5 Packing secrets you don’t know

1. Tape it well

For a secure box, you should tape the seam on the bottom, and the tape perpendicular to that seam. Pad the bottom of the box and stuff the sides with newspaper for a solid bottom. For fragile items, you should wrap each of them with paper. When the box is full, tape it shut and label it. And make sure that you label the sides of the box, not the top.

2. Don’t touch items in the drawers

To save the trouble of moving items from a drawer to a box, simply take the drawers out instead. To ensure that your things don;t fall out, stretch tape across the top of the drawer to hold the items in place. Only use masking tape so that it won’t take the paint off of the furniture.

3. Unpack a box easily

Put a string underneath the tape and leave a bit of the string hanging out when taping a box. When you arrive at your destination, simply yank the string and it will rip through the tape — and voila, the box opens.

4. Pack small items in large boxes

Always pack small items in large boxes and large items in small boxes. Heavy items are likely to come crashing through the middle of a large box while smaller items are less likely to fall out. Also, pack heavier items at the bottom of the box and lighter items toward the top of the box.

5. Pack plates standing up

Plates are less likely to break if they’re standing on edge inside the box, provided if the plates are wrapped appropriately. Stuff the box so that the plates don’t have any room to shift around. When packing glass, always pack the largest items on the bottom of the box and the smaller items on the top of the box.