Before you pack, you need to ready this Moving Tip: How to Safely Pack and Move Plates!
Planning a move?? Our family recently moved, and with a big move comes a whole lot of packing, so I put this simple moving tip to use from frugal friend Kendra!
Related:
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How to Safely Pack Plates for Moving
To help your plates arrive safely when moving, simply purchase a pack of foam plates… check your local dollar store!
Then… place a foam plate between each of your plates…
You’ll want to wrap and pad in addition to this, but this simple trick will help to keep your plates from clinking and clanking around during the move! 😉
How easy is that?!?
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68 Moving Packing Tips and Tricks
Handle your next move like a pro with these Moving Packing Tips and Tricks that you can’t afford to miss!
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Sue Healey says
I really love this idea. I will definitely use it on my next move and share the idea with others.
Heidi says
Thanks so much, Sue… I’m so glad you liked the packing tip! 🙂
Larry Weaver says
The idea to use foam plates between each plate when packing is a really neat idea! Unfortunately, I have some plates that are far too large to work with foam plates. Perhaps I’ll look into using fabricated foam as a way to pack my large plates during my move as a solution.
Cheryl says
We moved cross country in August. We packed a ton of stuff and had Public Moving Company move us. Everything I packed arrived in perfect condition except one glass bowl & one picture frame. EVERYTHING the moving company packed was broken. People, DO NOT use Public Moving & Storage Company for your move unless you fully purchase the extremely high insurance package which we did not. In the end we didn’t recoup any money for broken items because in the very tiny print that you don’t read on the back of the sheets they have you sign, it says that to get any money back you have to have 3 written estimates, the original receipt & everything has to have a notary on each estimate. Now, how many places will come out to look at your brand new $2,800.00 fridge to give you an estimate and have it notarized? None…same with all of our stuff. We had 3 electric fire places which two were brand new and all were broken. Our table, love seat, 2 recliners were all broken. Vacuum, ironing board, you guessed it BROKEN. Thank God we packed most of our regular stuff. The company was suppose to have our stuff delivered on August 11th but we didn’t see the truck until the last day of August. All we were told was our stuff had been off loaded into one of their storage stations and when a truck was coming this way, we would get our stuff. When the truck was almost here the driver called, it was just him and he wanted my husband (who’s 65 & had 3 heart attacks) to help him unpack it. We told him no way especially since they DOUBLED our price (we were told if we didn’t pay the items would be put in storage and we’d have to pay for the storage until it could be worked out). The guy made a call and got 3 guys to meet him here and it took them 7 hours to unload the truck. The guys scratched the crap out of my new wood floors, didn’t put the boxes in the correct rooms (which we paid for) and was standing on our boxes to get higher up boxes in the truck. All in all it was a horrible ordeal so people, do yourself a favor and do not hire these people and help spread the word. I think they took advantage of seniors and knew what they were doing when they had the packing guy go over the paperwork so fast with us….this was 4 days AFTER we were suppose to be out of the house. They never called us to tell us they were running late or that the truck broke down or that one of the guys got sick so they didn’t have extra people to pack the truck. Thanks to the people who bought our house for letting us stay until the movers finally showed up!
Terry says
I’ve seen comments on other sites about packing plates vertically is bad idea: then why do manufacturers pack them that way for sale? I too use dish towels and washcloths to wrap and I also use socks for glassware before putting in wine boxes. Small sports socks are also great for packing the lightbulbs removed from lamps. Just wish I could find a great way to pack lampshades…seems mine always seem to get smushed no matter how carefully I pack them!
Joan Smith says
Really clever tip! Last time I moved it was a great disaster and I had a box full of broken plates when I finished unpacking. Definitely NOT a good idea to pile all your plates in one box with no dividing between each of them. It was not such a problem, because I made a lovely mosaic table from the broken pieces, and also bought new beautiful plates, that I really like. I’m moving again and this time I’ll pay more attention on packing. Thank you for this great idea!
Kristyn says
I’ve shared this tip with every client who has even mentioned packing their kitchen! Love it so much I’m including it in a round up of favorite moving tips on my blog soon!
sharon says
If you need packing paper without dealing with the ink of printed newspapers, go to your local newspaper office. Often times they have remnant rolls of newsprint free for the asking. Ours limits us to 2 rolls, but one remnant roll goes a long way.
tina says
thank you so much, will pass this on to friends,wish i
i heard of this years ago ,recycle ,after unpacking there
are lots of disposable plate for the moving crew ie…
family and friends who show up to help . also if you have
enough extra plates , you can order take out or delivery
do dishes to wash, only if you want to!!
for the very frugal types, a sandwhich plate can be rinsed
nik says
In between breakable items — I lay stuffed toys to separate the clanging — this way stuffed toys are packed and yet put to good use at the same time.
