How to Pack Glasses for Moving Like a Pro

Sort Out Glassware That Needs to Be Moved

Before you start packing glasses, you should go through all the cabinets and cupboards in your home. Create a household inventory list and keep track of the glass items you intend to keep and the ones you’ll get rid of before the move. Sort out and group together the pieces that you’re planning to move with you:

• Lay out the entire collection you have on a large and stable table. Carefully examine every piece of glassware, and if you notice any chipped, cracked, or stained ones, you should recycle them. They are not worth your time nor money and effort. Of course, if some of the damaged glassware has sentimental value — such as the ones from your wedding — you’ll surely keep them and move with you.
• After you decide which ones will be moved, you should sort them out. Put aside crystal and other valuable glassware, bring sets together, and group other glassware by type. For example, categorization should include glass cups, glass vases, glass bowls, stemware, etc.

Prepare Boxes and Other Necessary Materials for Packing Glasses

Getting appropriate supplies and materials is essential when learning how to pack glassware for moving. You simply have to ensure the safety of your glassware during the transit. And the best way to achieve that is by obtaining the following materials:

• The first and the most important materials you’ll need are medium-sized boxes. Make sure that they are sturdy and have thicker walls.
• Prepare a lot of packing paper for moving. You’ll need to be sure that you have enough paper and carefully search for the one that is soft and smooth. This will be the first layer of protection, and you don’t want any scratches on the delicate glassware surface. Remember that using old newspapers as a more cost-effective substitute should not be an option because it can leave stains on the surface of your glassware. Yet, newspapers are good material for filling out the empty spaces in the box, but only after you’ve wrapped your fragile items and placed them inside the cardboard.
• Bubble wrap is essential when packaging fragile items. It will protect your glassware and can also be extremely useful when it comes to stemware.
• Be sure to have fragile stickers and permanent markers. You’ll need them for labeling glassware cardboards once they are packed and ready to be transported.
• You’ll need to obtain packing tape because it will reinforce the cardboards and seal them tightly. The tape will also keep the bubble wrap and packing paper in place.

Get a Specialized Box (or Boxes) if You Can

If your moving budget allows it, you should opt for specialized moving boxes for glasses instead of the regular ones. They are stronger, have thicker cardboard walls, and typically come with dividers. The cell dividers will keep every piece in cardboard steady, preventing them from any contact during the transport, thus reducing the risk of damage. Specialized cardboards can offer much better protection for your breakables.

Can I Find Free Specialized Moving Boxes?

Specialized cardboards are harder to find for free than regular ones. Yet, you can try out your luck and check if your local liquor stores, restaurants, and bars have some they just don’t need anymore. You will maybe find some on Freecycle and Craigslist too. See if you can borrow specialized cardboards from friends and family members who recently moved and save some money in your pocket. This should be one thing off your moving to-do list as well.

Step by Step Guide on How to Pack Glasses for Moving

Packaging glassware for relocating is not such a challenging task. However, it has to be done with utmost caution because one mistake can lead to irreversible damage to your precious breakables. Follow our step by step guide and learn the best way to pack glasses for relocation.

Prepare the Box

You should double-tape the bottom of your cardboard to ensure that it won’t break under the weight of the packed glassware. The next step is to crumple up a couple of paper sheets and cover the cardboard’s bottom. Newspapers will come in handy during this step. Crumpled newspapers will provide enough padding and protect the glassware from hitting bottom if the cardboard is accidentally dropped.

A bonus tip: You can prepare foam sheets, packing peanuts, and some old towels for cushioning and double-secure the protection when packing glasses. You just need to make sure that the layer is thick enough.

Wrap Heavy and Big Glasses First

Your biggest ones should be packed first and placed on the bottom of the cardboard, while lighter glassware should be put on top. In order to wrap them correctly, you should lay out a sheet of soft paper, towel, or piece of fabric on a flat surface. Then, place a piece of glassware at one corner and start rolling it toward the opposite end. While doing so, put the excess fabric inward. You can also consider stuffing the breakable with crushed paper. Fold until the whole thing is covered.

Pack Two Glassware at a Time

Save packaging supplies by bundling together two glasswares that are of the same size and shape. Use the method explained above but remember that you’ll need a larger piece of fabric for wrapping. Start wrapping the first piece of glassware using the mentioned method. When you’ve completely covered the first one, place another next to it, and keep rolling until both glasswares are tightly packed together.

