There are more new mothers nowadays who are getting interested in an up-and-coming trend: making a baby shower time capsule with memorabilia around the time the baby was born for them to open at a certain time in the future.
This is something that would definitely be an interesting gift for the child. After all, how many people look up the headlines on the day that they were born or research about the fashions and other trends at that time?
It's relatively easy to make a baby shower time capsule, however you'll need to do quite a bit of advanced planning to make it happen. The first thing to do is decide what you'd want to put in the time capsule. The contents are what will dictate the size of the container.
The more popular items to put in a time capsule would be the front page of a national newspaper; pictures of hot trends at the time – the latest cars, the hottest toys, the more popular fashions, the most influential people; scientific discoveries of the year; common items like a grocery receipt or a pretty or unusual postage stamp; pictures of the mommy-to-be and your friends at that time; a set of coins from that year; and a CD with the top 40 songs and the top-grossing movie of the year. Why not add the ultrasound image of the baby? Remember to label pictures and write down little notes or comments on certain events if you like.
Now that you've made the list, where will you store the time capsule? There are quite a few people who advise against burying the box, since moisture can affect the contents and more commonly, people forget where they bury something and it can get lost. It's best to store it in a cool, dark place right in plain sight, like in a bookcase or in the child's closet. You can choose an acid-free cardboard box to store your memorabilia, a tight tin can, or even a glass jar. You could also take a look at the companies who specialize in creating time capsule containers. These keep the contents air and moisture free and would protect them against the elements very well.
Ensure that your memorabilia is protected by storing them with archival supplies like acid-free paper and sleeves to store the newspapers and pictures. Make sure that any glue or pastes you use are of archival standard as well since their fumes can destroy ink and paper.
Ask your friends to bring along some more memorabilia which they think the child would appreciate seeing. Sort through everything at the baby shower to weed out duplicates and remove any damaging materials like plastics, staples, and tape.
A great activity for all the guests to do would be to decorate the time capsule. Choose the right paints to decorate the outside. If you chose a box or glass jar, why not decoupage the exterior?
Put the child's name prominently on the outside and the date of
the baby shower as well. You can also add a note, like “Not
to be Opened until You Are 21!” if you like. Then make a great
ceremony of putting the memorabilia in during your baby shower,
seal it, and you've got the baby all set for the future.