and a few other notes...

I chose the biggest, thickest, hardcover book I could find in my house (3" thick). If your book isn't thick enough, you might be better off making two compartments instead of three.

I chose to use the craft knife. It just seemed to work better than the box cutter. I used three blades (they get dull so quickly).

I used some quilting fabric I had left over from another project. I would suggest using a fabric that isn't too stretchy.

When choosing your magnets, make sure they are strong enough to stick together when separated by cardboard, otherwise they won't work.

I used the Gorilla glue for the magnets, because I didn't think white glue would be strong enough to hold them in the long run. There are many types of glue or epoxy that would work on the magnets, but I just happened to have Gorilla glue, so that's what I used.

I know (from experience) that running a knife along a plastic ruler can actually cut into the ruler, and make the task very tricky. Use a metal ruler.

I found a self-healing cutting mat that is the perfect size for book cutting. It came in a set that included a metal ruler, kraft knife and box cutter (and extra blades for both)... the mat was excellent quality, but the rest of the tools were pretty cheap (but still worked well enough to get the job done). Here's the link... https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B087DYBQR6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All of the other materials that I used, I found around the house. So, the cost of the project (for me) was very low.

Also, I chose to cut rectangular compartments... you can choose whatever shape you want. Get creative! And please post your photos if you make your own book safe!

Before starting any project, it is advisable to read through the instructions entirely. Get a full understanding of what you're going to be doing before you cut into anything.

I should start by saying that my book is 3" thick. If you can't find a thick enough book, you might choose to make fewer than three compartments.

Remove the dust jacket from your book (if there is one). You'll put it back on when the cutting and gluing is done.

Start by organizing your workspace so that you have a clean, dry surface.

Open the book and skip past the first few pages if you want your first compartment to have a bit of extra concealment (I skipped about ten pages). Clip these pages to the cover to get them out of the way.

On the first page you plan to cut, you need to draw a rectangle using the ruler. Make sure you leave at least 2cm around your rectangle for stability. Now, this is where your drill will come in handy, but if you don't have a drill, keep reading...

Place your cutting mat under the the first 10-15 pages you plan to cut.

Place the ruler along your pencil line and start cutting (and cut beyond each corner by a couple of millimetres to make things easier). Once you've cut through those 15 pages, remove the remnants, and place the mat under another 15 pages and repeat the process.

You'll notice in the photo that I had the cover open and leaning on a container... this is to keep the book in a straight position, not allowing the pages to slant as I cut (as that would create a slanted compartment).

Just remember that you should pin back the completed pages (as you go) so that they are out of the way (I used a few kitchen clips). Continue to cut pages until your rectangular hole is about 1/3 the depth of the book. You are now finished your first (or top) compartment.

Now, you will draw another rectangle, smaller than the first. This will be your second compartment. Repeat the above process, cutting away another 1/3 of the depth of the book. You are now finished your middle compartment.

Then you will draw your third (and last) rectangle for the bottom compartment. Be very careful to continue using your cutting mat so that you don't cut through the back cover of the book!

Now that you're finished hollowing out your three compartments, you might need to tidy up the inside if you see any stray bits of paper still clinging to the edges.

Read the instructions in Step 2, just so you don't miss any details.

If you have a drill, draw your rectangle, then drill into the corners of your rectangle. Any small drill bit will do. I accidentally drilled through the whole lot of pages (instead of just doing the top third of the book), but it didn't show in the end, so don't worry so much about the depth. Drilling holes will make cutting the lines with your knife so much neater and faster.

Now, line up your ruler (from hole to hole) and cut along the edge of the ruler... you'll be able to feel the hole at the end of your cutting line, making it much easier to know when to stop, and making the corners much neater when you're finished. I aimed to cut to the outer edge of my drill holes to make the corners look as neat as possible.

Clip back your completed pages as you go. You'll notice in the photo that I had the cover open and leaning on a container... this is to keep the book in a straight position, not allowing the pages to slant as I cut (as that would create a slanted compartment).

When you're finished your top compartment, draw a rectangle for the middle compartment. Drill holes in the corner and start cutting. Repeat this process for your bottom compartment as well.

Drilling through the back cover (even when using a cutting mat) is an easy mistake to make. Be very careful and go slowly. If you have something to slip between your pages and back cover, do so... something hard like a thin sheet of wood or metal (perhaps a kitchen cutting board?). I only used my cutting mat, but went very slowly, and managed to just graze the mat. Also, I had a friend hold the book pages flat (while I was drilling) so that the open cover didn't pull the pages over to create a slant. This is super important during the drilling phase so that your guide holes will create a straight box (instead of a slanted one). I plan to use the dust jacket on the book when finished, so I knew that any accidental holes through the back cover would be hidden by the jacket.

You'll notice that I don't have any photos of me drilling the holes. It's not safe (for me) to hold a camera while drilling!

Now that the compartments are cut out and complete, make sure you get rid of any messy bits and dust before you start applying glue.

