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First, decide where you’re going to hide your time capsule.
You could
- Bury it in your garden (draw a map of where you put it, so you don’t have to dig up half your garden to find it again)
- Hide it in your roof space or underneath your floorboards
- Put it in a cupboard or shed
It should be somewhere safe where it can remain undisturbed for some time, bearing in mind you will need to access it at some point. Hiding it in your wall cavity while renovating might not be the best idea unless you are willing to damage your wall to get it out again!
Next, decide on a container
Depending on where you’re going to keep it, you’ll need a suitable container. You could use:
- A large glass jar with an airtight lid
- An old biscuit tin
- A plastic container
- A shoebox (only suitable if you’re storing it indoors where it will be dry)
If you are going to bury it outside, make sure it is waterproof. You could also pop in a few silica gel packets to absorb any moisture.
Then choose what to include
Next comes the fun part, deciding what you are going to put in your time capsule. Avoid things that will perish such as foods and liquids – and anything with batteries, as they can corrode.
Then, put your items into the container and close it. For extra protection, you can also tape it up. Label it with the date it should be opened. It could be a special birthday such as a 21st or 60th, or a specific date 10, 20 or even 40 years in the future. Just remember to take it with you, if you move house before the opening date.
To get you started, here are 8 things you could add to your time capsule
- Photos of family & friends
- School photos
- Wishes for the future
- A letter to your future self
- The front cover of the day’s newspaper
- Handprints and children’s drawings
- A favourite family recipe
- A list of likes and dislikes
- A questionnaire for each family member – what is your favourite movie, song, food, TV show, team etc and what you think the world will be like in 5, 10 or 20 years.
