How to pack plates and glasses for moving
Crockery and glass break when they can move inside the box, or when the box is too heavy and gets dropped. Get those two things right and breakages are rare.
What you'll need
- medium removal boxes (never large boxes for crockery: they get too heavy)
- packing paper, 5 kg (clean paper won't leave ink on your plates the way newspaper does)
- brown packing tape and fragile tape
- Optional: plate dividers and bottle and glass dividers, which make it much quicker
Packing plates
- Tape the bottom of the box with a strip down the middle and one across each edge (an H shape).
- Put a layer of scrunched paper in the bottom as a cushion.
- Wrap each plate in two sheets of paper, or stack three or four with a sheet between each, then wrap the stack.
- Stand plates on their edge, like records, not flat. Plates are much stronger edge-on.
- Fill every gap with scrunched paper until nothing moves when you gently shake the box.
- Add another layer of paper on top, tape it shut and mark it FRAGILE.
A plate divider does most of this for you: it holds 15 plates upright and apart inside a medium box.
Packing glasses and mugs
- Stuff a sheet of paper inside each glass first.
- Roll the glass diagonally in two or three sheets, tucking the ends in.
- Pack glasses upright (rims up), heaviest on the bottom layer.
- Put a flat layer of paper between layers.
- Mugs can go on their sides, handles all facing the same way.
A bottle and glass divider gives each of 20 glasses or bottles its own cell. Wrapped, they're very safe.
Wine glasses and anything special
Wrap the stem first, then the bowl, then the whole glass. For anything valuable or irreplaceable, add a layer of bubble wrap roll.
Packing tip: Do the shake test before you tape the box shut. If you can hear anything move, add more paper.
How many boxes for a kitchen?
An average kitchen takes 8–15 medium boxes and most of a 5 kg pack of paper. See our kitchen packing guide.
Questions
Should plates be packed flat or on their side?
On their side, standing on edge. Plates are much stronger edge-on and less likely to crack if the box is knocked.
Can I use newspaper to pack plates?
You can, but newsprint ink rubs off onto crockery and hands. Plain white packing paper is cleaner and means you won't have to rewash everything.
What size box should I use for crockery?
Medium boxes. A large box full of plates is too heavy to lift safely and more likely to be dropped.