Do It Yourself Moving – Packing and Moving Fragile Items

moving house by Nathan O'Nions (CC BY 2.0)

Do It Yourself MovingIt’s moving day and you’ve decided not to hire that moving company you’ve been talking about. Was it because of prices? Or unavailability? Whatever the case, these following do it yourself moving tips will help you learn how to move fragile items with ease. Follow these tips and you’re on your way to a great do it yourself moving day! Grab a pen and piece of paper and start taking notes. Your do it yourself moving day is counting on it!

Fragile items should be packed very carefully when moving without a moving company. Take these tips seriously in preparation for do it yourself moving.

Packing Materials for Do It Yourself Moving

Do it yourself moving will require a large amount of packing materials. It’s important to have more packing materials then you think you’ll need. You go through materials fast when do it yourself moving.

For fragile items such as dishes you will need:
—Dishpacks (5.1 cubic feet boxes)
—Crumbled Paper (not newspaper)
—Strong Packing Tape

For fragile items such as artwork you will need:
—Mirror Boxes (one or two per painting)
—Bubble (preferably eco-bubble)
—Masking Tape
—Packing Paper
—Strong Packing Tape
—Gloves

Packing Dishes for Do it Yourself Moving

During the do it yourself moving process, dishes will probably be one of the last do it yourself moving steps. You use dishes everyday so why not take care of them during the do it yourself moving process?

  1. Tape the bottom of your dishpack and lay down a few sheets of crumbled paper on the bottom of the box. Always start packing the dishpack with the heaviest and sturdiest items first!
  2. Lay your piece of glassware on the stack of crumbled paper, and using one sheet of paper, insert it into any openings of the dish. Roll the dish in the sheet of paper and tuck in the sides. For more fragile items, wrap them in more than one sheet of paper.
  3. When you reach the top of the dishpack, lay some more crumbled paper down.
  4. Tape the dishpack, label it, and you’re done with one process of do it yourself moving!  Find info on do it yourself moving with dishes.

Do It Yourself Moving Packing Dishes

Packing Artwork for Do it Yourself Moving

The problem with artwork and do it yourself moving is that artwork easily damages. I suggest a moving company for this part of the do it yourself moving process. Find a moving company, such as NorthStar Moving®, that specializes in moving artwork. But for the do it yourself moving enthusiasts:

  1. Wrap the painting, canvas, or frame with masking tape (with the sticky side facing out). Then wrap eco-bubble around the sticky masking tape. Ensure that the eco-bubble is secure during the do it yourself moving process. If the painting you’re  do it yourself moving does not have glass or a frame, wrap it with eco-bubble and no tape.
  2. Place your piece of artwork in its mirror box. If there is extra space, fill the box with pieces of packing paper.
  3. If the do it yourself moving process calls for two mirror boxes, slip the first one on the bottom and the other one on top of the artwork. Secure it with packing tape.
  4. To end the do it yourself moving steps, label each mirror box with “FRAGILE–ART!”

Do It Yourself Moving Moving Artwork
Not sure about something in the do it yourself moving process? Tweet my brother Zippy @northstarmoving and he’ll be able to answer do it yourself moving questions with the help of NorthStar Moving®.