I feel like the older my kids get, the faster time seems to zip by, especially in the summer. Sadly, our summer is coming to a close, and we are busy gearing up for a new school year. One of our family’s favorite back-to-school traditions is our Back to School Time Capsules. It’s the perfect way to preserve all of those special memories you don’t want to forget as the year flashes by.
School Time Capsule Supplies:
- Paper Mache Tube with Lid
- DecoArt Multi-Surface Paint – School Bus, Flamingo, Dolphin
- BlackWashi Tape
- Paint Brush
- Free Back-to-School Interview
- SHOP ALL THE SUPPLIES ON MY LTK PAGE
How to Make a Back-to-School Time Capsule
Now that you have your supplies, simply follow this easy step-by-step tutorial to create your own time capsule.
Start by taping off a 2″ section of the tube toward the top. I placed the lid on the tube and traced around the bottom of that with a pencil, and then used washi tape to tape off the second line, creating my 2″ section.
Paint the bottom half of the tube yellow. You may need more than one coat of paint to get a smooth, even finish.
Once the yellow paint is dry, paint the middle 2″ section you created with the gray or silver paint. Finally, paint the top section and the lid with the pink paint to create the eraser on your pencil.
Once you’ve finished painting the time capsule and the paint has dried, it’s time to personalize it. I used my Cricut machine to cut out each kid’s name, grade, and school year in vinyl. If you don’t have a cutting machine, you can always use stickers or a black marker to personalize your pencil.
One of my favorite things about this tradition is being able to see how much each kid changes throughout the school year. It’s so cool to see how their handwriting changes and how much they grow. It’s one of those things that you think you would notice or remember, but I’m always so grateful at the end of the year that we took the time to put these treasures in a time capsule.
When my oldest started kindergarten, I started this tradition by having her fill out this simple Back to School questionnaire. Since then, we have been filling out the same questionnaire, and it’s a fun and easy way to see what they are excited about and what they love. At the end of the year, I have them fill out my free End of the Year printable to compare how their answers change throughout the year.
If you are looking to create your own Back to School Time Capsule, here are some other ideas for things you can have your kids do and include in their time capsule.
Back to School Time Capsule Ideas
1. Fill out the First Day of School Interview
Download the free printable and have your kids answer the questions
2. Measure and record their height and weight
Track their growth on a growth chart or write down their height and weight on a piece of paper at the beginning of the year to see how much taller they are at the end of the year.
3. Include a Photograph
Take a photo from the beginning of the year and include it in the time capsule. Make sure you take a picture at the end of the year in the same spot to compare how much they have grown and changed throughout the year.
4. Trace Their Handprint
There is something so sweet about little kid handprints. Trace a hand at the beginning of the year with one color and trace over it at the end of the year with another color to see how those sweet little hands have grown.
5. Dreams and Goals
As my kids get older I love having them write down their dreams and goals to include in our time capsule. I love that it gives them something personal to work toward, and to see their achievement with those personal goals at the end of the year is amazing.
6. Keep Up with Current Events
Have your kids either write about a current event or include news clippings from the beginning of the year. Do the same at the end of the year and keep these stories year after year until they graduate from high school.
7. Include Artwork and Assignments
Make sure you include special artwork, A+ assignments or examples of work they are proud of throughout the year!
Whether your kids are starting kindergarten or headed off to middle school this year this DIY Back to School Time Capsule is the perfect way to preserve memories and keepsakes throughout the year. Be sure to visit DecoArt to see all of the details you will need to create your own DIY Pencil Time Capsule.
Leave a Reply