# How to pack pictures and mirrors for moving 1st Choice Packaging · Updated 28 October 2026 The short answer: wrap each picture or mirror in packing paper, then in two layers of bubble wrap, protect the corners, and **always stand them on their edge, never flat**. Glass and frames break when they're laid flat with weight on top, or when a corner takes a knock. Keep those two things from happening and they'll arrive in one piece. ## What you'll need - [bubble wrap roll, 25 m](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/bubble-wrap/), or a longer [bubble wrap roll, 750 mm x 100 m](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/bubble-wrap-750mm-100m/) if you have a lot of frames - [packing paper, 5 kg](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/packing-paper/) for the first layer, so bubble wrap never touches the picture surface - [brown packing tape](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/packing-tape/) and [fragile tape](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/fragile-tape/) - [large removal boxes](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/large-removal-box/) for small and medium frames, and a spare flattened box or two for corner pieces and larger mirrors - Low-tack masking or painter's tape for any glass ## Step by step: framed pictures and mirrors - **Take down and clear a space.** Lay each piece face up on a clean, soft surface such as a bed or a folded duvet. Take off any loose hooks or wire and bag them with the screws. - **Tape an X across the glass** with low-tack masking tape. It won't stop glass cracking, but if it does crack the pieces stay together instead of scratching the picture or cutting someone. Keep tape off the frame and the artwork itself. - **Wrap in paper first.** Cover the front with a couple of sheets of clean packing paper, then wrap the whole piece like a present. This stops bubble wrap marking the surface or trapping moisture against it. - **Protect the corners.** Corners take the knocks. Fold a square of cardboard cut from a spare box into a triangle pocket and tape one over each corner, or add an extra bunched layer of bubble wrap there. - **Wrap in bubble wrap.** Two full layers, bubbles facing in, taped closed. Wrap one way, then the other, so every edge is covered. - **Box or sandwich it.** Small and medium frames stand on edge in a large box, with paper scrunched in the bottom and between each frame. For a mirror or picture too big for a box, flatten a spare box and sandwich the wrapped piece between two sheets of cardboard, taped all round. - **Label it.** Use fragile tape and write "GLASS: THIS WAY UP, DO NOT LAY FLAT" on both sides. **Packing tip:** Take a quick photo of each wall before you take things down. It makes rehanging at the new place much quicker, and shows the condition of anything valuable before the move. ## Canvas paintings and unframed prints Canvases have no glass, so skip the tape. Wrap them in packing paper first (never bubble wrap straight onto paint), protect the corners, then bubble wrap. Unframed prints and posters are best rolled loosely, image facing out, and kept in a tube or between two sheets of stiff cardboard so they can't crease. ## Loading the van or car - Stand pictures and mirrors upright on their long edge, never flat, and never with anything stacked on top. - Put them against something solid and soft, such as a mattress or sofa, so they can't slide or fall. - Keep large mirrors and anything valuable or sentimental in your own car if you can. ## How much bubble wrap do I need? It depends on sizes, but as a rough guide two layers round an average 50 x 40 cm frame uses a little over 2 m of 750 mm wide wrap, so one 25 m roll does about ten frames like that, fewer if you have big mirrors. If you've got lots of pictures, or bubble wrap is also going round TVs and ornaments, a 100 m roll works out cheaper per metre. All our [moving kits](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/moving-kits/) include at least one 25 m roll. Plates and glasses are covered in [how to pack plates and glasses](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/how-to-pack-plates-and-glasses/). ## Questions **Should I put tape on a mirror when moving?** A cross of low-tack masking tape on the glass is a good idea. It won't stop the glass cracking, but it holds the pieces together if it does. Keep tape off the frame and remove it soon after the move. **Should pictures be packed flat or upright?** Upright, standing on edge. Laid flat, any weight on top can crack the glass. Stand them in a box or against a mattress, never with anything stacked on them. **Can I put bubble wrap directly on a painting?** Better not. Wrap paintings and canvases in clean packing paper first, then bubble wrap over the top, so the bubbles can't mark the surface or trap moisture against it. **How do I pack a large mirror without a mirror box?** Wrap it in paper and two layers of bubble wrap, protect the corners, then sandwich it between two flattened cardboard boxes taped together. Carry and load it on its edge. ## Shop for this [Bubble wrap roll, 25 m £14.49](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/bubble-wrap/) [Bubble wrap roll, 750 mm x 100 m £19.95](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/bubble-wrap-750mm-100m/) [Fragile tape £2.59](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/fragile-tape/) [Work out how many boxes](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/box-calculator/) ## More moving guides Guide ### [How to pack a TV for moving](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/how-to-pack-a-tv-for-moving/) Taking a flat-screen TV down, protecting the screen, boxing it and carrying it upright. Guide ### [How to protect a mattress when moving](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/how-to-protect-a-mattress-when-moving/) Choosing the right mattress bag, bagging it on moving day and carrying it without damage. Guide ### [How to protect floors and carpets when moving](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/protect-floors-and-carpets-when-moving/) Which protection film goes on carpets and which on hard floors, how to lay it, and other ways to avoid marks on moving day. --- Source: https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/how-to-pack-pictures-and-mirrors/ · 1st Choice Packaging, 75 Tollerford Road, Poole, Dorset, BH17 9BW · hello@1stchoicepackaging.co.uk