Tips for Preparing Your Christmas Time Capsule

A Christmas time capsule can be really useful in preserving holiday memories that can be passed down to the next generation. Because of this, you'll want to choose memorabilia that preserves well. This can be a family-fun project to put together knowing you'll look at it years down the line, or your grandchildren will discover one Christmas season. You can even pull out the time capsule annually to recollect the blessings of the previous year and add new memories as well.

CD-R filled with digital photos and videos of events that occurred within that year. CD's preserve quite well, especially if put in a hard case. You think you'll remember those fun times, but will find that when you look back at the photos, you'll reminisce of good times shared with family. Future generations will greatly appreciate this too, especially the format that it's in so they can make duplicates if necessary.

Art work. Throughout the school year, have the kids save their favorite two pieces of artwork each. Craft stores sell sprays that preserve artwork done on paper so that it's acid free and lignin free for years down the line. What an amazing change you see in kids' artwork from one school year to the next. Reminding yourself of those younger days can bring about some good nostalgia.

Personal letters. Have each member of the family write a personal letter. The content of this letter is up to you. Suggested ideas are favorite memories that took place that year, goals they want to achieve for the sequential year, or a letter to the next generation.

Mini scrapbook. Scrapbooking doesn't have to be complication or expensive. Use a binder with protective sheets instead. In each pocket, a family member will have created their own scrapbook page for the year that represents them and their family. Buy cardstock, acid and lignin-free gluesticks, stickers, and print up some photos. Journal some info on the papers and you're done!

Did your child reach a milestone this year? You might want to include something that captures that milestone, such as baby shoes for walking, baseball for hitting a home-run, or an A made on an exam. Be creative and know that anything goes. As long as it brings back a good memory, then it is perfect.

What should the time capsule be in? Well, you have a variety of options! If you are choosing to do an annual capsule, it might be best to fit the entire capsule in a plastic box the size of a shoe box, and each year, stack that box in a hope chest. If you are doing a one-time capsule, you can use a storage box that can be opened in say, 10 years down the line. The point is that you don't want the capsule to take up a lot of space in your home.

Memorabilia that captures the era or decade you are in. Future generations will be amazed by this information, such as "Gasoline cost $3-$4 in 2008?" You can add newspaper clippings of major events, coins, current technology, a toy, something like that. Could you imagine how excited you would be today to open a box belonging to your grandparents that depicted the past?

Recipes. There's nothing more exciting for some people than discovering how to make their grandma's famous cookies or mom's secret spaghetti! They are comfort foods that carry a ton of memories along with it. Choose some of your favorite dishes you make quite well, take a picture of it and write the recipe on a beautiful notecard.

Have fun, be creative! Anything can be put in a time capsule as long as it won't deteriorate the rest of the items in the capsule. Don't let this list confine you. Only you know what your family would enjoy opening years down the line. Enjoy preserving those memories this Christmas season!