How To: Leave A Time Capsule For Future Generations

Wouldn’t it be cool to leave a time capsule in your house when you move? Someday someone would find it and get a glimpse into that moment in time when you left it for them. It’s kinda like finding a message in a bottle, only better. Have you ever thought about leaving a note like this for someone? I have.

The only cool things I’ve ever found in a new house or apartment were some unwanted knickknacks left behind or etchings in the basement in the wood. Oh, wait, one time I moved into a place that smelled like curry for six months after I was there (I don’t like curry. Lol). Does that count as a glimpse into the past? Hmm…

Just stop and think for a moment what it would be like to get a message from the past, left for you, by a complete stranger, that tells a story about what life was like in a time long ago when they were standing in the same place that you are now. It’s almost like a hidden treasure, only without the jewels.

One thing to think about when considering leaving a time capsule is that you want to put it somewhere where it won’t be found for many years. I mean, it’s not much of a time capsule if someone finds it a few weeks after you leave, right? In the best-case scenario, someone would find it several years or even decades later. So, this means it’s important to be strategic when deciding where exactly to hide it.

Author Sean Michael Ragan over at Make had some of these same ideas. For him, leaving a little time capsule for someone to find later when moving out of a house is like getting closure and like saying goodbye. He creatively came up with the idea that hiding a note behind a light switch was a perfect place. After all, it would probably be years and years before someone would get out a screwdriver and remove that metal plate, right? I think it’s a brilliant idea! Just head on over to his ingenious seven step tutorial here.