Top Things to Remember While Packing Pictures & Frames

Jul 25, 2022 | Moving Help

When you think of the priorities of moving from one home to another, disassembling furniture, packing clothes, and ensuring you have enough boxes are usually the first things that come to mind.

While all of those items are essential to any move, one aspect of your home that often gets overlooked during a move are your picture frames. It may seem like all you have to do is put them in a box together and send them on their way.

However, picture frames tend to be delicate, sometimes ornate home items that can easily get damaged on the moving truck when packed incorrectly.

Let’s examine some of our top moving tips for ensuring your picture frames make it to your new home safe and sound.

Pick the Right Size Boxes

When packing picture frames for a move, the last thing you want is all of them crammed under pressure in a tight box. One pothole and that pressure could crack, along with your valuable frames.

During the packing process, it’s important to choose boxes that are larger than the items that will be placed inside them. This helps ensure that your picture frames have room for padding and can remain secure and protected during transport.

Element Moving & Storage offers packing services that help our clients pick the exact packing materials they need to prevent unwanted shifting during transit or damage.

Overtape One End of the Box

Some standard picture frames can weigh up to six pounds! When you have multiple frames in one box, its easy for the pounds to add up. This means that when your movers lift the box out of your moving truck, you run the risk of one side of the box failing, popping open and your picture frames crashing to the ground.

Pro Tip – Label the end that movers should point towards the ground and tape it up very well (maybe too much), to ensure that your frames stay in place until you physically unpack them from your boxes.

Pack Your Pictures on Their Side

As we mentioned before, it’s easy for picture frames to add to the weight of any packing box. This position puts them in a lot less direct contact with other frames and reduces the risk of excess pressure cracking your picture frames or leaving unsightly dents, bends, and scratches.

Always Use Cardboard Corners and Bubble Wrap

Protecting your picture frames is a must; cardboard corners and bubble wrap are two of the best ways to do so.

One way to ensure your frame’s safety is by using cardboard corners on the edges of the boxes they are placed in. These cardboard corners provide an extra layer of protection that helps keep frames secure and not shifting around during transport.

Bubble wrap is also an ideal choice when it comes to protecting picture frames during a move. Not only does bubble wrap provide cushioning that minimizes moving impact, but its air-filled bubbles also protect against scratches and other abrasions.

The flexible nature of the material allows it to conform around items of various shapes and sizes, providing extra safety for delicate objects like picture frames.

As a plus, bubble wrap can be reused multiple times without losing any protective qualities, making it a cost-effective solution for preserving fragile items during transport.

Label Frames as “Fragile”

This may be the simplest step of them all, but labeling picture frame boxes as “Fragile,” lets movers know that your package contains items that are extra valuable to you or are at risk of breaking.

While we are on the labeling aspect of your move, don’t forget to add which rooms your “Fragile” boxes go to so they can be protected all the way to their final destination.

Keep Your Frames Picture Perfect With Element Moving & Storage

Element Moving & Storage is the white glove mover that keeps everything from picture frames to pianos protected and secure during a move. Whether you have a long-distance haul ahead of you or are moving down the street, our premier moving team is ready to help. Follow these steps and you will have nothing to worry about:

  • Box selection – You box should be slightly bigger than the item
  • Secure one end – tape one end of the box really well with packing tape
  • Bubble Wrap – Wrap the frame really well, as if it is a gift you will be opening.
  • Box up – Slip item into box carefully and secure box with packing tape.
  • Label – Write “Fragile” and the room this item will go in on the box in large lettering.
  • Moving tip – Picture items should always be packed on its side.  If you packed it flat it would take all the weight.
  • Purchase Cardboard Corner’s for pictures.
  • Use Wardrobe box to pack a few pictures together, be sure to use soft items around them.
  • Have movers put pictures on their edges for the move.

Contact us today to learn more about our moving services and get your move on our schedule.