How to Pack Pictures and Mirrors for Moving

If you still don’t know that packing up your home for moving is the most important job you need to take care of before Moving day arrives, then you’re probably going to learn it the hard way. And to make things even more complicated than they already must be, the process of packing an entire household will be, by far, the most time consuming task in your moving calendar. And that is why we always advise soon-to-be movers to initiate their packing projects as soon as they learn that they will be moving or sometime in the foreseeable future.

To help people on the move, a large section of our moving blog is dedicated to the arduous process of packing up your home for a move. We’ve got packing tips covering each major room inside a residence, as well as most major household items found in them. And after having explained how to pack fragile items for moving, it’s time to turn your attention to packing framed artwork for moving, and in particular – the best way to pack pictures and mirrors.

Just think about it – when was the last time you were inside a home and didn’t see any framed pictures or photos on the walls? And do you think there’s even one house or apartment without a single mirror inside?

So, just roll up your sleeves and continue with our advice on how to pack framed art for moving. Chances are that you will own a number of framed pictures, framed photos, framed paintings, and of course – at least one big mirror to stare at and wonder, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, how am I to pack you for a move?”.

Packing supplies for packing

One of the most important aspects of safe packing is the presence of appropriate packing materials in the required quantities. You may not fully realize it but good quality packing materials will contribute greatly to the safety of the overall packing process. In a desperate attempt to save some money, one of the common packing mistakes that most people make when packing up their things prior to Moving day is to either use substandard packing supplies or get really stingy with them. Have in mind that both pre-move scenarios can be equally dangerous not only for the packed items themselves, but for all participants in the house move as well.

When packing fragile and potentially expensive framed artwork, the choice of what packing supplies to use and where to find them becomes a vital one. Learn what you need to pack pictures for a move.

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  Cardboard boxes. The cardboard boxes you use for moving framed art should be clean, sturdy and in excellent overall condition. Their sizes do matter as you will be wrapping up picture or photo frames of different sizes, and even shapes, so you need to have a pretty good idea about the dimensions and quantity of your breakable items before you go on a mission to procure adequate (free) moving containers for the task ahead. Ideally, you will be able to afford specialized packing boxes for framed pictures, photos and paintings called picture boxes. Where to buy picture boxes for moving? Contact your local removal company, for they will surely help you out in this regard.

• Packing paper. When packing framed pictures for moving, soft packing paper is ideal as a first line of defense, while the strong brown wrapping paper (Kraft paper) can be used on the outside to protect the integrity of the packages.

• Bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is essential for the success of your packing project. It’s no secret that the air-filled plastic material provides the ultimate protection when wrapping up extremely fragile items that are very much prone to damage during the various stages of the house moving process. Purchase as many sheets of Bubble wrap as you can afford, for you can easily use the world-known protective material for safeguarding other breakable household items as well.

• Packing tape. Purchasing a few rolls of packing tape is pretty straightforward. Just make sure you get your hands on quality tape that will keep your wrapped up packages in place all the way until they need to be unpacked.

• A set of colour markers. A single black marker is also fine, of course, but different colours will grab the attention of whoever’s handling your packed picture frames and mirrors and alert them to the fragile nature of what’s inside the picture boxes. In other words, big red letters (FRAGILE, ARTWORK, THIS SIDE UP) should be noticed easier than smaller black inscriptions.

As soon as you have procured the recommended materials for packing pictures for shipping, including small or large mirrors, you can process to the actual packing process itself.

How to pack pictures for moving house

Now that you have the supplies ready, let’s follow the consecutive steps to packing pictures when moving house.

Step 1: Remove the framed pictures or photos from the walls while being careful enough not to drop them on the floor. Also, if needed, remove the fastening elements (usually small nails or tacks) slowly in order to cause the smallest wall damage possible.

Step 2: Once all of your framed artwork is off the walls and ready to be packed up, go through your collection with a strict eye and try to assess whether all of the framed pieces are worth packing up and moving to your new home. Maybe it’ll be best if you give away a few pictures or paintings to some of your good friends as good-bye gifts? Be mindful that you can lower your final moving price by reducing the number of framed art only to the pieces that you value and like.

Step 3: Have your stack of white packing paper in the middle of your packing station – preferably a big sturdy table but a carpeted floor may also serve your packing needs.

