A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the memories inside are priceless. If you’re planning to move to the Charleston area, it’s a good idea to have a plan in place for how to pack your framed pictures.
Packing framed pictures can be tricky due to their fragile nature. However, with the right plan and the right packing materials, it can be done.
We know that preserving those precious memories within the frames is extremely important, so here are some tips and tricks on how to pack your pictures safely and securely.
1. Buy the proper packing materials
Proper packing materials are crucial to preserving your pictures during a move. Here are some supplies we recommend having on hand before beginning to pack:
- Picture and mirror boxes
- Packing tape
- Packing paper
- Glassine
- Bubble wrap
- Corner protectors
- Sharpie marker or other type of permanent marker
These supplies can be picked up and purchased pretty much anywhere, but the picture and mirror boxes may be a little more difficult to find. Make sure that your box is approximately 30% bigger than the frame you’re going to pack.
2. Prepare the pictures for packing
Preparing the pictures can be somewhat of a lengthy process, but taking the time to be careful and thorough will ensure your pictures will be safe while you’re moving.
First, you should place tape over any sharp hanging brackets just to avoid hurting yourself while handling it.
After gathering your supplies, place a protective layer of Glassine on top of the glass of your frame to make sure it won’t shatter. Then, place corner protectors on the edges of your frame if needed.
3. Pack your pictures
Now that you’ve prepared your pictures for packing, you can start the actual packing process. First, wrap the frame in packing paper and secure it with your packing tape. If you need more padding for the frame, wrap it in additional packing paper or in another layer of bubble wrap.
Then, put packing paper into the box and place your wrapped pictures inside of the box. Place another protective layer of packing paper into the box on top so the picture is sandwiched between two sets of packing paper for ultimate safety. Seal the box shut with packing tape and label it with your marker so you know what’s inside of the box.
4. Pack small photo frames and loose photos separately
If you have small photo frames, photo albums, or loose photos in addition to your framed pictures, you’ll want to pack them differently.
Photo albums and small photo frames can go into a small cardboard box for packing. Make sure that you still wrap your small photo frames tightly, but also that they’re separated so they don’t break. Loose photos can be put into photo albums or into plastic baggies, such as sandwich bags, for safekeeping.
Or, if you’d like to bring your memories along with you without worrying about them being damaged or torn, you can scan and upload your pictures digitally so you can take the special moments with you everywhere you go.
5. Take extra precautions
Even if you wrap your pictures securely, it’s always a good idea to be extra cautious and aware on moving day.
To ensure your framed pictures don’t get damaged or lost, mark the boxes that have your photos in them with a permanent marker and write ‘fragile’ on them. Better yet, for a solution that you know will be legible and easy to spot, you can purchase stickers that say ‘fragile’ and place them on your boxes.
6. Look out for common packing mistakes
Moving day can be very stressful, so it’s likely you’ll rush or forget something. Here are a few common packing mistakes to look out for and be aware of.
If you stack items on top of the boxes that your pictures are in, they can be crushed very easily. Place your picture boxes in a separate area from the rest of your moving boxes.
If you hold your picture boxes sideways, you’re putting them at risk of damage. Carrying the boxes upright is the safer option. Be sure not to store the pictures flat since the pressure can crack the glass in your frame.
If you don’t warn the people helping you with your move about the ‘fragile’ label on your boxes, the boxes may be tossed around or mistreated. Be sure to point out the ‘fragile’ sticker or writing on top of your box just in case.
When your picture frame boxes go onto the moving truck, make sure they’re wedged between two heavy items so they don’t move around and get broken by being jostled around. Don’t wedge them too tightly, since that can cause the frames inside to break, but making sure they’re close enough to protect the picture frame boxes is fine.
If you’re packing a picture frame that has glass in it, don’t use packing peanuts for padding inside the box. Packing peanuts can cause static on glass and become stuck to it and hard to remove.
7. Hire professional movers
If your picture boxes are too heavy to work with or if you feel overwhelmed during your move, the professional movers from Smooth Move are here to help.
Smooth Move operates from a few different locations across the state of South Carolina, so we can provide statewide and long distance moving services to or from anywhere in the state.