Broken dishes are almost never bad luck. They come down to a few packing habits: boxes that are too big, plates laid flat, and empty space that lets things knock together. Pack fragile things the way movers do and most of them arrive in one piece.
The supplies that make the difference
- Small and medium boxes for anything heavy or fragile. A big box of dishes is too heavy to lift safely and too likely to break.
- Packing paper (plain newsprint). Newspaper works but leaves ink on everything.
- Bubble wrap for the most delicate pieces: stemware, ceramics, anything with a handle.
- Good packing tape, and plenty of it.
- Dish-pack or cell boxes (boxes with dividers) for glasses, if you have a lot of them.
Here's where to find boxes, free and new.
Build the box first
- Tape the bottom with an H pattern: one strip down the middle seam and one across each edge.
- Put a 5–8 cm layer of crumpled paper in the bottom as a cushion.
- Pack the heaviest items at the bottom and the lightest at the top.
- Fill every gap with crumpled paper. When you gently shake the box, nothing should move.
- Add a cushion layer on top, close it, and label it FRAGILE with the room name and an arrow showing which way is up.
Plates and bowls: on their edge
Plates are much stronger standing on their edge than lying flat, the way they sit in a dish rack. Wrap each one in a sheet or two of paper, then stand them upright in a row. Bowls can nest in small stacks of two or three with paper between them, wrapped together as a bundle.
Glasses and mugs: wrap twice
- Stuff the inside of each glass with paper first, then roll it in two or three sheets.
- Stemware gets extra wrap around the stem, or bubble wrap.
- Mugs need paper wrapped around the handle before the outer layer.
- Pack glasses rim down in a cell box, or upright and snug in a small box with paper between each one.
Pro tip: Use soft things as padding. Clean towels, tea towels and oven mitts between layers protect dishes and save on paper.
Other fragile things
Lamps
Take off the shade and bulb. Wrap the base in paper or bubble wrap and pack it standing up. Shades go in their own box, nested if they fit, with nothing heavy on top.
TVs and monitors
The original box is best. If you don't have it, wrap the screen in a moving blanket or foam, keep it upright, and never lay a flat-screen TV flat or put anything on the screen.
Mirrors, glass and framed art
Tape an X across glass to help it hold together if it cracks, wrap it in paper or bubble wrap, then pad it with cardboard corners or a blanket. These travel on their edge, never flat.
Small electronics
Pack the cables with the device in a labelled bag, and take a photo of the setup before you unplug it.
Mistakes that break things
- Overfilled big boxes. If a box is too heavy to carry comfortably, it's too heavy for dishes.
- Half-empty boxes. They crush when something is stacked on them, and things slide around inside.
- No cushion layer at the bottom and top.
- Unlabelled fragile boxes ending up at the bottom of a stack.
Short on time? Our packing service covers the whole home, just the kitchen, or only the fragile pieces. We bring the materials and label every box.
Quick answers
Should plates be packed flat or on their side?
On their side. Plates standing on edge, each wrapped in paper, are much stronger than a flat stack.
Can I use towels and clothes instead of packing paper?
Yes, as padding and to fill gaps. Wrap each item in paper first if you can, then use towels and soft items between layers.
What size box is best for dishes?
Small or medium boxes, or dish-pack boxes with dividers. A big box of dishes is too heavy to carry safely and more likely to break.
