How to Pack Dishes While Moving

Packing dishes for a move? Whether you’re packing a patio dinner set, holiday serving dishes, china sets, or your everyday plates—here’s the best way to pack dishes in moving boxes.

Gathering Packing Supplies for Crockery

Keep your fine china, dinnerware, glasses, and other types of dishes from being damaged during the moving process by utilizing the right packing supplies:

• Dish pack & glass pack moving boxes

• Small cardboard moving boxes

• Tissue paper or packing paper

• Foam wrap or bubble wrap

• Box dividers

• Packing tape

• Labels

• Markers

How to Pack Dishes & Other Glassware for Moving

Once you’ve created a moving packing list by room, gathered your dish moving supplies, and reviewed some general packing tips, you can start packing your kitchen. Here are some tips on packing dishes for moving!

Declutter Your Kitchen

To make the moving process easier and more organized, declutter your kitchen before you pack small appliances and dishes. Sell, donate, or throw out any damaged plates and glassware you no longer need so you can focus on packing the essentials and more fragile dishes. And since you may need a few dishes while you declutter to move house, set aside durable kitchenware like Corelle dishes or plastic cups, bowls, plates, and silverware so they’re accessible when you need them.

Prepare Moving Boxes for Fragile Items

To improve the safety of your dishes, make sure to prepare your moving boxes properly before you start packing them. Fill the bottom of each box with at least two inches of scrunched-up packing paper, packing peanuts, or bubble wrap. Reinforce your small, medium, or dish pack box with several layers of packing tape so it doesn’t cave in or open unexpectedly. Use box dividers to better hold fragile glassware in place.

Place Heavy Dishes on the Bottom

Heavy crockery such as cast iron pans, ceramic bowls, and baking dishes should be placed at the bottom of the box to create a stable foundation. Avoid packing delicate items like drinking glasses and wine glasses with heavy items. Instead, pack heavy items under lighter, non-breakable items like dish towels or cooking utensils. Additionally, be mindful of how much you’re putting in each box, since packing too many heavy items can make carrying difficult and increase the risk of the box breaking.

Wrap Dishes Individually

Lay packing paper flat and fold the wrapping over each glass plate to ensure full coverage. Keep similar items in the same boxes—for example, use a box for fine china, a different box for wine glasses, and another box for dinner plates. Wrap items such as coffee mugs, drinking glasses, and cups with extra packing material both inside them and around their handles for additional protection and support during transit.

Organize Plates Vertically

Instead of packing dinner plates, china, side plates, tea plates, or saucers horizontally, consider placing them vertically inside the box—similar to how you would load a dishwasher. When dishes are stacked on top of one another, the added pressure can potentially cause them to break, crack, or chip. Place plates along the length of the box to prevent shifting during the move—and minimize the risk of damage by making sure your boxes aren’t too large or overpacked.

Fill In Empty Spaces

To minimize movement and reduce the chance of damage, one of the best ways to pack kitchen dishes is filling any empty space in the boxes. Once your boxes for dishes and glassware are full, use packing paper, foam wrap, or even soft bath towels, moving blankets, and old t-shirts to fill in the extra space. This moving box packing tip adds extra cushioning and protection for your dishware.

Seal & Label the Moving Boxes

Once your boxes are packed, seal them shut with packing tape. Whether you’re shipping boxed dishes, have hired movers, or are having friends help you move into your new home, you’ll want to make sure the kitchen moving boxes are clearly labeled with their contents for easier unpacking. Additionally, use a marker to label the packed dish boxes with the words “Fragile” and “This Side Up” to ensure that they are handled with extra care.

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Use Our Free Moving Box Calculator 📦

It can be difficult to know exactly how many moving boxes you’ll need. Our free moving supplies calculator does the math for you, giving you recommendations for box sizes, quantities, and packing supplies based on your home and belongings.