It’s no secret that wine glasses are as fragile as they are beautiful! Wine glasses, vases, decanters, and other delicate glassware deserve a special storage place in your home because they can easily be damaged or broken altogether. They also deserve very special treatment when you are getting ready to move. With expert packing techniques, you won’t have to worry about your favorite glass chalices and wine glasses anymore! From packing in a dedicated box to stuffing the glass with soft materials, we have some tips for you to break-proof some of your most treasured items. This guide will show you how to pack wine glasses for damage and stress-free moving.
Related: 4 Must-See Places in Sonoma
First, Some Things You’ll Need To Pack Wine Glasses
- Bottle boxes or boxes with dividing cells
- Additional cardboard dividers if you don’t have a bottle box
- Packing paper and tissue
- Bubble wrap
- Packing tape
- A labeling pen
Step 1: Ready Your Wine Glass Box
Cell boxes or bottle boxes are the best for protecting your beautiful wine glasses, but they can be hard to find. However, most liquor stores will be happy to give you a used box from their last shipment. If that fails, you can head to a specialty packing store or even buy online. If you head to a UPS or other shipping store, you may be able to purchase cardboard dividers separately if you already have the perfect size cardboard box.
These boxes will prevent your glasses from bumping into each other during moving (or shipping), and they will keep everything locked in place in case of any bumps.
Looking to add some stylish new glassware to your collection? Taste of Purple has beautiful wine glass and stemware options. Check out our glasses here.
Step 2: Pack Your Box With Dividers and Packing Paper
Secure your cell dividers and make sure they fit relatively tight in the box to prevent any slippage. Optionally, you can pack the bottom of the box with packing paper or newspaper (a good free option) to absorb any shock that might hit the bottom of the box. If you are handling the box personally during the move, this step might not be necessary if you are careful. However, if you are shipping the box or hiring movers, you can never be too cautious!
Step 3: Pack The Inside of The Glass
Packing the globes of your wine glasses with bubble wrap or packing paper is a crucial step in the process. Take your first glass and gently pack the entire area of the globe (not too tight). Be extremely careful during this process as you don’t want to press on the glass too hard and break them before you even move! Try not to touch the glass at all besides where you are holding on to the stem. Once you have packed all of the globes snugly, you are ready to move on to the next step.
Related: 5 Must-See Wineries in Long Island
Step 4: Ready Your Glasses For Wrapping
Once you have the globes packed, lay some packing paper on a soft carpet or another padded surface. Place a glass on its side to get it ready to wrap in tissue paper.
Step 5: Wrap in Packing Paper
Start with a corner of tissue paper and snugly wrap the entire glass until it feels padded. Make sure not to overwrap, and ensure it will fit in your cells within the box! You may want to use some scotch tape to secure the tissue paper, so it doesn't come undone. Make sure there is no glass showing and that every part, including the base, is snugly padded.
Step 6: Make Your Folds
Fold the tissue paper around the stem and globe, making sure the delicate stem is very padded. Once your wine glass is carefully molded and folded in protective paper, you are ready to move on!
Step 7: Place The Glasses In the Box
It is important to place your glasses in the box with the glass base first to sit upright. It can be hard to tell once you have wrapped the glasses, so pay attention to which side should go up. If the glass fits too loosely or too tightly in the cell, you may need to pack a layer of paper on or remove one. Once you have found the perfect amount of packing material, repeat the process to all the glasses in your collection.
Step 8: Add Some More Padding To the Top
Once all your glasses are securely packed, add more tissue paper or bubble wrap to the box to fill any large gaps or spaces. You will want to make sure there is a padded layer between the tops of the glasses and the top flaps of the box once they are closed. When your package is snugly padded and full, close the top flaps and move on to step 9!
Step 9: Taping Your Box
Ensure that everything you need is in the box and get ready to secure it with packing tape. Gently close the flaps and give the box a very light shake to ensure nothing moves around inside. If you have packed tightly, there should be no movement, but if you need to add more tissue paper, do so now. Close your top flaps when you are ready and seal all corners of the box tightly with packing tape.
Are you looking to class up your glassware with beautiful stemware and wine glasses? Take a look at our glass selection at Taste of Purple!
Step 10: Labeling Your Box
Last but not least, label your box with the contents as well as a prominent “FRAGILE” warning on the outside. Adding some arrows can also be a nice touch to ensure you don’t move the box upside down.
These steps will help you have a pleasant moving experience without having to worry about any damage to some of your favorite items. Once you've moved into your new home, they will likely be one of the first things you unpack, so you can pop a cork and unwind after a job well done!