Imagine this – you’ve moved to your new home, the journey went well and things couldn’t get better. It’s now time to start settling down, so you decide to start opening the kitchen boxes so that you can make yourself a nice meal. You open the box that has glasses in it and as soon as you do, your frustration is back. Most of the glasses have shattered!

This is a nightmare that we all never want to experience – your items breaking during transit. After the long journey you’ve had and the amount of money spent investing in quality glassware, finding broken glasses can be upsetting.

Packing glassware is an art, at least that’s what we’d like to call it, after all, you have to be as careful as possible, and the end result is always rewarding. It’s not complex at all, and if you follow the steps we’ve outlined for you, it’ll be a piece of cake!

1. Gather The Necessary Packing Supplies


Whether you like it or not, you’ll need to have a good amount of packing supplies ready to pack all your glasses. Only if you pack them right with the right materials can you expect to find them in their original condition after your move.

We don’t need to tell you how fragile glassware can be, and in order to keep them intact you’ll usually need the following packing supplies:

  • Medium-sized cardboard boxes
  • Packing paper
  • Bubble wrap
  • Packing tape
  • Labels and markers
  • Pieces of cloth, old towels, or packing peanuts

While packing paper is a staple to packing glasses, bubble wrap can also step in to do the job which is why you can either use one of them or even both for extra safety. On the same note, packing paper, cloth, and packing peanuts can be used to fill in the empty gaps within the box to ensure that the glasses don’t shift during the move.

We suggest you first take stock of the materials you already have lying around the house and use them first. If you want to go the extra mile, you can always purchase eco-friendly boxes online or purchase second-hand boxes from local stores that sell books, groceries or liquor.

Looking for free used boxes? You can find them for free on websites like Freecycle and Craigslist, all you have to do is look for them!

Also Read: How To Pack Pictures And Mirrors For Moving

2. Assemble And Prep Your Boxes

You’ll require cardboard boxes to pack your glasses in so once you have them with you, it’s time to assemble them if you’ve purchased new ones that arrive in a flat manner. Even if you’ve bought second-hand boxes, you’ll have to follow the steps below:

Use heavy-duty packing tape to tape the bottom of the box

It’s extremely essential that you use at least two layers of packing tape to tape the bottom of your cardboard boxes. The reason is fairly simple – if the bottom isn’t taped properly, you run a risk of it opening during the move and the glasses inside shattering. It would turn out to be one of the silliest mistakes you make, and if you don’t want something like this to happen then use heavy-duty tape and tape the bottom of the boxes thoroughly!

Add cushioning to the bottom of the boxes

Since you’re packing glasses which are fragile items, extra cushioning at the bottom of the boxes can act as a saving grace from cracks and damage. You can use two techniques to create cushioning here – packing paper and blankets.

Crumple your packing paper into balls and place a few layers at the bottom to create the desired padding. If you’re using blankets or towels, make sure that they’re thick and cushiony for the desired effect.

See also: Guide To Best Cheap Moving Boxes | How to Find Free Moving Boxes? |Best Glass Pack Moving Boxes

3. Time To Wrap – Start With Bigger Glasses

As common knowledge goes, always place heavier items at the bottom of the box followed by lighter ones so that there’s no damage to the lighter items. So, taking that advice, it’s best to start packing your heavier glasses first because you’ll have to keep these at the bottom of the box on the layer of cushioning.

The Wrapping Method

The method of wrapping your glasses is extremely easy, and we’re very sure you’ve done this before. When you start wrapping a glass, place it horizontally on one side of the packing paper and roll it along with the paper to the other end. Use the extra packing paper at the two ends to stuff within the hollow of the glass and secure it with packing tape if need be.

With packing paper, you can use two layers instead of one when you wrap for extra safety. If you’re thinking of using bubble wrap, follow the same technique, and don’t forget to secure it with packing tape because bubble wrap will definitely shift and unravel. Also, see to it that no edges are peeking out because if they are, then you need to wrap the glass again!

Once you’re done wrapping them, start placing them horizontally on the layer of padding that you’ve added, and don’t stack them on top of each other. Also, try filling in the gaps to the sides with packing paper or packing peanuts to ensure that the glasses don’t move.

Wrap Similar Glasses Together

You’ve definitely heard of this before, and it’s a very old trick in the book to save packing paper, space, and time without compromising on the condition of your glasses – wrap similar glasses together. Wondering what we mean by that?

If you have packing paper sheets that are large, you can first start with one glass and following the method we mentioned before, roll it till it reaches the middle of the sheet. Now, place the second same shaped and sized glass next to it and continue wrapping till it’s completely covered too. Whatever paper remains at the top, stuff it into the hollow of the second glass!

You don’t have to worry about the glass breaking if you use this method because it won’t if you wrap it properly and cover all sides and edges without leaving any bits exposed. Don’t forget that the glasses have to be similar or the trick won’t work

4. Wrapping Stemware

If you’ve never heard of the term stemware, you’re not the only one since many people use it but don’t know the term for it! Stemware in simple terms is those glasses that have stems like your wine or champagne glass. They’re extremely fragile and break easily because of their shape, more easily than other glassware ever could.

