Your home’s walls tell a story. They’re adorned with family photos, beautiful prints, and perhaps a treasured piece of original art. These items hold immense sentimental and often financial value. So when it’s time to move, the thought of a shattered frame, scratched glass, or a torn canvas is enough to cause a major headache.
Packing pictures and artwork is a delicate task, but it’s not as daunting as it seems. Many people also choose to get help from local removalists who have experience handling fragile and valuable pieces with care. Forget just wrapping them in a doona and hoping for the best. With the right supplies and a foolproof technique, you can ensure every piece arrives at your new home in perfect condition.
Gather Your Packing Supplies
The secret to protecting your art lies in the materials. A small investment in the right supplies from a place like Bunnings or a storage facility is the best insurance policy you can get.
- Picture/Mirror Boxes: These are a non-negotiable for any framed piece of significant size or value. They are heavy-duty, flat cardboard boxes, often designed to telescope (one half slides over the other) to create a custom fit.
- Packing Paper: Plain, ink-free packing paper is essential. Avoid newspapers, as the ink can transfer onto your frames or art.
- Bubble Wrap: Your best friend for creating a cushioned, shock-absorbent layer.
- Cardboard Corner Protectors: These small, pre-folded cardboard pieces are a game-changer. They slide onto the corners of your frames to protect the most vulnerable points from impact.
- Strong Packing Tape: You’ll need this to secure everything.
- Permanent Marker: For clear, unmissable labelling.
The Big Myth: Don’t Put an ‘X’ on the Glass!
You’ve probably seen it in movies: someone puts a giant ‘X’ of masking tape across the glass of a picture frame. The theory is that it will stop the glass from breaking. This is a complete myth. The tape does absolutely nothing to prevent the glass from shattering. All it does is hold the broken shards together after the fact, making it a sticky, dangerous mess to clean up. Skip this step entirely.
The Step-by-Step Packing Method
This process works for framed photos, prints, and paintings. We’ll cover unframed canvases separately.
Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace
Find a large, flat, clean surface to work on, like a dining table or a clean patch of floor. Lay down a soft blanket or a flattened cardboard box to protect your items from scratches.
Step 2: Protect the Surface
This step is crucial and differs slightly depending on the artwork.
- For Glass-Fronted Frames: Lay a sheet of packing paper or a thin piece of cardboard cut to size directly against the glass. This prevents the bubbles from the bubble wrap from creating pressure points on the glass itself.
- For Canvas Paintings (especially oil or acrylic): Never let plastic bubble wrap touch the painted surface. It can stick to the paint or trap moisture, causing damage. Instead, use a sheet of acid-free glassine paper to cover the surface before you wrap it.
Step 3: Add Corner Protectors
Slide a cardboard corner protector onto each of the four corners of the frame. This simple step provides incredible protection against drops and bumps.
Step 4: Wrap it in Bubble Wrap
Lay the protected picture face down on a sheet of bubble wrap. Wrap the entire piece as if you were wrapping a gift, ensuring you have at least two full layers of cushioning. Secure it snugly with packing tape.
Step 5: Box It Up Correctly
Slide the bubble-wrapped picture into a picture box. The fit should be snug. If there’s any wiggle room, fill the empty spaces with crumpled packing paper to ensure the item cannot shift during transit.
Pro Tip for Multiple Pictures: If you have several pictures of a similar size, you can often pack them in the same picture box. Pack each one individually using the steps above, then slide them into the box like files in a filing cabinet. Make sure they are placed face-to-face or back-to-back, and place a flat piece of cardboard between each frame for extra separation.
Step 6: Seal and Label Like It’s Your Job
Tape the box securely shut. On both of the large, flat sides, use your marker to write in big, bold letters:
- FRAGILE – ARTWORK/PICTURES
- DO NOT LAY FLAT
- HANDLE WITH CARE
Draw large arrows pointing to the top edge (↑) to indicate how it must be carried and stored.
How to Transport Your Packed Pictures
How your art travels is just as important as how it’s packed.
Always transport and store packed pictures vertically, on their edge.
Never lay them flat. When flat, they become susceptible to flexing and pressure from other items, which can easily break the glass or frame. When on its edge, the frame is at its strongest and most rigid. In the moving truck, slide the boxes into a secure spot on their edge, wedged between soft but sturdy items like a mattress or the back of a couch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I pack an unframed canvas?
The process is similar. Cover the painted surface with glassine paper, add cardboard corner protectors, and wrap the whole thing in bubble wrap. Then, create a “cardboard sandwich” by placing it between two larger, flat sheets of cardboard and taping them securely together.
What if I can’t find a picture box?
The “cardboard sandwich” method is your best alternative. After wrapping your picture in bubble wrap and adding corner protectors, place it between two custom-cut pieces of heavy-duty cardboard. Tape this sandwich together tightly. This creates a rigid outer shell.
How should I pack very valuable or large artwork?
For pieces of high monetary or sentimental value, or for extremely large and heavy works, it is highly recommended to hire professional art handlers or specialist removalists. They have the expertise and custom materials (like wooden crates) to ensure its safety. Also, make sure you have adequate transit insurance.
Can I use towels or blankets instead of bubble wrap?
While a blanket is better than nothing, it doesn’t provide the same level of shock absorption as bubble wrap. The air-filled pockets in bubble wrap are specifically designed to cushion against impacts. The best method is a combination: a soft layer against the surface, then bubble wrap.