Mirrors and artwork and dishes, oh my! Packing fragile items for storage can be a daunting task. When wrapping it up in newspaper doesn’t quite feel like enough, we’ve got some ideas that will give you a little more peace of mind when it comes to packing and storing your fragile items.
Bubble wrap is your best friend.
Bubble wrap is the easiest, most surefire way to protect even the most fragile of items. While bubble wrap seems like something only the “pros” use, you can actually buy it yourself online, or at many office supply stores. Use this handy material to wrap fragile dishes and drinkware, or to wrap up mirrors, lamps, or delicate picture frames of artwork. (The hours of entertainment you’ll get from popping the bubbles afterward is just a bonus.)
Use packing paper.
Packing paper may seem useless when compared to something like bubble wrap, but the real power of packing paper lies not in its protective power, but its filler power. Use crumpled up wrapping paper in the bottom of a box before you pack it with fragile items. Once the box is packed, fill in the empty spaces with more crumpled up paper. This will prevent your fragile items from shifting too much during the move, so potential for breakage is kept to a minimum.
Treat your mirrors right.
Mirrors require extra special treatment when packing, moving, and storing. Start by putting painters tape across the entire mirror, with strips from corner to corner, side to side, and top to bottom. This will reduce vibration on the glass to prevent cracks. Protect the corners of the mirror with foam or bubble wrap, and then wrap the whole thing in bubble wrap. If you can find a box that is the right size for your mirror, that’s a good option, too, but the mirror should still be wrapped inside the box.
Use small boxes.
For small fragile items, use the smallest possible boxes for packing and moving. This will give your items less room to shift around and break. It will also result in lighter boxes, so there will be less danger of the box being dropped. Also, don’t over pack the boxes or try to get too creative with what you can fit into a box. If you have an unusually shaped object that takes up a lot of room in a box, fill the empty space with packing paper and call it good. It’s worth using a whole box, even for a single item, to avoid your fragile items breaking.
What about artwork?
While some works of art may not be considered “fragile” in the traditional sense, they should still be treating very carefully when packing and moving. Wrap the piece in acid-free tissue paper to protect the art itself. A large plastic bag will work well for keeping out moisture. Protect the corners with more acid-free tissue paper, or, if the art is framed, with bubble wrap. Try to avoid putting tape directly on the artwork, instead placing it on the paper/plastic you’re using to protect it. Finally, cover the piece in cardboard, whether by using a mirror box, or by taping sheets of cardboard together to form a makeshift box of your own.
Fragile items are often the most valuable items we own, so it’s important to take the time to pack them right during a move. With the right prep, your favorite items will survive your move—no problem!
Looking for a great self-storage solution in the Phoenix area? Check out Arizona Storage Centers. We have centers in Phoenix, Deer Valley, Chandler, Gilbert, and Glendale, so we’re never far away from anyone in the Valley. We offer a wide variety of unit sizes and options that are sure to fit your needs. Give us a call today at 480-386-6022 to discover your perfect storage solution.
