How to Pack Dishes and Glasses for Moving

Whether you’re moving a few items into storage or packing up your home for a big move, the whole process can feel like a big undertaking. Maybe you’ve already tackled the big items, like packing up your grand piano and putting your six-piece sofa in storage—but now it’s time to move on to your kitchen.

 

Truth be told, one of the trickiest categories of objects to move is glassware and dishes—the frustratingly fragile backbone of your kitchen and essential element to any dining set-up. From your grandmother’s vintage plates to your trusty morning coffee mugs, it’s essential to take the proper time and care when packaging up these items. 

 

By now you’re probably wondering, what’s the best way to pack glasses and how to pack dishes for moving? Well, you’ve come to the right place; we’ve created an entire guide on how to wrap, pack, and move your kitchenware. 

 

Follow these easy steps to help get your goods to your next place in one piece, and you’ll be dining on your favorite dishware in your new home before you know it! 

 

What Materials Are Needed to Pack Dishware and Glasses?

So, how do you pack dishes for moving? Well, the first step involves getting the necessary supplies. The good news is that if you’re packing up the rest of your house already, you should already have all the materials you need on hand. 

 

Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard boxes are a must. One of the easiest things you can do when packing dishes is to start with medium- or smaller-sized boxes. While a large box will theoretically give you more bang for your buck when it comes to packing in the maximum amount of items, ceramics and glassware are heavy, resulting in an unwieldy container that is awkward and difficult to move.

 

Using smaller boxes means that you or your movers can move them with ease and care, upping your chances of keeping your tableware intact. Stuff the bottom of the boxes with packing paper to create a soft environment with lots of cushioning.

 

Packing Paper

While a lot of folks like to use newspaper when packing dishes and glasses for a move, sometimes the ink from the newspaper can transfer to your items. To avoid this, use clean, plain packing paper. Stock up on packing paper so you can wrap your items before placing them in boxes. 

 

Bubble Wrap and Packing Peanuts

In addition to packing paper, bubble wrap and packing peanuts can add additional padding to help cushion your dishware and glasses. Be sure to have plenty of both on hand to fill in the gaps in your boxes during the move. 

 

Towels

Like bubble wrap and packing peanuts, towels provide extra padding. Set aside some hand towels or beach towels to create extra cushioning around your glasses and dishware when prepping them for transport. 

 

Packing Tape

You’ll also want to snag some packing tape so you can seal the packing paper around your items and tightly close your cardboard boxes. 

 

Labels and Markers

Last but not least, you’ll need markers and labels when packing dishes for moving. You’ll use these to label and identify your boxes, which helps during loading and unloading your items. 

 

Now that you’ve got your supplies on hand, you’re ready to start actually packing.

 

Step 1: Sort Through Your Dish and Glassware 

We recommend sorting through your kitchenware to see if there’s anything you can part ways with. After all, it doesn’t make sense to lug certain items to your next home, only to shove them in the back of your cupboards, never to see the light of day again. 

 

Go through your cups, glasses, dishes, and bowls, and determine if there’s anything you can toss, donate, or gift to someone else. Maybe it’s time to throw away that incredibly chipped mug with a broken handle that you only use when all your other mugs are dirty. Or perhaps you can donate that set of wine glasses your ex gave you five years ago that you’ve never touched. And your grandmother’s serving platter that your sister always secretly eyes? Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give it to your sister if you don’t plan on using it yourself.

 

Once you feel good about the items you’re planning to bring with you, it’s time to move on to the next step. 

 

Step 2: Categorize Your Items

Since you’ve already organized your dishes and glassware, this next step should be a breeze. 

 

Arrange your items in groups to make it easier to pack them up. For instance, place all your dinner plates in one pile and your bowls in another. This will make it easier to keep similar items together during your move and help you stay organized when you unpack on the other end. 

 

Step 3: Set Aside Dishes to Use Until Your Move

Before you pack everything up, we recommend setting aside a few cups, plates, dishes, utensils, and maybe even a pot or pan to see you through the final days of your move when everything else is packed up. When it’s time to move, pack these items in a box and keep them with your other last-minute items. 

 

Step 4: Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Pack

Set aside plenty of time to focus on packing dishes and glasses. You don’t want to haphazardly pack everything up in a rush; that could lead to broken, cracked, or unorganized items down the road. 

 

It’s not a difficult task, but it deserves your time and patience to ensure you’re properly packing up your kitchenware. 

 

Step 5: Start With Your Dishes and Bowls

When packing dishes for moving, grab your packing paper and start rolling!

 

Place each dish near the corner of the piece of packing paper and gently roll the item diagonally across the paper while tucking in the ends. Then place a piece of packing tape on the paper to keep it from unraveling. Since you’ve already organized your items, all your dishes should be grouped together, so you can begin stacking like items on top of one another after wrapping them. 

