The value we place on Christmas ornaments might be largely sentimental, or you may have some truly collectible items that have been passed down in your family for generations.
Whether you’re worried about the Surfin’ Santa you collected on your honeymoon in Siesta Key or the vintage Gucci blown glass tree topper inherited from your Aunt Gladys, protecting those items that help make Christmas truly feel like Christmas is a mission not to be taken lightly. It is never more important than when considering how to pack Christmas ornaments for moving.
PACKING CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
Whether you’re moving or not, knowing how to store breakable Christmas ornaments will help ensure you don’t accidentally destroy your kid’s popsicle stick manger.
Ornament boxes — plastic bins with lots of individual cubbies — are great for storage. They may not stand up to the requirements of a move, however, as the items therein may shift in transit and the containers themselves be easily damaged.
For moves, prepare in stages. Make a list and check it twice.
- Gather your supplies. Wrapping paper can be used as packing paper. Gift boxes and cookie tins can be repurposed. For sure, you’re going to need:
- Boxes
- Packing paper for wrapping ornaments
- Sealable plastic bags for hooks
- Tape and markers for sealing and labeling boxes
- Sort. You could organize your precious decorations by:
- Display — tree, mantle, tiny Christmas village that started on a shelf and now takes up a folding banquet table in the family room
- Type — indoor/outdoor. Lights. Garland. Red laser dots that mostly are supposed to be projected onto the side of your house but sometimes find their way inside
- Room — family room, dining room, kitchen
- Secure everything. Storing breakable Christmas ornaments is a two-stage process. Wrap first (in tissue or bubble wrap). Then stow (filling in the gaps between wrapped items with shredded paper, packing peanuts, old towels, or t-shirts). Make sure everything is clearly marked “Fra-GEE-lay.”
MOVING WITH CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
Knowing how to pack Christmas ornaments encompasses some rules that apply to any move. For instance:
- Pack well in advance of your move. Last-minute rushing invites last-minute mistakes, which invites breakage.
- Purge unwanted items. The fewer items you move, the last chance there is you’ll break something you really want under the weight of something you don’t need.
- Label all boxes/containers. If you know where it’s going, it won’t need to be set down and picked up multiple times.
- Fill boxes/containers fully. Packing properly minimizes breakage and maximizes use of space on the moving truck. It also cuts down on packing materials landing in landfills.
- Hire professionals. We’re good at what we do. We’ll save you work and worry.
DON’T SCROOGE YOURSELF
Breaking an heirloom ornament — or anything else you value — can sour anyone’s celebration. Moving Proz is staffed with experts who can carefully pack and safely move everything from the most fragile Christmas ornaments to the grandest grand pianos, delivered intact, on time, and on budget. Call us today for a free quote or to ask us any questions you may have.