how to pack glasses for moving

How to Pack Glasses for Moving: Wine Glasses to Coffee Mugs

Packing our fragile items is always the most difficult part of moving and knowing how to pack glasses takes patience and precision. If you’re not taking your time, carefully wrapping everything, and stacking all the glasses properly you could end up with a lot of broken glass everywhere. 

The goal of this guide is to help you safely pack your glasses to prevent damage. Let’s get into it. 

How to Pack Glasses: Step-by-Step Instructions 

It is so important to be extra cautious when getting ready to move your kitchen items, especially anything that is fragile. If you follow these easy steps when packing your fragile items, like glasses or cups, they should all make it to your new home without any damage.

Prepare Your Packing Supplies

You will need to have some medium-sized boxes, packing tape, a marker, and some packing paper, newspapers, bubble wrap, or some old linens. 

Tape The Bottom of the Box

When taping your box, you need to go the extra mile and not just tape the middle seam of the box flaps. You should tape the seam of the flaps multiple times to prevent the bottom from opening up. Then, tape the edges of the pieces of tape down on the sides of the box just to be extra safe it won’t break. 

Get Your Box Ready

If you are using packing paper or newspaper, you will need to bunch up enough of the paper so it will cover the bottom of your box. This way you will have enough padding on the bottom of the box that will prevent any glasses from hitting the bottom and shattering.  If you are using old linens instead of packing paper, make sure the layer of linens is thick enough to prevent your glasses from bumping each other. 

Learn How to Pack Glass Cups

It is best to wrap any large and heavy glass cups or drinking glasses first since you will be placing them on the bottom. This is a super important step in learning how to pack glasses. First, find a flat surface to lay out your packing paper. (You can also use bubble wrap or linens) Then, take a heavy glass or mug and place it in the corner of the packing paper and roll it at an angle. As the glass is being rolled, stuff it with packing paper so you fill the glass. Make sure the glass is fully covered when you are done wrapping it so it doesn’t get damaged.

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Wrap Other Glasses

If you want to save some of your packing paper, you can wrap two glasses at a time. However, it isn’t necessary. If the glasses are similar in size, wrap them each the same way as you would for the large and heavy glasses. When the first glass is completely wrapped, you can add the second glass beside it and keep wrapping them until they are both fully protected. 

Be sure to stuff the end of the paper into the opening of the second glass. Wrapping two similar glasses next to each other will not only save some packing supplies, but it will save you some time.

Fill Your Box Up

When you are finished wrapping your glasses, tightly place them into the box on top of your bunched-up packing paper. Take up as much space as you can to prevent them from moving around. Continue wrapping your glasses and carefully place them on top of each other. You should still be careful that you aren’t placing any light glasses on the bottom. Any heavy glasses must be packed first so your lighter glasses don’t become damaged.

Wrapping Your Stemmed Glasses

These glasses are going to go in a separate box than the other glasses. When wrapping up your stemmed glasses, you are still going to follow the same steps as wrapping the other glasses. However, make sure you wrap the stem first. Knowing how to pack glassware can be confusing when there are different types of glasses.

You will want to use about a half sheet of packing paper to wrap the stem. Once you wrap the stem, continue rolling it into the packing paper. With these types of glasses, it is best to wrap them one at a time since they are very fragile. 

Cushion the Tops of the Boxes

Once you are all finished packing your glasses, it is time to cushion the tops of the boxes with as much packing paper, bubble wrap, or old linens as you can fit. You must fit enough of your packing supplies in so that there is no wiggle room. This is the best way to pack glasses and will ensure that your glasses stay safe and do not become damaged. You can also use any plastic cups you might have to fill in any gaps in the box. Plastic cups do not need to be wrapped as glasses do.

Close the Box

Before you seal the box shut, carefully shake the box a little bit. If you don’t hear any clicking or movement, you are all set to seal the box. If you hear any sounds coming from the box, go back in and check that everything is properly packed. When you feel you are ready to seal the box, close it with packing tape. Don’t forget to label the box with what is inside it and that it is fragile. 

how to pack glassware

Best Tips for Packing Glassware

  • Give yourself enough time to pack the right way
  • Fill in all empty spaces of the box
  • Try to keep the weight of the box under 40 pounds
  • Make sure your box isn’t too big
  • Do not overpack

Final Thoughts 

Whether it’s wine glasses or plastic drink cups, you want to make sure everything gets from point A to point B in one piece. You can’t just trust the job to any moving company. Get an online quote from Agoyu to ensure you’re hiring the best moving company at the lowest rate possible.

Bill Mulholland

Bill Mulholland is the owner of ARC Relocation, a company that relocates thousands of employees annually, to every state in the United States, and more than 90 foreign countries, for organizations like DHL, Overstock.com, GNC, and the U.S. Government. Bill also owns a real estate brokerage and title company in Virginia.