Moving is a stressful time, and one of the most stressful parts is making sure that nothing gets broken.
After you’ve moved a few times you may start to think it’s inevitable that some precious item is going to break.
But by following a few simple packing tips you can reduce your chances of damage when moving with fragile decorations. If you take the time to do it right before you move, it will pay off when it’s time to unpack.
So take control and avoid the heartbreak of breakage.
Choosing the Tools
The first step is to invest in the right tools. For wrapping fragile decorations, these tools will include some:
- Wrapping paper
- Bubble wrap
- Tissue paper
- Packing peanuts
- Transparent tape
- Scissors
- Packing labels
Use wrapping paper made of clean newsprint, not newspapers. Mom and Dad may have told you to economize by using old newspapers to wrap fragile items, but the ink can come off and stain your decorations. Even if they don’t get stained, using clean, newpaper saves you the trouble of washing items after the move.
Packing the Item
Image Source: stevendepolo
Protect small, delicate decorations with a layer of bleed resistant tissue paper before wrapping in bubble wrap or wrapping paper. Pay special attention to areas of the item that are exposed because they stick out, like arms, ears, and hands on a figurine. Reinforce those areas with strips of tissue paper before wrapping the whole item.
the item is enclosed in bubble wrap or wrapping paper, make sure you can’t feel edges sticking through the cushioning layers. If you do, add more layers.
Once you’re satisfied with the cushion you’ve created, tape it in place. Use ordinary transparent tape, not packing tape, and do not go overboard with the tape or you will have a giant headache when you try to unwrap the item.
Packing the Box
When you’re trying to prevent breakage during a move, the way you pack the box is just as important as the way you wrap the individual items.
First, separate out your fragile items and pack them together. Pack the box according to weight, with the heaviest items on the bottom.
When packing fragile decorations, think of Miss Hannigan’s motto when it comes to little girls, modified slightly. Fill, fill, fill!
Image source: ThrasherDave
Cushion your breakables against each other and also against the box to protect against impact. For the same reason, fill the box completely. If you hear the items inside sliding around when you pick up the box, you haven’t filled enough.
This is where those wacky packing peanuts come in. They’re not just to make you crave a snack during a hard day of moving. Create a cushion between your fragile decorations and the box by spreading
a layer of packing peanuts on the bottom and surrounding the packed items with them on all four sides. You can also use crumpled up wrapping paper for this purpose.
Make sure the box is filled all the way to the top as well. Press down lightly on the top of the box to test. If it gives, you haven’t filled it enough.
This has to do with stacking. If your box is labelled “Fragile,” nothing should be stacked on top of it anyway. Just in case it does happen, though, you don’t want the item on top to fall right into the box containing fragile decorations and break them.
Just make sure you leave a space at the top to fill with crumpled paper or packing peanuts. If you fill it to the top with packed items instead, you may cut into them when you use your utility knife to split open the tape and get into the box!
Labeling
Finally, make sure to label the boxes containing fragile decorations as “Fragile”! You have all kinds of options for this nowadays, from the traditional black permanent marker to “Fragile” stickers. Make your message impossible to ignore by labeling the box on all sides.
Transporting
Professional movers have ways of separating and securing boxes of fragile items for vehicle transportation. If your move is more of a DIY event, you may want to consider taking your most important fragile items in the car with you. In any case, if you’re renting a truck or trailer, make sure to ask if and how it is provisioned for transporting fragile items.
