How to Make a New Year's Time Capsule

Every day things are changing. The coming of a new year creates a great opportunity to freeze-frame capture some of those things and put them away to look at in the future.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Container
• Supplies to decorate container
• Paper
• Pen or Pencil
• Small memorabilia
• Tape
• Storage space

1. 
    
   A Shoe Box Makes a Good Time Capsule

   Decide on a suitable container. This can be a tin canister (think of that popcorn or cookie tin you got for Christmas), an envelope, or even a shoe box. Thinking about what you'd like to put inside will help you determine what size it needs to be.

2. 
    
   Paper

   Get out some paper and write down some facts. You will want to include the date, the ages of everyone involved, what their current interests, occupations and favorite movies, music, TV shows and other things are. You might want to also include current local and national events that occurred over the past year. It would be fun to write down the price of a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, and a gallon of gasoline. You might also want to write about the latest technological invention. Take as many pages as you want.

3. A picture is worth a thousand words. Include in your time capsule pictures of your family members, friends, pets and home. You could even cut pictures out of magazines of your favorite things.

4. Choose some small items that represent activities you've done in the past year. This could be a seashell from the beach, a coin with this year's date on it, ticket stubs from a movie or play, a lock of hair, etc. Add them to your time capsule.

5. 
    
   Finished Time Capsule

   Place all of these items in your chosen container and seal it up. You can decorate the outside if you want, but be sure to write "Time Capsule" on it, and the date you want to open it. You can choose 5, 10 or more years in the future.

6. Choose a good storage place. This should be somewhere in your house that is out of the way, but sheltered from water, cold and heat. Maybe a high cupboard or the top shelf of a closet.

7. At the designated time, open your time capsule and enjoy a walk down memory lane!

Tips & Warnings

• This makes a great family New Year's activity. You could make one capsule for the family, or each member could make their own.
• Make sure the things you put in your time capsule are non-perishable.

[CBeatrix]

on 10/30/2008 So nice idea! I'll do it for this year end. We love crafting with my daughter. Thanks! 5*