Step 4: Take a picture or a painting and place it face up right in the centre of the pile. Then, take a sheet of bubble wrap with appropriate dimensions and cover up the glass of the piece, if applicable. This is an important safety measure aimed at protecting the most vulnerable section of every framed art – the canvas or photo, and the possible glass piece above it.

Step 5: After that, take two sheets from one corner and pull them over the frame. Repeat this action diagonally with the rest of the corners as if you were wrapping a Christmas present. Whenever needed, use extra sheets of clean packing paper until the entire frame area is completely covered.

Step 6: Use quality packing tape to secure the places where the various sheet edges meet. The main idea here is to create a tight bundle that won’t accidentally unwrap itself during transportation.

Step 7: If you happen to be wrapping up pictures or paintings that seem extra fragile and delicate, then you should place an additional protective layer of Bubble wrap over the taped paper bundle for better protection. Secure it well with packing tape.

Step 8: IMPORTANT: If your framed artwork is antique and/or extremely valuable, then you are strongly recommended to do two things: 1) Let them be packed and possibly crated by professional packers, and 2) Purchase additional insurance coverage for them, either through your top rated removal company or from a licensed insurance company.

Step 9: If you have managed to get specialized picture boxes of the right sizes, then you have nothing to worry about as they are designed specifically to keep your pictures, paintings, and photos safe. On the other hand, if you don’t have such special-purpose containers, you should replicate them as close as you can – see the next step.

Step 10: How to pack large pictures for moving? Break a standard cardboard box apart, take one of its sides, cut it to fit the frame, and place it on the packing station. Then, crumple a few sheets of packing paper and place them on the four corners of the cardboard cut-out. Place the already packed picture onto the cushioned piece of cardboard, and lay crumpled paper onto the edges of the framed piece. If the space allows it, repeat this action with another picture or painting as they were building blocks. When you think you’re done arranging frames one on top of the other, place the second sheet of cardboard on the very top. Finally, use generous portions of tape to secure the bottom and top sections of your make-shift picture box.

Step 11: When the packed framed pictures or paintings are packed tightly and the entire package seems secure enough, use your red or black marker to mark it properly. Write ART, FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE or any other handling instructions that you think are necessary.

This is the easiest way to pack pictures for a move. The most important things to remember are:

1) Packing framed pictures is not the time to be stingy with packing materials. Soft packing paper and Bubble wrap are your best lines of defense against the unpredictability of a house move.

2) Picture boxes provide the best protection for your framed artwork, but if you don’t have them, you can make ones from standard cardboard boxes.

3) Nothing inside the ready package should be moving. If you feel something to be shifting inside, be it slightly, insert more padding materials to immobilize the frames inside.

How to wrap a mirror for moving

Now that you are aware how to pack paintings when moving, or any other framed art for that matter, it’s time to say a few words about packing mirrors when moving house.

The steps to wrapping up mirrors for safe transportation are roughly the same as the ones described above. The main challenge here comes from the easily breakable reflective surface of mirrors – something you should protect at all costs. An initial double layer of Bubble wrap over the delicate surface is a must, as is additional paper padding before the mirror is inserted into the picture box.

As a precautionary step, you are advised to use your packing tape and do a huge “X” diagonally along the glass in the very beginning of the packing process. This way, if the worst happens to one of your mirrors, that X-shaped tape is supposed to keep the glass pieces together, and thus prevent further damage to your property. Should you own an antique mirror or one that is too valuable to you for one reason or another, speak with your movers about possible crating solutions and explore the various insurance options as well.

Bonus tips for packing pictures and mirrors for moving

Here’s some final advice on how to pack pictures and mirrors for moving.

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  You’ve probably guessed by now that safety is everything when moving pictures, paintings, and mirrors to another home. Therefore, don’t waste valuable time trying to make your packed breakables look presentable but concentrate on making them as safe and protected as they can possibly be.

• Packing fragile pictures, paintings and mirrors is a delicate task that requires experience above all. If you don’t have enough time to dedicate to the packing process, or if you’re moving long distance, or if you own antique and/or valuable framed objects, then you should do the sensible thing and hire professional packers to get the peace of mind you deserve. Get free no-obligation quotes from top rated removal companies to get an idea how much their packing services will cost you.

• If you’ve decided to move on your own rather than hire professional relocation services, then make sure you position the packed framed items in the moving vehicle vertically, not horizontally. Also, you want to prevent heavy items getting into contact with your breakables during transit. After all, you wouldn’t wish your extra picture packing efforts to go to waste, would you?

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