Making a Genealogy Time Capsule Part 2

We have talked previously about what items to put into a Genealogy Time Capsule. Now it's time to think about what kind of container we will use.

The first thing is to decide if you are going to hide your Genealogy Time Capsule inside a building or outside. If inside, the container does not have to be waterproof. If outside, you must waterproof it as best you can.

We thought of using the following easy-to-find containers:


1. Metal Cookie Tin
2. Plastic storage box
3. Old tackle or tool box (we found an old army ammo box which was perfect!)
4. a sturdy box that an appliance came in
5. large dog biscuit container with lid

Any of the above are fine to simply hide somewhere in your house or other building (we'll talk about locations for your Genealogy Time Capsule in a separate post)

If you are going to hide your Capsule outside you can use the Metal Cookie Tin, or plastic boxes but not a cardboard one. The metal tins or plastic tubs are not waterproof where they close so you must waterproof the closures. You can do this by caulking the edges. You can also wrap the entire container in plastic bags and seal tightly with clear packing tape.

To be extra cautious, you can tuck your items into ziplock plastic baggies before placing them in the containers.

You can also use plastic PVC piping and end caps. These can be purchased at any hardware or plumbing store. Simply cut the PVC piping to the lengths you want, add your genealogy items and seal the end caps with plumber's adhesive.

If you are involving children or grandchildren in this project (as we plan to do) why not give each of them their own smaller container. They can fill it with items they choose, with letters and drawings they have created, with toys, and so on. Then you can seal their smaller container and place it inside the larger Genealogy Time Capsule. We thought a large plastic Cottage Cheese container or Wet Ones Container would work well for our grandchildren.