But, packing stemware is not complex or difficult, it just requires a little more care and has to be done rather thoroughly. Let’s look at how stemware has to be wrapped so that you have a clear picture of the same.

The Wrapping Method

To wrap stem glasses, you have to follow the same method that you would for regular glasses with a slight variation at the end. Firstly we suggest that you take at least two sheets of packing paper to wrap stem glasses for extra safety.

Start off with the stem of the stemware and take half a sheet of packing paper and first wrap it around the stem securely with no edges peeking out. We suggest you do this to minimize the risk of the stem breaking. Then, place the entire stem glass horizontally on one end of the packing paper and start rolling the stem glass along with the paper till it reaches the other end. After this, crumple and wrap the wrapping paper that’s around the stem securely around it. You can also add bubble wrap if you want to, or wrap the stemware with it, but packing paper will work just fine.

As we’ve mentioned before, don’t forget to add crumpled packing paper or cloth to the empty spaces around the stemware so that it doesn’t shift. Also, place these stem glasses horizontally as you would do with glasses instead of vertically.

5. The Final Step – Seal The Box

Now that you’ve packed your glassware into the box, it’s now time to properly seal it. Before you do that though, add an extra layer of cushioning over the packed glasses. You can do this using packing paper or packing peanuts, but don’t skip this step under any circumstances!

Once that’s done, shut the box and use packing tape to seal the top, and do that well. Don’t forget to either write or put a sticker that says “FRAGILE THIS SIDE UP” on top of the box so that the people who load the boxes can do it carefully. You should also write what’s in the box on it, for the reference of the movers and yourself!

Also See: Pack Wine Bottles for your Move

Additional Tips For Packing Glasses

Here are a few additional tips that you might want to keep in mind as you pack your glasses:

  1. Double-box stemware if that’s an option since they are extremely fragile items. If you don’t know what double-boxing means, it involves placing your packed box within a larger box that’s already filled with packing peanuts or crumpled packing paper on all sides. It’s just extra safety for those stem glasses that might be made of crystal and are on the pricier side.
  2. We’ve told you to use medium-sized boxes to pack glasses and in tune with that, don’t let the weight of the box exceed 50 lbs because that’ll increase the risk of the glasses shattering.
  3. If you want to use newspapers, do that to fill empty spaces in the box and not to wrap your dishes. Newspapers are notorious for bleeding ink that transfers onto glasses which you definitely don’t want!
  4. When you’re loading the boxes that have glasses in them, be as gentle as possible. Try placing them under heavy furniture like a dining table or even inside a cabinet with its doors firmly closed to ensure that they don’t shift.

Also Read: How To Make Packing Easier | Packing Dishes for Moving

Conclusion

We suggest that you start packing your glasses well in advance, at least those that you won’t be using for the days to come. We all pack our kitchens at the end, so if that’s something you’re doing then you can expect the whole process to last a few hours since you have to be meticulous and careful with glasses. Don’t worry though. Since the process is a straightforward one and if you follow the steps we’ve outlined, you’ll have a smooth move and immaculate glasses at the end of it!

FAQs

How to you pack glasses for moving without paper?

You can always use cloth which means soft and spongy T-shirts, blankets, and socks to pack glasses. But be careful to back them tightly in the box so that they don’t shift.

Is bubble wrap or paper better for packing?

Packing paper will save you a lot of space inside a box while also ensuring that the surfaces of the glasses don’t get scratched. Bubble wraps on the other hand are made for safety against impact which is why they ensure that extra fragile items don’t break. In the end, bubble wrap is more expensive than packing paper, so make a decision based on what suits you best!

Does bubble wrap go inside or outside?

A common misconception that exists is to place bubble wrap on the outside, but it’s untrue. Placing the bubbles on the outside doesn’t serve any purpose since they’ll pop during transit. Instead, when you use bubble wrap, let it face inwards so that it can adequately protect your glasses.

How do I protect my glasses when moving?

Put some paper around each glass. Please put them in a box that will be safe. Fill up the rest of the space with some more paper. Then tape it up and seal it.

How do you pack fragile glasses for moving?

Glassware is one of the more common breakable household items, and it can vary in size, shape, and material. However, with careful packing, almost any glass object can be transported without breaking–normally by wrapping carefully or encasing separate objects in bubble wrap or other cushioning materials. It is not so easy with fragile glasses because of their sensitivity to pressure point buffers on the edges. Special transportation packaging specifically manufactured for fragile objects has proven successful for this type of object-glassware specifically- depending on where you are moving to.

How do you pack glasses for moving without paper?

Carefully wrap the glasses in a rag, foam, or bubble-wrap sheet and put them in any type of box or package. Otherwise, pack them with the metal parts facing outwards. Boxes without tops work best to prevent breakage as they can’t slip around inside a cardboard container that is being slid from one place to another.

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