How to Pack Fragile Items Like Glassware, Art and Electronics

Fragile items rarely break because of one big drop: they break because of small, avoidable mistakes: a gap left in a box, a plate stacked flat instead of on its edge, or a lamp base left unwrapped and rattling around next to something harder than it is. Most breakages are preventable with the right materials and a bit of technique, room by room. This is also where an in-house crew earns its keep: our own Sydney and Perth teams pack fragile items every day rather than occasionally, and that repetition is exactly what the tips below are drawn from.

Glassware and crockery

• Wrap each piece individually in packing paper or bubble wrap: don't skip stemware or "sturdy-looking" items like mugs, since chips happen just as easily on thick glass as thin.
• Pack plates on their edge, not flat: flat-stacked plates are far more likely to crack under weight, because the weight of the stack presses straight down on the weakest point (the centre) rather than being spread across the rim.
• Use a dish-pack or double-walled box for plates, bowls and glasses rather than a standard single-wall carton: the extra wall thickness absorbs bumps that would otherwise transfer straight to the contents.
• Crumpled packing paper (not newspaper, which can transfer ink onto glazed surfaces) makes a cushioned base and lid layer in every box: aim for at least 5cm of padding on the bottom before the first item goes in.
• Fill every gap in the box so nothing can shift in transit: a good test is to gently shake the sealed box; if you hear or feel movement, open it and add more paper.
• Nest bowls and cups in twos or threes with paper between each one, rather than wrapping and boxing every item completely separately: it saves materials without sacrificing protection, as long as there's a paper layer between every contact point.
• Keep glassware boxes under about 15kg once packed: dense items add weight fast, and a box that's too heavy to lift comfortably is far more likely to be dropped or wrenched awkwardly.
• Label the box "fragile" on every visible side, not just the top, and add "this way up" if it contains stemware or anything that shouldn't be laid on its side.

Artwork, mirrors and framed items

Flat items travel best upright, never flat, and never with weight stacked on top: glass fronts crack under even light pressure applied across a flat surface, and canvases can dent or puncture. Corner protectors (cardboard or foam) and picture cartons prevent the most common damage point: knocked corners and cracked glass. For anything valuable, consider a custom crate rather than a standard carton.

• Cover glass fronts with a low-tack painter's tape in a cross or grid pattern before wrapping, if the glass does crack, the tape holds shards together instead of letting them shift inside the wrapping and scratch the artwork.
• Wrap the frame in bubble wrap first (bubbles facing in, away from any painted or printed surface), then a layer of packing paper or a moving blanket over that for a second line of defence.
• Use picture boxes with adjustable cardboard dividers if you're moving several framed pieces of different sizes: it stops them sliding against each other.
• Stand framed items on their edge along the wall of the truck or vehicle, never laid flat under other boxes, and separate multiple frames with a sheet of cardboard between each one to stop glass-on-glass or frame-on-frame contact.
• For mirrors specifically, an "X" of masking or painter's tape across the reflective surface adds the same shatter-containment benefit as it does for glass-fronted art.

Lamps and light fittings

Lamps are often packed as an afterthought, but the base, shade and bulb all need different handling.

• Remove the bulb, the harp (the wire frame that holds the shade) and the shade itself, and pack all three separately rather than leaving the lamp assembled: a fully assembled lamp has almost no protection for its weakest points.
• Wrap the base in bubble wrap or a towel and box it upright in a snug carton with padding underneath so it can't tip.
• Wrap bulbs individually in bubble wrap or paper and pack several together in a small, well-cushioned box, rather than loose in with other items.
• Clean the shade first, then wrap it loosely in soft packing paper (never bubble wrap directly against fabric or paper shades, which can crush or mark them) and box it on its own: never nest anything heavier on top of a shade box, and mark the box clearly so it isn't accidentally stacked under other cartons.
• For floor lamps or anything that unscrews into sections, disassemble as far as it will go and wrap each section individually: an intact floor lamp is awkward to protect and easy to bend or snap in a stack of other items.

Kitchen appliances

Small and mid-size appliances are more fragile than they look, mostly because of what's inside them rather than the housing itself.

