It does not matter if you bought your dishes on clearance or received them as a wedding gift, the last thing you want is to unpack and find one broken. If you are single and never cook for anyone, maybe this is not a big deal, but if you have a family or do a lot of entertaining, one missing dish typically translates to needing a new set. You do not necessarily need to wrap each dish carefully in bubble wrap, but you can learn how to pack dishes or china so they arrive at your destination undamaged with these clever tips.

Stack Vertically

When packing dishes for moving, most people wrap each plate and stack them in the box horizontally. After all, this is how they sit piled in your cupboard, so it only seems right to transport them in the same manner. Well, what you might not realize is that every single bump in the road will have the plates bouncing. Even if they are wrapped in paper, all that constant moving around makes them quite vulnerable. The best way of packing them is wrapping each plate, and then stack them vertically in a box. Make sure you fill excess space with socks, towels, or other soft material to keep them secure.

Paint Buckets

Those orange paint buckets (or something similar) you find at Home Depot can be perfect for packing plates. Wrap each one and stack them on top of one another in the bucket. Sure, they are horizontal, but if you are going to pack them horizontally, using a bucket is a great idea. It is sturdy, secure, and will not allow plates to bounce around much. Plus, there is no risk of the bottom breaking open either.

Restaurant Racks

If you have a favorite restaurant or café you eat at enough to know the entire staff and owner on first name basis, maybe they will let you borrow dish racks early one morning. Obviously, this only works for a local move because you have to return them, but it is a great way to get them across town safely. These are heavy duty, hard plastic, dish and glass racks used in the dishwasher and they are a great alternative to cardboard boxes. Load, transport, unload, and return the racks.

Styrofoam Plates

With so much concern over the environment, you probably hate the thought of using Styrofoam plates. However, if you are like most others, you have a pack in the back of your cupboard you have yet to throw away. You might as well put them to use. Place one between each plate. This can always be combined with the orange bucket.

Clothes and Towels

If you’re wondering how to pack glasses and cut down on wasteful wrapping material, this tip is for you. Instead of using newspaper (which doesn’t provide enough protection anyway) or bubble wrap (which is wasteful and expensive), why not use your towels, tees and rags as packing material? Simply wrap each dish in a towel or tee, and stuff the moving boxes with rags to secure the dishes in place. When it comes to packing wine glasses and stemware, use your socks to wrap each one individually. Do be very careful when you remove them from the socks; this is when you are most likely to break a stem.

And one last thing: take your time when packing your kitchen before moving. A little extra attention can save a lot of money and woe. You can toss all your clothes in a suitcase and all your toiletries in a bag but moving kitchen items is a different story. Pack with care and label all your kitchen boxes clearly, noting their fragile contents.