How to Pack Fragile Glass And Dishpacks

As we mention in our feature article on collaboration, this month’s packing tip comes about through an unload/unpack we did back in the day for a colleague of ours.

Their dish packs were particularly tight and heavy, and as we unpacked them the customer could not help but laugh in amazement at how much stuff – dishes, platters, bowls, cups, mugs, glasses and mounds of packing paper – that was coming out of each successive carton. And through it all, not a single item came out broken or cracked or even chipped. It was a beautiful, beautiful thing.

They wrapped tight and they packed tight, in bundles that fit together like the stones of Macchu Pichu. Here we’ll show just how they did this, with items that don’t always seem to want to make nice neat squares.

How Do I Safely Pack Teacups?

Tea cups are often fragile, particularly those dainty little handles. They also don’t stack very well, as you can see here and have probably seen a thousand times.

So how to take care while packing these ceramic little devils?

Easy. Turn one upside down. Doing this, both the curvature of the cups and the handles actually seem to want to mesh, collaborate even in the creation of a small, secure bundle.

Remember of course to use enough paper to keep them adequately padded.

How Do I Safely Pack Glass Beer Mugs?

These mugs are thick and heavy and might withstand the pressures of the poorest of pack jobs. But it’s still a good idea to keep those handles out of harm’s way.

How Do I Safely Pack Pint Glasses?

Pint glasses too can pose a problem since, even without handles, they won’t always fit inside each other.

And trying to force it may only result in a claim or two.

Placing them side by side, two to a bundle, makes for a pretty solid brick in the building of your dish pack.

One final pointer we came away with on that unload: wrapping those teacups, those pint glasses, those mugs in tight bundles is effective, but after you wrap them in a few sheets of packing paper, take that bundle and wrap it in a couple more sheets. This adds a surprisingly strong second layer of protection and stability.

Still, keep those well-padded teacups closer to the top of your dish pack. No matter how brilliant your bundles, no matter how closely your pack resembles a Incan temple wall, it’s still glass and ceramic in there.