Remember that moment when you're in the middle of moving house and you don't know where to start?

And you wonder how you're going to pack it all up.

It's always a stressful time, which sometimes leads you to rush, pack everything up as quickly as possible to get rid of it.

But don’t worry. In this article I will give you tips on how to pack and transport your fragile items without stressing yourself out.

Frankly, it’s not complicated and above all very easy to do.

Ah good?

Yes, in 38 years I have had the time to test all the techniques to pack as simply and efficiently as possible, without spending a fortune on packing materials.

From the beginning it was not very difficult. I went to the right school. Because it was my father who worked all his life in the Crystal industry, who taught me how to pack.

And today it's still the same thing. Some materials have evolved but the basis is the same.

So what to do? How to pack the beautiful pieces that you care about so much?

You probably thought that it must be long and complicated because you don't have the experience. Honestly, yes it requires a bit of work. You don't get anything for nothing.

But it's not that complicated if you have the right technique, the tips. That's good because that's what you need to move without any damage.

So here are some tips that I have always applied and that I want to share with you, to make your task easier.

Tip number 1: selecting and sorting parts.

Obviously you know very well that all the valuable objects you have made of crystal are more or less fragile.

I know this may seem obvious to you but it is very important that your pieces are never mixed. Because the difference in weight will cause breakage.

For example if you put whiskey glasses with stemmed glasses.

Sometimes you say to yourself: "but it's okay, I'll put them all together, that way I'll save boxes."

But no, you won't save anything because it will arrive at its destination in a thousand pieces.

It is important to put heavy parts with heavy parts.

Knowing that a heavy and massive part will necessarily be packed alone in its box.

The same goes for large vases.

Stemmed glasses with stemmed glasses .

Also sort your glasses by categories:

• Stemless glasses (e.g. whisky glasses).
• Stemmed glasses: the finest models together.
• The most massive glasses together.

But finally, favor pieces of equivalent sizes in the same box.

Then you have to know how to package all this.

Tip number 2: how to pack the parts.

As you can imagine, one does not go without the other.

It's a multitude of little things that will make sure you don't have any problems.

Without proper packaging as I will explain you can be sure that you will have at least a few broken glasses.

To start you need double-walled cardboard.

The good plan.

The simplest and cheapest.

You can order them online from the RAJA website.

Click HERE to access it.

The European number 1 in packaging.

On the site you go to the top left on:

After clicking on: “Crates, cartons, boxes”.

Below you can choose your boxes according to the size, the fluting (double will be perfect) etc.

Of course the choice you make for the different boxes will depend on the size of the parts you have to transport.

I advise you not to make boxes that are too big.

Because they will be too heavy. You may drop them or knock them against something more easily.

It's not just the size and quality of the box that matters.

I don't know if you have already read my article: "How our shipments are carried out: the different essential steps for successful shipping"

In this article I show you in pictures how I ship.

I'm telling you about it because I explain clearly that it is important to time things.

Making a package to ship is something else again.

When my package is finished I must be able to throw it on the ground without anything breaking.

I know you're thinking, "Wow, he's not kidding."

But I have never had any breakage and yet I send packages very often.

And then no need to draw you a picture.

You are familiar with the different transport companies...

You have probably already had some surprises…

Yes, we must anticipate.

It was precisely to reassure my customers that I posted these photos in my article:

You see that it is very important to get everything in place properly.

The important thing is that nothing moves.

For the packing material, use as much recycled material as possible (newspaper, cardboard)

Anything that could possibly stall.

It costs nothing and it's just as effective.

After if you don't have any. You can buy bubble roll or polystyrene chips.

You will also need some duct tape.

Now that you have the right boxes, you need to pack all your pieces.

For glasses , newspaper can work very well.

If you plan ahead, you can collect newspapers from family and friends.

This will get you free packing material.

Take the opportunity to slip them an invitation to come and help you on the big day.

