We combed Pinterest to bring you some clever tricks on packing fragile or breakable items as you get ready for your move. Check out these ideas, and feel free to add any tips you have in the comments.
Plates and Dishes
1. Don’t use newspaper or printed paper on your good china plates – the ink can transfer and stain your dishes. Instead, wrap them in kitchen towels or “end rolls” (you can get this unprinted paper from your local newspaper).
2. T-shirts. Everyone owns at least 1,000 t-shirts, so use them to wrap your plates. And then your plates and your t-shirts are packed!
Video found on PopSugar.com
3. Try stacking cheap styrofoam plates in between each of your china plates – the foam cushions and protects, and won’t stain the dishes. Then you can wrap each stack in a towel or bedsheet before packing it in the correct box.
Photo courtesy of TheFrugalGirls.com
4. Save your egg crates for packing time: they work great as buffers inside bigger boxes to protect delicate, hard-to-wrap objects like tea pots, large art pieces or sculptures, lamps, and more. Check this out:
Photo from MinkyMoo
Picture Frames and Mirrors
1. Tuck your smaller picture frames inside ziplock bags. Seal the zipper partially, then press your lips to the gap and blow up the bag around the picture frame. Finish the zipper quickly, and you’ve got a little protective air bubble for each picture frame!
Photo from RealSimple.com
2. For larger picture frames or mirrors, wrap each one in a towel, throw blanket, or sweater and stack them into your rolling suitcases. Most suitcases have a sturdy frame to keep them from collapsing and it will protect your frames perfectly. Just be sure to run a piece of tape across the suitcase and mark it “Fragile” or “Do not stack.”
Makeup, Perfume, and Small Breakables
1. When you move, it’s easy to forget that makeup compacts are susceptible to cracking or breaking, making your foundation a bit tricky to maintain. The folks at Cosmopolitan suggest packing each compact with a cotton pad or cotton ball to preserve the powder base.
2. When it comes to packing small fragile items, Cosmopolitan is on a roll: Tuck perfume bottles into ziplock baggies, then stash them in your fluffiest socks before packing them in boxes. Baggies contain any leaks or spills, and your socks get packed and act as a cushion.
Got any tips or tricks for breakables that you love? Share them below in the comments! And we wish you the best with your move.