Blog November 28, 2020

How to Pack Fragile Items for Moving

Packing for a long-distance relocation can be a tough job, and it’s even tougher when you have to get all your glassware and dishes packed and ready for transport. If you aren’t too sure how to pack fragile items, then you have your work cut out. Before you start rushing to get materials and just toss your easily breakable belongings in a box, you should check out these tips for getting them packed and ready to move.

The Best Packing Materials for Fragile Items

So you have a home full of glasses, plates, your great aunt’s fine china, and many other easily breakable pieces. It’s an awful lot of valuable and delicate vthings that are at risk of being broken or damaged during your cross country relocation. One of the best strategies to tackle this mountain of a task is to get the right materials to pack with. We would say that it’s one thing that can be the difference between a relocation nightmare and stress-free moving.

Materials and Supplies Needed for Moving Fragile Items

One of the first steps on how to pack fragile items for moving is getting all of your breakable belongings ready and knowing what materials to buy. The things we list are basic moving essentials, and you should always buy more than enough for moving fragile items:

  • Packing paper
  • Bubble wrap
  • Box tape
  • Durable cardboard boxes
  • Packing nuts
  • Markers and labels
  • Cling wrap

What Are the Best Free Packing Materials

Expenses for supplies can quickly add up if you haven’t added a budget to your checklist for moving to another state. Some of the best supplies you have are right at home with you and can save you loads of time and money. Here are some free materials that can be used for breakable belongings:

  • Towels and sheets are suitable for wrapping belongings and filling in gaps when boxing your stuff.
  • Newspapers work very much the same as packing paper when covering dishes.
  • Old t-shirts are also a good alternative for wrapping materials.
  • You can go to your local grocery store, Goodwill, or Salvation Army to ask about discarded boxes you can take off their hands.
Box full of crumbled packing paper waiting to be used for moving state to state
Get the right materials for your easily breakable items

Reinforcing a Cardboard Box

If there’s one thing that most people overlook when packing breakable belongings is making sure that their boxes are nice and sturdy while relocating. This is an extremely important step for packing fragile items. Reinforcing each box will help make sure your stuff doesn’t fall through the bottom, both when loading and during travel. It’s easy and only takes a little extra time and tape to do it.

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Boxes with Fragile Items Need Extra Support When Moving

This is where your extra materials and tape come in handy when packing fragile items for moving. You can use all of the paper, rags, sheets, bubble wrap, and packing nuts to fill in gaps. This will add insulation to your boxes, so if there are any bumps, the shock is absorbed, saving your breakable belongings from being damaged. Another trick is to use a few layers of tape around the bottom of the box and extra layers to the bottom and top openings to ensure that nothing falls out, so the box won’t burst open.

Beautiful glass vase in box with bubble wrap
Make sure to reinforce your boxes for extra support

How to Pack Fragile Items for Moving 101

Dishes often take up the most time when getting your breakable stuff packed and require lots of patience if you want to get them packed away properly. If you haven’t hired a reputable long distance relocating company for their packing service, then you truly have work to do. At first, getting dishes packed might seem like it’s easy, but after a while, you’ll be surprised how quickly you get burned out.

Tips to Wrap Your Breakable Items

Now that you’ve gotten all of your necessary materials, you’re probably wondering how do you wrap a fragile object? With these tips, you’ll be able to catch on quickly and get each item properly wrapped. Remember that this takes lots of time and patience, so do your best not to rush it; otherwise, something might break, and you’ll have to deal with slight depression after moving. Here are some tips for how to wrap fragile items:

  • Use a few layers of paper for each item
  • Place finished pieces to the side before placing them in a box
  • Do not rush when wrapping
  • You can wrap some pieces together, like small plates
  • Apply plenty of bubble wrap

Tips to Quickly and Properly Get Breakable Items Packed

Once you get started, it will seem simple enough, but just wait until you’re ready to rip your hair out after an hour. Fortunately, there have been enough people who have been in your shoes and have learned how to pack dishes for moving quickly. Following these simple steps will save you a lot of daylight hours and show you how to package fragile items for shipping:

  • Set all of your dishes and materials where there’s a lot of space. Having extra space to work will pay off in the end
  • Group each type of plates or bowls
  • Always have more materials than you need
  • Start off using smaller boxes since they are much sturdier and easy to manage
  • Place bigger and heavier plates in boxes first
  • Fill in any extra gaps with soft materials
  • Mark each finished box as “fragile” for when it’s time to load
  • Use extra tape to reinforce the bottom of each box

How to Handle Breakable Belongings

Before you gather up all of your plates, dishes, and glasses together for moving, you should learn how to properly pack up your breakable belongings like a pro.

Finding the Best Storage Options for Fragile Items

Having an excellent storage service is always a good idea when you’re relocating across the country, and even more so for last-minute moving. It can save you a lot of time just if you need all the daylight hours you can get or have a deadline to meet. You’ll free up a lot of space, so you’ll have a lot less to worry about so you can get settled in your new home.

Leave Your Fragile Items in Storage for Convenience

Leaving your breakable belongings in storage is a great idea and can save you so much trouble when settling in. The extra space you have is good for getting larger pieces like furniture and bulky appliances first. Another benefit you’ll have is that you won’t have to waste time or money on getting plates, lamps, and other breakable belongings – they’re waiting on you in storage. You can even have your stuff delivered to you if you hire a moving service to save yourself of even more trouble. Now, relocating your breakable belongings across the country doesn’t have to be such a big task.

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