In a cup, mix white glue and water. I've heard of many ratios being used, but I chose to do two thirds glue to one third water. If fractions freak you out, just add a bit of water to your glue. The total amount will depend on how big your book is. I used an old paintbrush I purchased many years ago from the dollar store. Any old brush will do. I imagine a sponge or old cloth might work as well (but a brush is better).

Brush glue along the INSIDE walls of the compartments. Some people choose to coat the outside walls of the book as well... I do not. I don't want anyone to touch the book and think, "wow that feels weird, there must be diamonds stashed inside." Much better to keep the outside of the book in it's natural un-glued state.

You can coat all three compartments at the same time, making sure to really get into every crevice. Then place a piece of wax paper between your front (untouched) pages and the first compartment, close the book, and place weight on top to keep the pages from warping.

I piled a bunch of books on top, and left it for a couple of hours. It still seemed a little damp, so I left it over night. Then I noticed a bit of rippling in some of the pages, and I wanted to make it a bit more solid, so I added more white glue (no water this time) and used a clamp (in addition to piling books on it) this time... it fixed the rippling right up! And the compartments are as solid as a rock. Ideally, I would have had three clamps, and not needed the books for weight.

A quick note about the trays...

For my top compartment, I made a (black) tray with a base and four sides. For the middle compartment, I just made a (blue) base piece (without sides)... and I didn't make anything at all for the bottom compartment (the bottom was already red). You can make whichever style of tray works for you. If I were to do this again, I'd just make base pieces without sides. Although the sides look amazing, it makes it a bit tricky to pull the tray in and out using the magnet. It seems to be a very tight fit (despite my intricate measurements and trials along the way). I will have to sand down the insides of that compartment a tiny bit so that the tray slides in and out effortlessly. Or perhaps I'll make a slightly smaller tray.

First step is to measure the size of the compartment, and use those measurements to draw a rectangle on cardboard. This will be the base of your tray. Cut it out with your knife and ruler (using scissor will bend the cardboard a bit). Now, there's a good chance it may be a tight fit, or may not fit at all. This is where you'll need to make a few adjustments... I had to slice a bit off of one edge to make it work. And because the magnets aren't installed yet, I had to use my knife to carefully pry it out of the compartment each time I tested it. You'll want to account for the amount of space your sides and fabric will take up as well.

Next, cut out enough fabric to wrap the cardboard up (like the way you wrap a present). Use your brush (or I just used a bit of cardboard) to smear white glue all over one side of the cardboard. Place your fabric on it, and be careful not to have any creases. Flip the cardboard over, and repeat the process on the other side. Now fold over the ends, and glue them down as well. Let it dry for about 20 minutes before testing to see if it still fits into the compartment (you may have to wait longer if you used a lot of glue).

At this point, it you want to make sides for your tray, just measure how deep they need to be... put the base piece into the compartment before measuring the depth... then remove the cardboard, and measure the length and width of the rectangle. Using these measurements, draw four rectangular sides on cardboard (see photos above) and cut them out with your knife.

Now use your white glue and fabric to cover each of the four sides. Once all sides are covered in fabric, you will need to attach them to the base piece. This can be done in several ways. I would suggest using strips of fabric and white glue to act as hinges on the outside of the tray. Once all sides are hinged, use small rectangles of fabric (and white glue) to attach the sides to one another at the corners from the outside of the tray. Your hinges won't really show if you're using the same fabric... it will all blend in.

The last and final step is to attach magnets to your trays to make it easier to remove them. Use the strongest magnets you can find, and test them on your tray to see if they are strong enough BEFORE gluing them on. Basic refrigerator magnets were not strong enough for my project, but I happened to have some really strong ones on my fridge (I have no idea where they came from) that worked perfectly. If anyone can suggest what kind of magnets to purchase, please comment below.

Use the Gorilla glue to attach the magnet to the underside of the base of your tray. It took mine a good hour to be dry enough to test it inside the book. You'll want to make sure you glue your magnets proper side up on each tray... otherwise, your "magnetic key" might not work on both trays (I learned this the hard way... it repelled the magnet right off the tray, as the glue hadn't quite dried enough).

Watch the video below to see how the key works.

You'll need to have an easy way to lift up your trays, so a strong magnet is necessary. Hiding the magnet in an object is so much more fun than just using a plain old magnet on it's own. This is where you can get super creative. A lot will depend on the size of your magnet. My first thought was to put a magnet inside of a chess piece... but my magnet is annoyingly large, so I've had to adjust my plans. I used a pack of gum, cut out some of the pieces, and inserted my magnet. I didn't even have to glue it in (which is good, in case I find a better or more interesting way to hide it later).

To use the magnetic key, I just hold the pack of gum over the centre of the tray, and the tray attaches itself to the gum, making it easy to remove the tray from the book.

Now you have a great place to hide stuff! Like cash, rare gems and awesome candy! Not guns. Don't hide guns in a book. That's just not safe.