How to Ship Fragile Items
If you have ever taken fragile items to a pack and ship business to have them lovingly packaged and sent on their way, perhaps you were able to learn a few tips while watching your goods get packed. If so, you probably saw the staff do several key things to prepare your box so that the items arrived at their destination in one piece. The following information provides you with money-saving tips that will have you shipping like a pro in no time.
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Things You'll Need
- Packing peanuts
- Bubble wrap
- Packing tape
- Boxes big enough to accommodate all of your items
Instructions
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Select your box. Line the bottom with a couple inches of packing peanuts, depending on what you are shipping. Wrap each item in the appropriate sized bubble wrap, keeping in mind this key tip: Once your item is wrapped, you should not be able to feel it easily through the bubble wrap. If you can feel it in any spot, add more wrap. If you can feel it, you may as well unwrap it and send it out unwrapped because exposed areas of fragile items are most likely going to break.
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If you are shipping a picture frame with glass, there is no sure way to protect the glass. If possible, remove the glass without destroying the art or picture. If you can, follow these guidelines to give it the best chance of reaching its destination intact: Lay your picture flat on a layer of the appropriate bubble wrap. Take enough bubble wrap to have two or three layers just on the glass. Now wrap your picture up, making sure to observe if you can feel the frame once wrapped. If you can, add a layer or two additional.
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Now all of your items are wrapped, add some more wrap to the bottom, but leave a couple inches between each item and the walls of the box. If you have larger items, place these on the bottom first. Once your bottom is filled, add peanuts until it is covered. Now begin your next layer. Don't allow items to touch at any point nor to let items to touch the walls of the box at any point.
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Once your box is full, add the last layer of peanuts to top it off. Here is where you can add your cards, invoices and loose pictures not in frames. Now close your box up. If you want to make a dry run to see if it is packed well, shake it a little to see if you can hear any peanuts moving around. Now you're done.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't rely on shipping stores to write "Fragile" on your boxes; they most likely will only have a small stamp that will get lost on the box.
Pack at your own risk. Some places will not insure your items if you packed it yourself. The Post Office will, all others will not.
