Packing fragile items for moving can be a daunting task, and when it comes to fine china, it can be incredibly stressful.
In this article, we’ll provide a step-by-step guideline for packing your fine china safely and some useful tips to ensure it reaches the destination in perfect condition. Scroll down for more right now!
What Do You Need When Packing Fine China?
Ensure you have all the necessary stuff to pack your fine china safely.
1. Moving Boxes
Moving boxes come in a variety of sizes and styles. So choosing the appropriate size and type of moving boxes is crucial to protect your fine china while moving.
2. Packing Paper or Tissue
We use packing paper to wrap individual items to protect them from scratches or other surface damage. Tissue paper is a good choice for covering fragile items like fine china. We can use them to fill up the remaining gaps in the box.
3. Bubble Wrap or Packing Peanuts
Bubble wrap and packing peanuts are commonly used as protective packaging materials. We often fill empty spaces in the box with them to ensure there is no room for inside items to move after sealing the box.
4. Packing Tape
We commonly use packing tape to seal boxes to prevent them from opening during transportation.
5. Markers
Labeling your fine china boxes clearly as “FRAGILE” and indicating the top of the box with directional arrows is essential.
These makers warn movers and anyone who handles the boxes to take extra care when moving them, reducing the risk of damage.
Optional: Dish Pack Boxes
Dish pack boxes are a type of moving box which we specifically use for packing and transporting fragile dishware. As a result, dish pack boxes allow us to place dishes in an upright position.
7 Steps to Take for Packing Your Fine China
Packing fine china for moving can be a nightmare, but with the right approach, you can ensure that your treasured pieces arrive at their destination intact.
1. Find a suitable space
A large area lets you spread out the items and see everything at once. Therefore, you can easily organize and track what you are packing. Packing fine china in an ample space can also help you avoid carelessly breaking them.
2. Cut packing paper into pieces of different sizes
If you have various fine china items to pack, you should cut your packing paper into pieces with the appropriate size.
If your packing paper is not big enough to cover fine china items fully, you can scratch them while moving.
3. Wrap items with different techniques
Make sure you wrap your plates, teacups, and bowls with different techniques to give them the highest protection.
- Wrap fine china plates
When wrapping fine china plates, the critical point is to use one piece of packing paper for one fine china item.
Fold each corner of the paper inside and gather them together in the middle of the plate. This way, you can make a seal and prevent the packing paper from slipping off the plate.
- Wrap fine china teacups or bowls
You can use the above method, but remember to crumble an extra paper sheet and put it inside your tea cups or bowls.
4. Put packing material on the bottom of the moving box
You can put packing paper, bubble wrap, or packing peanuts on the bottom of the box. Not only the bottom, the best choice is to line all sides with packing material to a minimum thickness of two inches.
5. Pack like items in one moving box
To avoid damage during moving, you should put items in the same moving box and use the appropriate way for each type of fine china.
- Pack fine china plates
Don’t lie your plates down like in your cabinet when packing them. Put them vertically in the box.
Then add several sheets of packing paper or bubble wrap between them, or even use disk pack boxes if necessary. Fill extra space in the box with packing material until no space is left.
- Pack other items
Unlike plates, you should pack other items such as vases, teacups, or bowls on their bottom. Don’t forget to put a sheet of stiff cardboard on top of them before packing the next layer.
6. Seal and label the moving box
After filling the box with different packing materials, you can use packing tape to seal the boxes and stick labels outside.
You should also put the label “fragile” out of your boxes, so people will be careful when moving your fine china boxes.
7. Stack moving boxes carefully
When waiting for people to move your boxes, stacking one or two boxes on top of each other is enough. And always use heavy boxes to make the foundation for lighter ones.
Useful Tips for Packing Fine China
Here are some tips for packing your fine china. Hopefully, they can make your work easier and more effective.
1. Pick a right box
Specialists often recommend using a sturdy double-walled box that can support a weight of up to 4.5kg (approximately 10 pounds). The advice is to pack the right number of pieces into the right box.
Overloading the box can increase the chances of damage during moving. In contrast, if the box is too big and there are many gaps inside, your item can shift around and bump into each other during transit.
2. Never use old and low-quality packing materials
When moving your expensive fine china, you should buy new, high-quality packing materials. This way, you can achieve the highest level of protection.
New packing paper, bubble wrap, or packing peanuts are strong and can provide better cushioning for your items.
Or using low-quality tape could cause huge damage. Low-quality packing tape may not have a strong adhesive, so it may not stick well to your boxes. As a result, your boxes can open up while moving.
3. Sort like item into one group
As I mentioned, different fine china items require different packing methods. So it’s advisable to group similar items.
If you have some highly fragile items, consider packing each piece individually in a small box before placing them all in a larger container.
Be careful not to put too much weight on one side of the box, as it may result in damage. Make sure to distribute the weight of the heavy and light boxes evenly.
In A Nutshell
Properly packing fine china for moving requires careful attention to detail and the use of appropriate packing materials.
By following this guideline, you can protect your fine china from any damage during transit. And there are always some valuable tips for making this process easier. Thank you for following this post!