Step by Step Guide to Packing Fragile Glassware

• Use Good Stuff

You always make sure to keep those fancy expensive wine glasses and vases in a special secured place for a reason, you know they will most probably break if it gets mixed with everyday glassware. When it’s the time to move houses, don’t lump everything together, give the same VIP treatment to those wine glasses, and make a dedicated box for them to pack everything.

• Use Cell Pack

Buy cell boxes from supply stores or specialty packing stores; you may also get used bottle boxes from the liquor store or grocery store. If you like, you can buy cardboard dividers and use them in plastic bins or boxes.

• Prepare the box

Get the cell box ready by ensuring that the cell dividers fit properly and have minimal movement in any direction. Gather a lot of brown or white packing paper or tissue papers for packing the glassware. You can also use plain newsprint for packing but avoid using regular newspaper because the ink can stain your glasses.

• Stuff the globe

Choose a glass or some other piece. Take many sheets of packing paper and stuff the globe of the glass with the sheets gently. You need to keep filling it with sheets until there is no space left. Be gentle with the glass. Do not press the glass sides and avoid putting pressure on the paper sheets too much. If you push the glass from inside, it will break the thin glass walls easily.

• Keep the glass on the sides.

Lay a lot many sheets of tissue paper on the surface and keep the glass perpendicular on its side at the corner of the sheet.

• Wrap the glass

Take three to four sheets of tissue and pull each corner of the tissue around the glass. Once done, then roll the glass gently forward and carefully tuck the tissue sheets over the globe of the glass and also around the base until the entire glass is wrapped.

• Fold the Ends

Gently start folding the excess tissue paper left around the glass’s glove and then stem. Carefully mold it in the shape of the glass.

• Keep the glass

Once everything is done, place the glass in one of the cell sections carefully start with the stem part first. The glass should snuggly fit inside the cell, but it should not be too tight. In case the glass is a little loose inside the cell, you can fix it by rolling in a few more sheets inside and then re-insert the packed glass again.

For packing, the remaining glassware uses the same technique to wrap and pack. Do not try to force the pieces into the cell. You can try putting alternate big and small size glasses according to the cell space.

• Top up the Box

You can put bubble wrap or tissue paper into the open cell area that is not holding any glassware and also for filling up the cell area holding short glasses. When te entire box cell is filled, place a tissue paper or bubble wrap on the top part of packed stemware, so there is no space for movement.

• Secure the Box

Close the flaps of the box, and very gently shake the box. If you hear the rattling sound, then there is still some space that needs to be filled. Open the box again and fill any left gaps with sealing tape or tissue papers. To seal the box, use tape down the center and over each flap.