How To Pack Boxes For a Move

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There's an art to packing boxes without breaking your good china—or breaking your back.

To complete this How-To you will need:

Sturdy boxes
Duct tape
Bubble wrap
A permanent marker
Newspaper (optional)
Ink-free packing paper (optional)

Step 1: Buy boxes

Buy new boxes from a moving supply store. Discarded produce boxes may be cheaper, but they'll make your possessions smell like produce.

Step 2: Reinforce boxes

Reinforce the bottoms and corners of your boxes with good duct tape.

Step 3: Cushion with bubble wrap

Using bubble wrap, cover the insides of any box that will contain fragile items. Once the box is packed, fill the remaining space with bubble wrap or wadded-up newspaper.

Tip: Pack no more than 50 pounds per box. Place heavier items at the bottom of boxes, and distribute them among the cartons to lighten each load.

Step 4: Pack china carefully

Pack china by stacking it, alternating plates and layers of newspaper. Cover the final stack entirely in bubble wrap.

Tip: Consider investing in ink-free packing paper. Yes, old newspaper is cheaper, but you'll pay in the long run when you're scrubbing newsprint off everything.

Step 5: Wrap cups

Wrap delicate cups, glasses, stemware and other fragile pieces individually in bubble wrap.

Tip: Place stemware upright in cartons; never lay it flat.

Step 6: Pack books

Place hardcover books on their side, alternating bindings, and save paperbacks to fill in nooks and crannies in other cartons.

Tip: Only pack boxes with hardcover books halfway or their weight may rip the box.

Step 7: Label boxes

Label each box with what it contains.

Tip: If you're moving to a new residence, write the destination room on the side of each box, like "master bedroom" or "foyer" or "kitchen."

Step 8: Wrap breakables

Wrap breakables individually in generous portions of bubble wrap. If something is extremely fragile, pack it separately.

Step 9: Seal boxes

Seal boxes and reinforce with duct tape -- better to take extra precaution now than to have gone to all this trouble and dump everything before you arrive.

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• homefamily
• house
• household
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• yourself

[tatertotter808]

The music is too loud! Holy shit

[ChaoticTrashCan]

last- wait what?

[clevelandman2010]

@GaChristianHY

It dont stick to cardboard to well is all.

[bublez411]

omg stop making the music louder than the person talking -__-

[StudioVibe]

This actually scared me....I expectrd him to start packing body parts from his victims....

[SnowWhiteDove7]

the music made it annoying to listen and pay attention.:( sorry

[GaChristianHY]

@clevelandman2010 What if you don't have shipping/packing tape? I'm actually moving right now, and I only have duct tape to seal my cardboard boxes. I asked Lowe's if there's a problem using duct tape and they said it should be ok. I'm curious what the problem is.

[tatertotter808]

@blugularis if the music is too loud and I turn it down then I won't be able to hear the dialogue. Dumbass.

[blugularis]

@tatertotter808 turn it down, doh!?

[clevelandman2010]

YOU DUMB ASS CUNT'

YOU DONT USE DUCT TAPE ON BOXES' YOU USE PACKING TAPE.

[novideosforme123]

the music was a bit to loud.... and i couldnt raise the volume cuz well... tht would make the music louder... :[

[flowertrue]

Im sorry, but this video was fail. the music, the face on the box, the lighting, it all sucked. The advice was ok, a little obvious, though.