For each glass take three or four sheets of newspaper, place the glass across the sheets and wrap it in the newspaper, folding the sheet over the top and bottom of the glass.

Do the same for carafes , water jugs and medium-sized objects (for example for small vases, cups, etc.).

Increase the amount of sheets according to the size and weight of the pieces you are wrapping.

For the glasses, store them in your box head to tail so that they fit together slightly and do not move in the box.

To make it easier for you to understand how to pack and store your glasses in boxes, here is a short explanatory video.

But it's not over yet.

How do I do it for large rooms?

For these it will be better to wrap them in blankets or failing that buy a roll of bubble wrap.

Place them in a suitably sized box.

The ideal for heavy parts is to wrap them individually.

Tip number 3: How to pack the parts.

You know what boxes to use, how to organize your packaging, the materials to use.

But if you don't have the right technique for packing then... Disaster.

To begin, create a small cushioning mat at the bottom of the box.

There are two possibilities depending on whether you use a mover or provide the transport yourself:

• If you are doing the move yourself you can afford to have a little less cushioning at the bottom.

Yes!! You will know what is in the boxes so you will take care of them and handle them with all the usual precautions.

• If you call a mover, it is better to reinforce the cushioning to protect against possible clumsiness or shocks.

Yes, your packaging must be able to withstand shocks.

All empty spaces must be filled with padding (newspapers, paper, etc.).

When you close your box, the quickest and most effective way will be with adhesive tape.

Like this:

Now that you know how to make boxes, I'll give you another tip.

Tip number 4: How to organize your load.

I know this part seems obvious to you. But I've seen so much of everything. That I know that sometimes there are things that seem simple and obvious but that we don't necessarily do.

To begin, define a storage order based on weight and the different categories of parts.

What ?

You're probably thinking that I'm complicating things a little.

But no, it's essential if you don't want to break anything.

The heaviest pieces will always be at the bottom so as not to crush the lighter ones and then being often stronger due to their greater mass they will support more weight.

But it's not over yet.

Again ?

If there are any gaps left, they must be filled.

Padding is essential. You can do this with blankets or newspaper. But nothing should move.

Movement = breakage.

I know it sounds a bit basic, but it's very important to ensure your move goes smoothly.

There is one last thing to know.

And yes, we often think of crystal services, carafes ... but we can also have larger pieces that are more imposing and even more difficult to transport.

Remember to organize yourself to move and pack large pieces .

Tip number 5: Technique for moving and packing large pieces.

Some parts must be handled with care.

If you don't prepare for moving large pieces they will break.

Unless you're very lucky.

But hey, if you're counting on luck...

But what big pieces is he talking about?

For example a chandelier .

You absolutely must disassemble it before moving it.

Or a large crystal sculpture.

Often it will be in several parts. Even to move it a few meters you must think about disassembling it. Then move it and reassemble it.

Trust me.

This is really important. Because often with the weight and force the parts break if you don't take them apart.

Moreover, all parts that are in several parts must be disassembled. Whether they are large or small.

• For example, a carafe and a stopper must always be packed separately.

If you are really afraid of moving one or more large pieces.

Do not hesitate to contact us for advice or support from us.

This way you can be sure that nothing is broken and that the part is reassembled properly.

So here's what you're going to do now.

Now you know how to make your move go smoothly.

How to move pieces that are dear to you.

I know this will take a little more time and work. But it's worth it.

Are you in a hurry?

Don't have time to do all that?

But no, it will just take you a few more minutes and still, it's nicer when the pieces you care about the most arrive in one piece.

Now that you are a moving pro, you can start with peace of mind.

And if you need any other advice, do not hesitate to contact us. We will answer you within the day.

Thank you for sharing this article.

Below you will find the different links to social networks on which you can share.

And you: what tips from this article are you going to put in place?

We look forward to your feedback.

To do this, you will find below an area specially dedicated to this purpose.