Broken dishes, shattered glasses, and cracked ceramics are among the most common moving casualties — and nearly every one is preventable. Learning how to pack fragile items properly is one of the most valuable packing skills you’ll ever develop. Here’s the professional technique that gets your breakables safely to your new Twin Cities home.

The Essential Supplies

  • Packing paper (not newspaper — ink transfers and ruins dishes)
  • Bubble wrap for extra-fragile or valuable items
  • Foam pouches designed for wine glasses and stemware
  • Dish pack specialty boxes — double-walled, significantly stronger than standard boxes
  • Packing tape: reinforce the bottom of EVERY fragile box with multiple strips before loading

The Universal Rules of Fragile Packing

  • Nothing should touch nothing: every item completely wrapped so it never contacts another item or box wall
  • Fill every void: empty space means items shift and collide — fill all gaps with crumpled paper
  • Heavy on the bottom, light on top: never stack heavy items on fragile ones
  • Boxes should feel solid when you shake them gently: if you hear clinking, add more cushioning
  • Mark every side: ‘FRAGILE’ and ‘THIS SIDE UP’ on all four sides AND the top of every fragile box

Packing Plates — The Vertical Rule

The most common mistake: stacking plates flat like pancakes. The correct method: standing them VERTICALLY like records in a crate.

Plates are architecturally designed to bear weight on their rims. Vertical packing is dramatically safer. Wrap each plate individually. Stand vertically with crumpled paper between each.

Packing Glasses and Stemware

Stuff each glass interior with packing paper before wrapping the outside. Extra attention to stems and rims.

Use cell-divider boxes when possible. Pack glasses upright — never on their sides. Never stack without dividers.

Ceramics, Vases, and Decorative Items

Fill hollow spaces with crumpled paper for internal support. Wrap exterior with two layers of paper plus bubble wrap for valuable pieces.

Surround with crumpled paper on all sides in a snug-fitting box.

Mirrors and Framed Art

Large mirrors and framed artwork: wrap in moving blankets and transport standing upright on the longest edge — never flat.

Smaller framed items: wrap in paper or bubble wrap, mark ‘FRAGILE — DO NOT LAY FLAT,’ pack standing upright.

Ready to Move? Let’s Make It Easy.

At Cheep Cheep Movers, we make local moving in the Twin Cities affordable and stress-free. Whether you need a full-service move or just some extra muscle, we’re here to help.

📞 Call us: 612-234-6605
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