How to Hide Your Diary

Reviewed by Seth Hall

Last Updated: August 26, 2024 Approved

A diary is where you keep all of your deepest, darkest secrets so it needs to be hidden where no one else can find it. If you're keeping your diary at home, hide it in creative spots where no one would think to look. If you plan to take it to school, try disguising it as a book. You can also keep a diary on your computer if you want to protect it with a password. Just remember to play it cool if someone sees your diary so you don't make them suspicious. It's for your eyes only, after all.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Hiding Your Diary at Home

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1
Hollow out a book if you'd like to hide your diary on a bookshelf. By disguising your diary inside of a book, it will blend into the rest of the books on your shelf. Choose an old book that you no longer want, then brush Mod Podge along the edges of at least half the pages to glue them together. Using a box cutter, cut a rectangle out of the pages inside that’s big enough to hold your diary.^{[1]
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- You can also buy a used book from a bookstore if you don’t want to ruin any of the ones you already own.
- There are a lot of videos and tutorials online on how to make a hollowed-out book that you can follow along with.
- To make sure your diary isn’t discovered, pick a book that you know your parents or siblings won’t want to borrow or read.
2
Put your diary in an empty container if you want a creative hiding spot. Your room is likely full of possible things to hide your diary in that no one would ever suspect. For example, place it inside an empty tissue box with a few tissues on top or put it in an empty shoebox in your closet on the top shelf.
- The trick is choosing a spot that no one else would look in. For instance, the bottom of your art supply box is great if you’re the only one who uses it, but not good if your sibling borrows it sometimes.
- Pick a container that completely camouflages your diary so you can’t see any part of it. Make sure that your diary doesn’t affect how the container looks, either. If the tissue box is bulging out from the size of the book, for example, your siblings may suspect something is hiding inside.
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3
Hide your diary underneath or behind things to keep it out of sight. Think of places where your family is unlikely to look. For example, unless you have siblings who borrow your clothes or parents who put your laundry away for you, a dresser drawer can be a very secretive spot. Set your diary at the very bottom of the drawer, then pile your clothes on top so it’s completely hidden.^{[2]
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- Put your diary in one of the top drawers of your dresser or desk if you have younger siblings who are more likely to get into bottom drawers.
Other Unique Hiding Spots for Your Diary at Home

Put it under a pile of stuffed animals.

Slip it into your pillowcase.

Zip your diary in an empty purse or backpack.

Attach it to the back of a picture frame.

Slide it behind your TV or computer.
4
Tape it under a chair or table if you don’t have young siblings. Little kids, especially if they’re at the age where they’re still crawling, can easily find something stuck to the bottom of a chair, desk, or table. If you don’t have siblings or if your brothers or sisters are older and bigger, those spots are safer. Use enough tape so the diary is secure and won’t fall down.
- Use strong tape, like duct tape or packing tape, if your diary is heavier.
- Avoid taping your diary underneath your bed. That’s an obvious place to hide it and it will likely get found.
5
Stash your diary under a loose floorboard if you live in an old house. Older homes often have hardwood floors where some of the boards are loose, so you’re able to lift them up slightly. If you have a board in your room that you can raise enough to slip a book into, this is the perfect hiding spot. However, make sure you can get the book back out first.^{[3]
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- For extra protection, place a rug over top of the floorboard.
- Be careful not to pull too hard on the floorboard when you’re placing your diary inside. You don’t want to damage the floor.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Knowing Whether Someone Has Read Your Diary

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Put a little powder (flour, powdered sugar, etc.) in one of the covers or on the page you think might be most likely read. The powder will fall out when the page is opened, and you will notice either powder on the floor near your diary, or that the powder in the book is missing.
Write a false entry in your diary saying, for example, that if your brother does your chores for you every day for a week, you will give him a piece of candy. Or say that if your sister cleans your room, you will let her borrow your laptop. When your brother unexpectedly starts doing your chores or your room is suddenly spotless (and your sister claims it to be her work), you know you've got readers.
Find some little pieces of hair on your jacket, the shower, or anywhere else. Place one end of the hair in one of the covers of your diary and the other end in the other cover of the diary so the hair is facing the side of the book that opens. When someone opens the diary, the hair will snap or will fall out or loosen a lot.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Protecting Your Diary at School

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1
Keep your diary in a notebook to blend in with your school supplies. Everyone will think you’re just writing down what the teacher is saying when really you’re writing in your diary. Choose a very plain notebook or composition book so it’s not noticeable among your other books.^{[4]
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- If you have a set of matching notebooks, use a similar one for your diary. For example, if all your notebooks are cat-themed, don’t make your diary a neon striped notebook. Go with another cat-themed one.
- You can even fill the first couple pages with fake notes so if someone opens it, they’ll think it’s just your science notebook, for instance.
2
Disguise your diary with a boring book cover so no one wants to read it. Pick the dullest, most uninteresting book you have that also has a removable cover. Remove the cover and wrap it around your diary. Make sure your diary is the same size of the original book so that the cover fits perfectly and doesn’t look misplaced.^{[5]
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- Good options for boring covers are old textbooks or classic novels that most of your classmates wouldn’t want to read.
- Pick a book that’s realistic for you to be carrying around if you’re taking it to school. For instance, your dad’s book on how to fix plumbing problems might be super dull, but your friends will probably ask why you have it, drawing unwanted attention to your diary.
3
Make a fake diary if you want your friends to stop trying to find yours. Trick nosy friends by creating a pretend diary. Keep it somewhere that they can see it, like on your desk, so they think they’ve found the real deal and won’t look for your actual diary.
- Design your fake diary to look as realistic as possible. You can even write “My Diary” on the front.
- Write a few pretend entries in your fake diary so it’s convincing if they open it up. Of course, don’t include any real secrets though!