• Unplug and clean appliances thoroughly before packing: any leftover food residue or moisture can attract pests or develop odour and mould over even a short time in a sealed box.
• For appliances with glass components (microwaves, some blenders and food processors), remove any glass turntables, jugs or lids and wrap them separately, the same way you'd wrap glassware: don't rely on the appliance's outer casing to protect the glass inside it.
• Coil and secure cords with a twist tie or velcro strap rather than leaving them loose, and tape down any loose doors, lids or trays so they can't swing open and knock against the inside of the box.
• Use the appliance's original box if you've kept it: it's sized and shaped for that item, with built-in void space in the right places, and if not, choose a box only slightly larger than the appliance so it isn't rattling around inside.
• For larger appliances, measure your route out of the old home and into the new one: doorways, hallway turns and stairwells are the most common place bulky appliances get stuck or scraped on moving day.

Collectibles and ornaments

Small decorative items, figurines, vases, glass ornaments, collectible plates, are some of the easiest things to overlook and some of the easiest to break, because they're often packed loosely "to save a box."

• Wrap each piece individually, including anything you think of as sturdy: ceramic and resin figurines chip just as easily as glass ones, particularly at thin points like fingers, ears or handles.
• Use a divided or "cell" box (the kind sold for stemware) for a collection of similar-sized items: it keeps each piece in its own compartment so nothing can knock against another.
• Pack heavier collectibles at the bottom of the box and lighter ones on top, never the reverse, and never let a heavier item rest directly on a lighter or more delicate one even with paper between them.
• For anything irreplaceable or high-value, a family heirloom, a signed piece, an antique, it's worth photographing it before packing and asking about how it's covered under your move before the day itself.

Electronics (TVs, monitors, sound systems)

Original boxes are ideal if you've kept them: the internal packaging is designed for that exact item, including foam inserts shaped around its ports and edges. Without the original box, a TV should travel upright, never flat, in a box with adequate padding on all sides; see our full guide on packing a TV without the original box for the complete method. Remove any loose cables and pack them separately, labelled by device: a small zip-lock bag taped to the back of the relevant appliance or box works well and avoids a tangle of unlabelled leads on setup day.

• Sound systems and speakers should be wrapped individually, even if they're being packed together in one box: speaker cones and tweeters are more delicate than the casing suggests.
• Monitors and laptops travel best in a padded sleeve or their original box inside an outer carton, not loose among other items, and should never have anything stacked on top of them.
• Photograph cable setups (especially anything with multiple ports, like a home theatre system) before disconnecting, so reconnecting at the new place doesn't turn into guesswork.

General fragile-packing rules

• Use packing paper between individual items, not just around the outside of the box.
• Fill all empty space: movement inside the box, not the move itself, causes most breakage.
• Never exceed a weight you can comfortably lift: split heavy fragile items across smaller boxes.
• Mark boxes clearly so they're handled and placed correctly at the other end, and keep an inventory (even a simple written list) of which fragile boxes contain what, in case anything needs checking on arrival.
• Load fragile boxes into the truck last and unload them first, and keep them off the floor of the vehicle where possible: placed on top of sturdier furniture or boxes, braced so they can't slide, rather than underneath anything heavier.
• Choose new, sturdy boxes over old or re-used ones for anything fragile: cardboard loses rigidity each time it's compressed and reused, and a softened box wall doesn't absorb impact the way a fresh one does.
• Pack one room or category of fragile items at a time rather than mixing types in a single box: glassware, electronics and artwork all need slightly different cushioning, and mixed boxes are the ones most likely to have a weak spot somewhere inside.

Common mistakes that cause breakages

• Packing fragile items in a box that's too big, on the assumption that "more room" means safer: extra empty space is exactly what allows items to shift and collide during transit.
• Using newspaper as the only wrapping layer: it's better than nothing, but it's thinner than proper packing paper and can leave newsprint marks on glazed or light-coloured surfaces.
• Forgetting to pad the base of the box before the first item goes in, leaving fragile items sitting directly on cardboard.
• Sealing a box without doing the "shake test" first, if you can hear or feel movement once it's taped shut, it needs to be opened and repacked.
• Leaving fragile boxes unlabelled or mislabelled, which means they're just as likely to be stacked under something heavy as anything else in the truck.

Our Box Shop stocks purpose-built cartons for glassware, pictures and mirrors if you don't already have the right materials on hand, and our packing service can handle the fragile room for you if you'd rather not do it yourself. For anything particularly valuable, it's worth checking what's covered under our moving insurance before the day, and see our guide on packing a large TV without the original box for a deeper look at electronics specifically.