No Stress Tips To Packing Glass, China, and Flatware For Storage

Shoot! Honey, all the wine glasses are broken! No one wants to have that experience when they unpack. By following these simple instructions, you’ll be able to safely store all of your glasses and China and not have to worry about those wineglasses.

China Plates and Dishes – Start by placing 3-4 inches of lightly crushed newspaper in the bottom of a sturdy box or container. Place one plate on the paper and fold 1 or 2 sheets diagonally over the plate. Place another plate on top and fold another piece of paper over it. Continue in the same manner until you have no more than 4 plates in one bundle. Roll the bundle into another 2-3 sheets of paper, being careful not to wrap too tightly. For extra protection at this point, the whole bundle may be wrapped in bubble wrap.

When you put the each stack of plates in the container put them on their edge so that they are vertical. Make sure that they stay tight and firm. If you have room left on one end, use another piece such as a gravy boat or bowl to hold it all in place. Use lots of crushed paper on the top and the sides so that everything is tightly in place. You don’t want these things to shift during the move.

if you have room in your box for another layer of China, put in the larger pieces making sure that they are wrapped in enough paper so that they will remain motionless during the move. When the box is full tape it shut and mark it clearly with the word FRAGILE!

Bowls and Cups – Wrap the cups individually and place them upside down with their handles pointing to the inside of the box. Use lots of packing paper to make sure that the cups don’t bump into each other during a move. The cups should be on the top layer of the box.

Larger bowls should be wrapped and nested into each other and packed upside down. Smaller bowls may be handled the same as cups. To save space, smaller items may be packed inside bowls, canisters, etc. Sugar bowl lids should be wrapped in tissue paper and placed upside down on top of the bowl. The bowl should then be wrapped in 2 sheets of paper.

Fragile Glasses, Stemware and Figurines – Whenever possible, individually wrapped up these items and pack them in bubble wrap and/or celled cartons. Wrap very small pieces in colored tissue paper just so that they are very visible and that you don’t throw them out by mistake later.

Stainless Steel Flatware and Silverware – Stainless steel flatware doesn’t need any special packing – just wrap them individually or in sets with clean paper. Wrap each piece of silverware individually in paper with a low sulfur content or in clear plastic to avoid scratching and tarnishing. Wrap the entire silver chest in paper or in a large towel and place it at the bottom of the packing box.

If you follow all these instructions carefully, I’m sure that you will protect all of your valuable china and flatware.