Lifestyle

How to Create a Time Capsule

Building a time capsule is a creative and special way to capture the essence of today and leave a little piece of your life for the future. It is a chance to look back at who you are, what matters to you, and what the world is to you right now. It is a special way to collect small treasures, memories, or messages that represent your life, seal them in a container, and choose a spot and date to open it. It may depend on years or even decades later. In this how-to article, This article will walk you through creating your own time capsule, step by step, it’s something that you will be able to cherish for years to come. 

When you are assembling a time capsule, the contents that you add are the core of the project. They should reflect you in the present day, but they should also resonate in the future. The capsule should include personal items of great significance and items that represent your time period.

Emma Twomey ’25, one of the experts who were interviewed, also emphasized the importance of a personal touch. “Personally, I’d want to have a handwritten letter. It’s personal and forever, and it’s so that we can look back on how we were in that particular moment.”

Natalia Kazbanov ’25, another expert, proposed including something that reminds you of your current place or experience. I would just love to have at least a map or some sort of token of where we are today, like a newspaper from our town or even a ticket stub to a concert that we both attended.” It will be interesting to see what places or events were significant to us at this moment in time.” This adds a bit of flavor to your time capsule, making it that much more personal and unique.

One of the most important aspects of creating a time capsule is preserving it for the entire period of the specified time, be it ten or fifty years. It is one of the most important steps as something that holds this much importance inside has, without the proper sealing of the capsule, could be damaged by water, heat, or time.

Sophie Dahiya ’25 pointed out the merits of planning: “We should go so far as to put a reminder on our calendars or set up an email list so we won’t forget the date. We can’t let our active lifestyle get the best of us and forget about this important reunion!”

Emily Ryu ’25 also offered additional advice on where to store the capsule. “I also think that we should choose an area that’s not prone to natural disasters, and we can also have somebody we know and trust  a relative, to ensure the area is not disturbed.” Security and safety come first. 

A time capsule is really a time capsule for the future. The difficulty here is that the contents can’t be too specific to a particular trend. Natalia had the idea that putting in a personal message is a wonderful way to relate to your future self. “We could both make a short video or audio message of our dreams, hopes, and what our friendship means to us.” It would be interesting to hear our voices in ten years and find out if we’re still talking or if we’ve changed. Sophie went on, “We can create a list of our own prophecies for what is going to happen in the next ten years. What we think is going to happen in our own lives and in the world. It’ll be funny and interesting to read just how wrong or right we were.” A bit of mystery and humor to your time capsule, will make the overall experience more enjoyable. 

Building your own time capsule is a meaningful creative way to capture a piece of the present and preserve it for future generations to discover. By carefully selecting personal items, writing messages, and sealing them in a durable container, you will be able to create very real connections between the past and the future. When the time comes to open your capsule, it will serve as a reminder of where you have been and how much has changed over the years, and will make a timeless experience you will cherish for many years to come.