How to make a special memory box

I hold my hands up I am rather sentimental.  I find it hard to throw away cards or little things that I have attached memories too.  Obviously we don’t need stuff, memories are treasured in our hearts and heads but I also like to have those little notes, cards and mementos to touch, to smell and to see.  If you looked inside our garage you would spot boxes that sit on the rafters and they have moved with me.  Only a couple of weeks ago my dad found some more of my photos and bought them over to me.

If you look in the shops you can now buy memory boxes, tin ones, card one and lots of pretty ones but they are pretty impersonal.  They are often quite small too.  Therefore I just use regular cardboard boxes that I personalise.  Again if you looked in my rafters you would see a box dedicated to when I was at school, it has reports, autograph books (remember this was well before the selfie age and the digital evolution!), my old school tie and even some of my class books.  Another box has the memories of Russia in, I went on an exchange  and it was life changing.  I have boxes for each of my three children and it contains the usual red medical books, first shoes, baptism cards, birth cards and Chloe’s even holds her bridesmaid dress that she wore at our wedding that was lovingly made by my lovely nanny.

The box I have just been making has been on my to do list for the past six months and as Safestore are running a bloggers competition to create a memory capsule so it was the perfect push I needed to get crafty!

Making a memory capsule.

1. Simply assemble the cardboard archive box.

2. Personalise the outside, this could mean just writing the contents or the theme of the box on.  If you have a few of these you may want to get too a specific one quickly at some point.  I actually choose to decorate mine with some personalised wrapping paper from Wrap me which used some of the photos from my instagram feed.  I love this paper and I used photos that are connected to the theme  of my memory capsule.

3. Fill the box with those special memories.  Like I said the advantage of creating your own memory capsule is that you make it the size that you need.

4. Store the memory capsule in a safe place.  This could mean putting it into storage or if you have the space keeping it at home.  Like I said I have the memories in heart and head but it may not always be that way and over time you do forget things.  Also the memory capsule is perfect for my children who won’t remember some of the things we did when they were younger.

What went in my memory capsule?

Last year we had a family holiday of a lifetime (funny phrase that as it was the second time we had been) to Florida.  We went with my parents and younger brother and spent time in both a villa and on site at Disney.  Erin was only four and I don’t expect her to remember all we did so this box will hopefully be special for her.  Erin was born with hip dysplasia and has had many operations and this trip was to celebrate how far we have come. In this box will be

* Erin had a princess make over which was a real treat.  We went to Bippity Boppity Boutique where dreams were made!  We then had lunch with Belle (mums favourite princess).  It was wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Erin enjoyed collecting stickers in restaurants and from the cast members.

 

 

Flight tickets were also kept – there is a story there to remember as we missed our connecting flight despite running through the airport! Also the magic bands which were are keys to Disney.  These were new out last year and made everything from getting our meals, getting into the parks and paying for Disney things so much easier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The children enjoyed collecting badges on their lanyards and swapping them with cast members. this became very competitive as they each searched out there favourite characters. Dylan wanted to get the UP badges whilst Erin wanted princesses!

 

 

 

 

Finally there would also be the bits I bought as mementos – even down to keeping the carrier bags. Oh and obviously the photo albums.

That is my Disneyworld Florida 2014 Memory Capsule. What would be in yours?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my entry into #Safestoreyourmemories competition.