Expert Packing Tips and Tricks | ARTA

Box packing strategies

When packing boxes for a residential move, it’s ideal to fill them to the top. A completely filled box should keep the contents stationary, saving them from shifting inside and minimizing any wiggle room, reducing opportunities for damage.

You can fill extra space with soft household items like towels, blankets, or pillows; this also gives you a place to pack these. Keep in mind you also don’t want to overpack your boxes. Overcrowded boxes put delicate objects at risk of cracking, crushing, or chipping. 

For delicate but heavy items, it helps to remember: the heavier the item, the smaller the box. Large boxes can fit numerous items, but packing heavy items into larger boxes puts anything else in the box at risk for damage. When sealing the box, be sure to use proper packing tape; duct tape or masking tape will not adhere properly. 

Packing methods for moving house

Get started earlier than you think. Estimating how much needs to be packed is difficult when it’s still tucked away in cupboards and closets. We recommend creating a packing schedule, so you’re not overwhelmed the day before the movers arrive. 

Many of us are surprised by how much we’ve accumulated, and starting early allows you to sort and discard old belongings found along the way and leaves you less to move. To begin, start with items you don’t use daily, like off-season clothing, holiday decor, or seldom-used cooking utensils.

For easy unpacking, label each box and note the room it should be placed in. This way, you don’t have to open every single box to find a fork on your first night in. 

How to pack lamps

When employing movers, packing away table lamps in boxes can help avoid damage. You can place soft items around the lamps in the empty box space for additional cushioning, like towels, blankets, or pillows. 

Floor lamps can be handled by movers. Lamp shades can be wrapped in paper individually and stacked inside one another within a large box. 

Packing high-value artwork and unique objects for transport

2D Objects:

Most common packing method: Soft packing, including poly, bubble, and cardboard.

For added protection: Shadowbox, which is defined by the cardboard backing and raised collar around the edges of the work, is used for items with tacky or irregular surfaces that cannot have any materials touch the surface. Travel Frame (or Crate), If a piece has a very delicate or textured surface that cannot have anything touching it and is large and/or heavy, a travel frame may be necessary to transport it safely.

3D Objects:

Most common packing method: Soft packing, including poly, bubble, blanket wrap, and custom cavity-packed boxes, can create safety barriers between objects.

For added protection: Crating, or other additional packing, is only necessary for particularly heavy or delicate materials or for items that will ship to a location outside of the U.S. All international shipments booked with ARTA require a heated treated wood crate, per standard regulations.

A closer look: Packing delicate artwork from an  acclaimed mixed media artist

While the above outlines general guidelines for packing, our team’s years of experience allow us to easily recognize when works by particular artists require special packing requirements. For example, ARTA often ships works by artist Ebony G. Patterson via Monique Meloche Gallery.