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Making a Secure Electronic Diary

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1
Keep your diary on your personal laptop so no one else can get to it. Never keep your diary on a public computer or online where someone could find it. The best spot is on the desktop of your laptop.
- If your parents or siblings use your laptop sometimes, set up a different login for them. You can create a guest login so they don't have access to your personal files.
2
Save your file under a fake name in a rarely used folder. Give your diary a name that disguises what it actually is. Then save it in a folder that no one would ever look in, like the system folder under the “My Computer” tab.
- For example, instead of naming your file "My Diary," name it something like “Biology Homework” instead.
- On some computers, you can hide entire folders, too. Right-click on the folder, then select "Properties." There will be a box labeled "Hidden" or something similar that you can check. Now, nobody can see the folder.^{[6]
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3
Protect your diary with a strong password. Set the privacy controls on your laptop so a password is required for you to log into the computer. If you type your diary in a Microsoft Word document, you can password-protect that specific file, too.^{[7]
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- To password-protect a document, click “Preferences” on the main menu, then “Personal Settings” followed by “Security.” Select “Password to Open” to require someone to know the password to even open the file.
How to Pick a Super Safe Password

Make it longer than 12 characters.

Don't use personal information, like your name, birthday, or address.

Avoid commonly-used numbers and words, like "1234" or the word "password."

You can turn an entire sentence into a strong password. For instance, "Eating cheese is delicious" becomes "eatingcheeseisdelicious."

Add special characters, numbers, and different capitalization.^{[8]
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Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Keeping Your Diary a Secret

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1
Avoid writing in your diary when there are other people around. Try not to let anyone see you writing in your diary. If they do, they’ll know you have one and will probably want to read it or attempt to find it when you’re not looking. Only take out your diary when you’re completely alone, just to be safe.
- If your diary is disguised, like in a notebook, you can write in it around other people as long as no one is close enough to see what you’re writing.
- When you're at home, wait until your parents leave or until everyone else goes to bed before you break out your diary.
2
Act natural if someone sees you with it so they don't get suspicious. If you get caught with your diary or writing in it, don’t panic. Pretend like it’s just any old book, like a notebook for school. Calmly close it, tuck it away, and change the conversation.^{[9]
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- If someone asks what you’re doing, say something casual like, “Oh, nothing, just finishing up algebra homework for tomorrow. Cute shirt! Where did you get it?”
- Avoid acting nervous, tripping over your words, or fidgeting. These are all signs you’re lying and the other person will likely suspect you’re hiding something.
3
Write in a secret code so no one can read it except you. This will make writing in your diary more complicated but adds another level of protection in case anyone finds it. Invent your own code or language to write in by mixing up letters or even including numbers. Keep a key, which explains how to read the code, somewhere safe, like in a locked drawer.^{[10]
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- One example of a code is the reverse alphabet. “A” is now “Z,” “B” is now “Y,” “C” is now “X,” and so on. So for instance, you’d write “boy” as “ylb” or “love” as “olev.”
- If you’re fluent in a language other than your native one, you can write in that. For example, if all of your friends speak English but you’re also fluent in Spanish, keep your diary in Spanish.
  - But remember, some friends may use translation services like Google Translate to find out what’s written in your diary.
- A good place to keep your key is on your phone in the notes app. Don’t write the key in your diary because, if someone finds your diary, they’ll then be able to translate everything.

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How can I hide it if I share a room with my sister?

Community Answer

Hide it in a place your sister does not look, such as wrapped in a shirt with clothes belonging to you and not her, or a backpack you don't use. You could also hide your diary outside of your room.

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My mum wants to write in my diary, so codes won't work. I have hardly any hiding spots. What do I do?

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Why would she want to write in your diary? Tell your mom that a diary is a personal thing, and if she wants to write in one, she needs her own. You can even buy her one as a present. If she's really insistent, then a) that's creepy and wrong, but b) she's your parent, so you might not be able to stop her - in that case, you could have one shared diary where you write things you don't mind her reading, and get an additional, secret diary for your real private thoughts.

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What if I don't have any of these things?

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Try covering your diary with a T-shirt. Fold your shirt nicely, then tuck the diary inside. Place your folded shirt in the back of your closet or at the bottom of your dresser.

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If someone keeps trying to read your diary without your permission, calmly ask them to leave it and you alone and set boundaries with them to curb the behavior.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If your family already knows you have a journal/diary, try telling them that your entries don’t have many interesting things. Tell them that you only write what happens to you every day and they already know everything you do. If they want proof read them one of your most boring entries or recount a false entry.
Pull out some books from your bookshelf and place your diary with the spine facing up and the cover pressed against the back of the shelf. Then, put the rest of the books back. For an extra measure, put some books on top of the others like a tower of books.
Give everything you write in your diary a name. Like your mom (mistress), your dad (Mr. Work All Day), etc. That way, people won't find who you are talking about even if they read your diary.

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