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How to Make a Time Capsule for 2011

Time Capsules

A time capsule can be a lot of fun to make. This is a great project for anyone and especially for kids. What’s even more fun is opening them a year, ten years or fifty years later. You can make a time capsule out of just about anything. If you plan on burying it then you will want to choose a container that will not corrode. I would suggest just sealing the container and stashing it in the top of a closet to be forgotten about until a later date.

If you have never made a time capsule this could be a start of a really fun tradition that you can share with your friends and family. At the start of each New Year, find a container and decorate it for fun and put the current year’s date on it. So if you are making your capsule in January of 2011, then put 2011 on the outside of the container so that it is easily recognizable if you end up making one for every year.

Some ideas for containers to use for your time capsule if you plan on storing them indoors would be an old nut container, an old pickle jar, shoe boxes are great and even if someone sends you something in one of those USPS boxes or other shipping boxes could work as well. Sometimes kids might decide they want to put a toy in the capsule but then later on wished they didn’t so it is nice to use a container that you could easily get back into and reseal it up. This is one reason why I don’t like to bury my time capsules. Also you might forget something you want to put in there and you can add it later. Or if you happen to move and forget about it then it might be a little weird going back to your old house and ask the new owners if you can dig up their back yard!

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Decorate the outside of the jar, container or box with construction paper or scrapbooking paper. You could even use up some of your old wrapping paper if you like. Make sure the year is written somewhere on the capsule where it will be easily seen. You can write it or make your own numbers out of cardstock. Decorate the numbers with glitter or other embellishments. Decorate your capsule with stickers, glitter or other embellishments such as buttons, ribbon, etc.

Now filling the capsule is the best part. You might want to gather what you want to fill your capsule with first and then find a container that will fit all your items. Start with the year that just past and get some paper and write down things that happened, good and bad, that you want to remember or you want others to know about in the future. For example, did you graduate college, have a baby, or survived a natural disaster. Add newspaper clippings of special announcements, events you attended, obituaries of loved ones, or graduation or engagement announcements to your capsule. Add photos of the kids’ school pictures, family photos or other special events.

Do you keep a journal or a diary? This would be a good place to put the journal you kept from 2010 and start a new one for 2011. You could include CD’s full of favorite songs, photos, recipes, etc.

For little kids, it’s fun to write a list of their favorite things and other stuff about them. As the years go by they can see how they changed. Some ideas to include on their list are:

  • Favorite color
  • Favorite food
  • Favorite TV shows
  • Favorite movies
  • Favorite toy
  • Favorite actor/actress
  • Favorite musical artist
  • Favorite subject in school
  • Best friend
  • What they want to be when they grow up
  • Favorite sport
  • Books they read that year
  • Hobbies
  • What they did during summer, spring or winter break
  • Places they would like to go to someday
  • Things they would like to do someday (like go skiing, visit the ocean, etc.)
  • Special events they attended or participated in that year (i.e. local fair, sang in Christmas program, band competition, etc.)
  • Boys/Girls they have a crush on in school or famous people
  • Make a list of trends and include pictures
  • Make a list of catch phrases of the year
  • Make a list of popular toys or items and include photos or cut out pictures from magazines
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After you have made your time capsule seal up the container with the lid. If you are using a box you can also tie it shut with some pretty ribbon. You could also use tape to seal up the top of your container but I would only do this if you are absolutely sure you won’t be getting back into it until the date you plan on opening it. If you are burying it or hiding it in some special place that you may forget about then you might also consider making map and storing it wherever you store your important papers like in your safe or filing cabinet. Also when you plan on opening the capsule, think about having a little party or get together to make the occasion special. This could also be a great time to make a new capsule when you have everyone together!