Moving Tips: How to Pack your Fragile Items

If you are moving, you already stressed. The last thing you want is to find your favorite wall art or family heirlooms broken or damaged when you unpack them at your new home. Here’s how to avoide that unwelcome scenario.

Start Early

Pack early so you have plenty of time to pack carefully. If you are rushing, you may skip steps which can result in broken glassware or a hole in your favorite painting. So start gathering your supplies early and start packing as much as you can ahead of time.

Provide Cushioning

One of the key factors in protecting fragile items is to provide plenty of cushioning and plenty of airspace around items in a box. If this means more boxes, so be it: It’s worth the little extra expense in the long run. There are many products and even household items you can use to protect fragile belongings, such a packing peanuts, bubble wrap, shredded paper from your recycle bin and even old sheets and towels. You can even crumple up pages from a magazine or phone book as cushioning. In most cases, a combination of these ‘protectors’ will yield the best results. Before you begin packing any box, use two full length strips of packing tape along the bottom seam and secure the open edges,

Glassware and Dishes

Glassware and crystal, especially with long stems, are prone to snapping if jostled or if another item falls against the stem. Small boxes are best for fragile items; this guarantees that you won’t over pack the box. You can also pack durable items on the bottom, add layers of bubble wrap or towels, and then layer your fragile items on top. Either way, start with a 2-3 inch layer of peanuts or shredded paper beneath glass and fragile items. Wrap each item either in two layers of tissue paper or bubble wrap and set it gently in the box. Once you get a layer of wrapped glassware, add more peanuts or shredded paper and start again. Leave enough room at the top of the box for more peanuts or paper and be sure the lid will close without pressure. Mark the box ‘fragile’ and label the contents. Then secure the top with packing tape (not duct tape). Dishes should be packed with a layer of bubble wrap between each plate; this will keep them from chipping and banging together. Use plenty of shredded paper or peanuts to stabilize stacks of plates and bowls and do not over stack; keep leveling layers of dishware and cushioning as you go. You can also use clean dishtowels, linen or towels as protectors between plates, etc.

Artwork

Smaller framed art can be set upright in a diagonal inside a box with bubble wrap and/or towels and sheets layered between to keep them snug and safe. Be sure to add peanuts or paper at the bottom of the box first for cushioning. The biggest challenge for large pieces of art is finding a box that is big enough. You may have to buy a large box, cut, reconfigure and secure it with packaging tape to get it the size you need. Movers also sell special padded boxes for artwork. Packing peanuts and paper can be used to prevent shifting. The artwork should be wrapped in bubble wrap or layers of towels or sheet before being slipped into the box, so allow enough room when creating your box to accommodate for that. The artwork should be tight enough to not move in the box, but not so tight that it can be damaged.