Ann Johnson says
Great idea ! Brilliant would never have thought of it thanks for sharing.
Rosa says
If you use the great idea of using plastic plates between your regular plates .when you get to your new home you can use the plastic plates for serving your meals in the next few meals while your getting settled .. You have two purposes .
Kathy says
Don’t know if this will help anyone, but while trying to figure away to wrap up some large platters, we were having delivered pizza. The large pizza box is a prefect fit for large platters and so is the medium and small ones.
tish applegate says
Great idea. Better than wrapping in newspaper.
Sean says
Definitely some great ideas. Keep in mind how you put your dishes into the moving boxes as well. Standing your plates on edge actually makes them stronger and less likely to break than just laying them flat.
Vivian Martin says
Handy tip… For the naysayers, I would suggest the 3 R’s – Reduce, reuse, recycle. Instead of throwing these in landfill, store for re-use. At the end of their life, they can go to a recycler. Many are now taking clean styrofoam.
lynn b says
My mom was a hoarder. I don’t have to purchase foam plates to do this—–merely use some of the stuff that is already on hand. If it lasts that long, I won:t have to worry about unpacking it in my lifetime and it will be perfectly safe forever! Thanks ya’ll!!!
Jessica says
Great tip! Something we did when we moved was to wrap them in dishtowels and put them in a cooler. We have 2 hard-sided coolers, i figured we have to move them anyways might as well put stuff in them. Everything made it in one piece!
Lynne says
I just moved from Charleston, SC to New Mexico. 6×12 U-haul trailer pulled by my Durango. Packed myself in U-haul boxes. Bought them in packs of 15 – makes them cheaper. U-Haul gives free month of storage when you get there. My 3 dogs stayed in hotels with me the whole way. Cheapest way to go. Plants? I would give to neighbors. I did give away a few things that didn’t fit. Used discount movers on both ends to load and unload trailer. Thought this might help. Cost of trailer: 500 bucks for 6 days.
Larissa says
Heidi,
We just moved this summer too. Not as far as you though! I never would have thought of foam plates!!! I did use towels and washcloths! Which worked well for our small move. We were even so blessed as to have plate packing sleeves to put our china in! (Never would have purchased it myself, but it was a pass it on moving gift! What a blessing!)
Your “new” old house looks fabulous! Enjoy all the new memories! 🙂
Annette Baber says
I’ll be glad I pinned this someday! Thank you for the tip!:)
Liz Johnson says
This is awesome! I’m a Realtor (here in AZ!) and am always looking for great packing tips for my clients. Thank you!
Mary says
you might want to refer your clients to YouTube–there are several very good videos on packing china, etc which were done by moving companies, presumably for their employees. I searched under ‘packing china’. I recently moved cross country and did my own packing, with movers loading their van and I did not have any cracking or breakage, although the van was stacked floor to ceiling with furniture and boxes. Our mover referred us to a local company that sells boxes and packing paper very reasonably [interestingly, Home Depot and Lowes had competitive prices for the standard size boxes].
erica says
that’s an interesting tip…another thing to do, once you have your dishes packed and you’re going to be putting them in a box, place the plates on their side like you’re putting books on a bookshelf (use this trick for plates and bowls only). tightly pack the box to prevent any “wiggle room” and go in tiers in the box, in between the tiers, add some of the packing paper..once you get to cups you have them setting upright.
Jeanetta says
I did this when I made an international move and everything came though perfectly.
jennifer says
Gorgeous fiestaware, and great tip!
Theresa says
This really does work great! I have moved my dishes many time with this packing method. Works good for bowls as well.
Rapunzel says
This is one of those so painfully easy and smart ideas that you just NEVER think of! Thanks! Totally pinning it!
Pam says
Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
Linda says
I did this the last time I moved and it worked great! Another thing I like to do (sorry if it has already been mentioned) is use socks for packing delicate glassware. I still use other packing in the box as well.
Erin says
So you just put each glass inside of a sock? I love these tips, moving in 2 weeks! Thanks!!
Jessica S. says
Love the fiestaware… we have 12 different colors, and I love them so much! and we get compliments on them all the time… my 2 yr. old son now likes to pick out which color he can use for a meal.
Heidi says
Thanks, Jessica! I am an in love with Fiestaware too… the fun colors just make me happy! {I found it on a crazy good sale at Kohl’s a few years ago!} 😉
~ Heidi
Callee S. says
what a great idea…i usually use towels that way i’m packing them and keeping my plates safe 😀