If you are preparing for a move, and you have antique china, you will want to do all that you can to ensure that it is safe during transport. Antique china is highly fragile. One wrong move could end your priceless possession; that is why it is so important to have the china packed well.
What You Should Have For Packing
The first thing that you will want to do is gather all the materials you need for safely packing your antique china. Having these materials will help to ensure that they are well-protected from being moved. You should have the following:
- sturdy cardboard boxes
- bubble wrap
- tissue paper
- newspaper
- tape
- scissors
- packing peanuts
- markers
How to Properly Pack Antique China
It is not a good idea to pack china in a box with some packing peanuts or newspaper. The proper way to package china is to pack it by what it is. For instance, plates should go in one box, cups in another. You must wrap each piece accordingly.
- China plates – To properly pack china plates, sit the plate on a flat surface, and wrap well with packing paper or newspaper. Place this plate in a sturdy box. Lay another sheet of packing paper down on top of the plate, wrap the next one and place it on top. Repeat this until you have the box packed. If there is extra space, fill with more newspaper or packing peanuts. Tape the box well. Make sure that you mark the box as fragile.
- China bowls – Follow the same method for the plates, but make sure you put extra newspaper or packing paper inside to fill them up before packing.
- China cups – You will want to fill each cup with newspaper or packing peanuts. Make sure they are tightly filled. Wrap the outside with packing paper. Place the cups in boxes upside down to help protect them further.
- Odd-shaped china – If you have odd-shaped china, make sure that you wrap well with packing paper. If the china has a lid, separate that lid and wrap individually.
Once you have thoroughly wrapped all of your china, make sure that you tape each box well. It is a good idea to put an extra layer of tape on the bottom of each box to help give additional support. Do not overload your boxes. If you need to place your china in several different boxes, you should. Overloading can cause breakages. Make sure that you mark each box as fragile before you have them loaded up. If you are using movers, make sure that you tell them which ones are fragile and must be handled with care.
If you take the above steps, your antique china should make it to your new home without any breaks or damage. Remember to wrap each piece well. You will also want to make sure that your china is secure in the moving truck or your vehicle when you get ready to move.