Be Sure It’s All Wrapped Tightly

After your glassware is wrapped, create a tight package by folding over the ends at the glasswares’ bottom. At this stage, you should not be able to feel the glass edges. Otherwise, you’ll probably need to wrap it up into another layer of fabric. Wrapped glassware should now be placed into the cardboard on top of the stacked towels or crumpled paper.

Fill the Cardboard

Keep folding your glasswares into single or double packs and put them one on top of another. Don’t forget to place larger and heavier ones on the bottom, while lighter should be on top.

Cushioning the Top

When filling the cardboard with your wrapped glassware, remember to leave the room on top for extra packaging material. The same amount of crumpled fabric added to the bottom should cover the top of the cardboard. If you used towels instead of some other soft fabrics, make sure to leave the room for a thick layer on top.

Seal the Cardboard

Before you seal the cardboard closed, you should first shake it back and forth gently. If you’re not hearing a clicking or cannot feel shifting, you are ready to seal the cardboard.

As soon as you are content with the packaging, seal it closed with tape and label the cardboard. The label should include information such as which room it belongs to and what is inside. Don’t forget to put a fragile sticker as well. That way, you or your chosen long-distance movers will be more careful when the relocation date comes.

How to Pack Wine Glasses for Moving

Packaging stemmed glassware, such as wine, champagne, and cocktail glassware, presents an exceptional challenge. Not only do you have to keep the delicate glasswares safe and sound, but you also have to find a way to avoid breaking the fragile stems during transit. Keep reading our guidelines for packaging wine glassware and make sure they arrive in one piece in your new home:

• Wine glassware and stem should be wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap. Secure the wrapped breakables in place by using the tape.
• Don’t forget about stuffing some crumpled fabric into the bowl for double support.
• Cover the entire wine drinkware in protective materials applying the method mentioned above.
• Your wine drinkware should be either placed on top or in separate cardboard, preferably specialized one with dividers. It is crucial to put as much padding as you can to keep them insulated and immobile from one another.
• Seal the cardboard tightly and remember to label it.

Your delicate wine drinkware will survive the transportation if you fold every single one of them individually into bubble wrap, put them upright in a separate divider, and provide enough padding. If you decide to use standard cardboards, position your stems tightly, each next to the other, above the crumpled fabric on the bottom, and put on plenty of cushioning. Create a thick layer on top as well, seal the cardboard, and label it with crucial information. That way, your wine drinkware will be completely safe during the transit.

Wrap and Protect Your Crystal Stemware

Packaging crystal stemware is even more challenging than wine drinkware. In order to protect these valuables during transportation, you should avoid regular cardboards. Instead, we suggest you obtain specialized ones with cells and dividers. You can follow the same packaging process mentioned above, but be super careful. Find only the highest quality materials and supplies, and provide plenty of cushioning. These should also not be packed with your other kitchen items, and you’re strongly advised to purchase additional insurance for crystal bowls and vases.

Additional Tips

To make sure you are fully prepared for packing glasses, we have decided to add a couple of moving hacks and tricks:

• When thinking about how to pack a moving truck and properly place cardboards filled with your glassware, remember that you must not put anything heavy on top of them. You should also avoid placing them somewhere where they could easily fall during the transit.
• Very important advice on how to pack glasses for shipping — wash your glassware before you start the process of packaging but make sure they are dry before being packed.
• If you decide to put your glassware in cardboard together with some other fragile items, be sure the glassware is on top of other delicate belongings.
• Don’t overpack the cardboard with glassware.

Contact the Reputable Long-Distance Moving Company if You Need Help

And that’s all there is on how to pack glasses for moving correctly! We hope our article will come in handy when you start preparing for moving across the country. However, if you feel like you’re not ready and need help, consider paying for reliable cross country moving services. Booking reputable cross country movers and their packing services will save you time, effort, and energy. They will come fully prepared with boxes and packing supplies and can also offer clean storage units as well as car shipping services.

If you’re on a tight budget, consider booking a long-distance moving company to handle only the most challenging tasks related to your move, such as packaging crystal and stem. At the same time, you can focus on drinkware and other moving essentials. Another way to have a cost-effective relocation is to invite friends and family members to help. For instance, if you’re moving with pets, they can act as a sitter or stop by and help you fill in one cardboard with your drinkware. They can also assist during the unpacking process, which should also be handled carefully.