 

How do you pack bowls for moving? You can take the same approach as above. Ensure your bowls are nestled in packing paper, group the same bowls together, and then gently stack them. 

 

Once you’ve packaged up your dishes and bowls, you can begin placing them in your cardboard box. Fill the bottom of the box with a layer of bubble wrap or crunched-up packing paper to provide soft cushioning. Then gently place your stacked dishes and bowls in the box with the heaviest items on the bottom. You can think of it as a bit like bagging groceries—if the heavier plates or bowls are sitting on top of your daintier objects, one shift or knock could cause them to press down and cause breakage. 

 

Finally, avoid packing the box to the brim—you don’t want it to be too heavy. Instead, pack a few items at a time and fill the remaining space with bubble wrap, packing paper, peanuts, or even towels for extra padding. 

 

Step 6: Move On to Your Glassware 

Now, let’s focus on how to pack glasses for moving. It’s important to remember that glassware can be especially fragile, so you’ll want to take special care when wrapping and packaging it up. 

 

Like your dishes and plates, wrap your glasses with packing paper. Start by stuffing a crumpled ball of packing paper inside the cup, and then place the glass on the corner of another piece of paper, rolling diagonally. As you roll the piece, stuff the ends of the paper inside of the vessel’s opening until the entire surface is covered and the wrap job seems snug. If you have several same-sized cups or glasses, you can roll two of them into the same wrapper to save packaging material; just start folding the second one into the same piece of paper once the first cup is fully ensconced. If you’re wrapping wine glasses, add another layer of paper around the stem. 

 

Is your glassware swaddled thoroughly enough? A rule of thumb is that you should not be able to feel any of the glass or cup’s edges through the covering.

 

Once you’ve wrapped them up, one of the best ways to pack glasses is by placing them in the box one by one, upright in a row on a layer of packing paper or bubble wrap. While you should avoid dangerously overpacking your boxes, try to make sure that there is not a surplus of space at the top, which will encourage the glasses to stir and roll around within the container. 

 

One of our favorite hacks for how to pack glass cups is to visit your local wine or specialty liquor store and ask if they can give or sell you some divided boxes (the kind that bottles of wine, beer, or spirits come packaged in). These will hold everything in place more effectively than a regular cardboard crate.

 

Step 7: Label All Boxes

Don’t forget to label your boxes! Always mark your boxes with “FRAGILE” and “THIS SIDE UP” in a dark, clearly visible permanent marker. When you’re moving out of a house or apartment, chances are you will end up packing tons of similar-looking boxes. Adding obvious indicators to packages that should be handled with particular care is one of the easiest and most effective ways to preserve your breakable wares. 

 

Also, it’s a good idea to include information about what’s in each box to make it easier when you unpack. For example, you might write “EVERYDAY BOWLS” on one box and “HOLIDAY CHINA SET” on another. This way, you’ll know which boxes to grab first when you’re looking for something in particular. 

 

Step 8: Prep Your Boxes for Transit

One of the most often overlooked factors when it comes to packing dishes and glasses is the actual loading in and out of the moving vehicle. While it seems like a simple enough element of the process, it’s perhaps the biggest culprit in terms of causing accidents.

 

If you’re moving your items on your own, stow these boxes in the vehicle snugly, without excess space for them to shift around or fall over. Ideally, you’ll place the boxes containing your glassware and dishware at the base level of any stacks, placing boxes filled with lighter items (like bedding or down jackets) on top of them.

 

Alternatively, if you’re relying on movers to transport your belongings, be sure all your boxes are properly labeled, so the movers can take the necessary precautions when loading them up in the moving truck. 

 

Step 9: Keep Storage in Mind

Not moving your dishes and glasses to your new digs just yet? No sweat. You can follow the same steps when preparing your items for a stint in a storage unit. Just remember, if you plan to stack your boxes in storage, the same rules apply: Stack the heaviest boxes on the bottom and the lightest on top. Also, because these boxes contain fragile goods, it’s best not to stack them too high. 

 

Moving Is a Snap With Our Team at Stor-It

Hopefully, these tips and instructions can give you some peace of mind as you embark on the moving process. Our team here at Stor-It can help you with all your packing supply needs—including providing you with specialty dish and glass packs if you’re looking to take your packing measures to the next level. 

 

We’re also here to provide you with the best moving advice, whether you’re looking for tips for managing moving stress or ways to package awkwardly shaped items. Whatever you need, we’re here to help! 

 

If you’re going the storage route to fill gaps in the timeline of your move (or account for a downsized space), Stor-It is also Idaho’s first and largest go-to source for flexible self storage. With 16 locations in the Treasure Valley and beyond, we can get you set up with a place to confidently keep your precious things while you figure out the rest. No matter the circumstances or speed of your move, being careful and conscious of best practices is a surefire way to make the experience less hectic—you’ve got this!