Pine Cone Hide-a-Key
Supplies:
Medicine bottle
Waterproof adhesive
Pine cone
After you’ve locked yourself out of your home several times, and had to call someone to let you in, it’s dawned on you that a good thing to have is a hide-a-key. I always loved one of those rock key hiders; I could set it outside and it blended right in to the surroundings of dirt, leaves, and bark on the ground. But a hide-a-key rock isn’t just a couple of bucks anymore. I know another type of hide-a-key that looks natural outside, takes just a couple of minutes to make, and can be used to hide a key, money, jewelery, and many other things. A pine cone hide-a-key will keep anything that you put in it safe as can be.
There’s a saying that goes: “The best place to hide something is right underneath their noses”. And, that’s often true. When you make a pine cone hide-a-key it conceals chosen goods while looking like something that belongs right where it is. Of course, the pine cone belongs in a country setting, a place where there are already pine cones, or a place where there are a lot of trees. If you have a perfectly manicured yard the pine cone hide-a-key will stand out and likely be noticed.
A medicine bottle can help you make the key hider that is easily concealed. A brown bottle is a good choice for blending in with dirt. Glue a pine cone to the bottle and it will look right at home outside. Hot glue won’t work; it will melt away in rain. Instead, use any waterproof adhesive that is appropriate for wood and plastic. Turn the bottle upside-down and glue on the pine cone. It should be a large one so that it covers the entire bottom of the medicine bottle.
When the glue is dry you can use the hide-a-key. Dig a hole that will accommodate the medicine bottle. The hole must be perfect. If it’s too deep you’ll have to bury a portion of the pine cone. If the hole is too shallow the bottle will stick up and raise the pine cone off of the ground. After getting the hole ready, put the medicine bottle in it, and cover the bottle well. Pat the dirt down tightly against the bottle. It’s optional to line the hole with plastic so that you don’t dig in dirt to retrieve the bottle.
The medicine bottle can hold so many different things, from love notes, to medications, to cash. Only you know why you need such a secret hiding place – maybe for keys, maybe not. But whether you have people living with you that enjoy taking your things, or you can’t remember to take your key with you when you leave home, the pine cone bottle will keep your things safe.
