A ticket stub, a note from your friend, and the list of songs you keep playing in the car. A senior year time capsule gives those little things a place together. You choose a date to close the box and a date to open it again.
I like the idea of making one with your friends over winter break. Everyone brings a few things, you write down why they belong, and someone gets to be the keeper of the box. Choose that person before the lid goes on. The group chat can help with a lot, but it cannot tell you which closet has the box.
Choose an opening date for your senior year time capsule
Pick a date your group can agree on. The summer after graduation gives you a shorter wait. Five years after graduation gives you more time between making the box and opening it.
Write the full day, month, and year on the label. Add a reminder to your calendar. If friends may live in different places by then, plan a video call as an option.
You can also make a box on your own. Ask a friend or someone at home to tuck in a note you can read when you open it.
Find a box and a place to keep it
Start with a clean, dry box that has a snug lid. If you want to store papers for years, the National Archives recommends acid-free, lignin-free boxes and folders. Choose a size that lets your papers lie flat.
Keep the box indoors. The Library of Congress guide to making a time capsule explains that a capsule can stay above ground. A dry shelf away from sunlight, pipes, and vents is a better plan than burying it in the backyard.
Before you add anything, check that your chosen shelf has room. A box that needs to move every time someone wants a blanket may travel farther than you planned.
Pick seven things that tell you about this year
Lay out your ideas before you pack. Each friend can bring a few things, then you can choose what fits.
- A current photo. Print a copy and write the names, place, and date on its paper sleeve.
- A note from each person. Write what you have been doing lately and one thing you want to remember about the group.
- A ticket or program. A copy of a school-play program or a ticket from a game gives you a date to look back at.
- Your everyday favorites. List the snacks, songs, shows, and after-school stops you keep choosing. Include the very specific drink order.
- A small piece of this year's style. A clean scrap of ribbon or a drawing of an outfit can fit. Take a photo of anything you want to keep wearing.
- A page about a regular day. Write down your class schedule, lunch plans, and what you do after school.
- A prediction from each friend. Choose a question you will enjoy answering later. Who will still have the same car? Which song will everyone know by heart?
If you want more ideas for pictures to print, start with these everyday senior-year photo ideas. A photo from your regular lunch table belongs here, too.
Pack each item so you can tell what it is
Use paper folders or envelopes to keep items apart. For prints, choose photo-safe sleeves. The Library of Congress photo-care guide advises against glue, sticky notes, and rubber bands on photographs. Write on the sleeve instead.
Add a contents page with the date, each person's name, and a short note about each object. Keep food and plants out of the box. A written snack list can do the remembering.
Save copies of any photos you print. Your capsule and your senior-year photo album can hold different parts of the same year.
Copy this label before you close the lid
Our senior year time capsule
- Made on:
- Made by:
- Graduation year:
- Open on:
- Box keeper:
- Stored at:
- How we will get together to open it:
Take a photo of the finished label and send it to everyone who added something. If the box moves, update the group.
Whether your box stays in Bolivar, MO, or at a friend's home elsewhere in the 417, give it one agreed place. Then tuck the last note inside. Someone may want to add one more prediction before the lid goes on.
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