When I used decor I used to stuff those crevasses and holes with paper towel. It did work but after a bout with mites I had to throw all of these items away. Plus the mites LOVE to hide in the stuffed paper towel. I moved to snake racks soon after and do not use hides unless I have a snake with feeding issues (which none do at the moment). The PVC hides work great but if you want a really cool DIY hide, get a box and bury it under some substrate. You create a little burrow and a small landscape hill and it looks really cool. No one would know any different. It sucks having to dig out the snake every time you want to hold him though, then put it back together. Snakes will still use hides with large entrances if you use deep substrate and make a dip so the snake can nestle into. Just be creative and try it for a week. Keep the receipts and if your snake wont use it, take it back and try a different one.