Packing Fine Art to Keep High-Value Items Safe

Art, keepsakes, and antiques play a large part in making a house feel like a home and carry a great deal of both sentimental and monetary value. Packing fine art properly is a necessity for many homeowners and renters.

Packing fine art for a move

When it’s time to move these high-value items to your new home, you need to take precaution. Here are some ideas on how packing fine art for your move with no damage.

Large framed artwork, mirrors, and canvases

Heavy-duty picture boxes work best for packing canvases, mirrors and large framed pieces. Use masking tape to create an “X” over mirrors and large expanses of glass. This tape technique helps prevent a shattering hazard should the glass get broken or cracked.

Wrap artwork or canvases in unprinted newsprint or plain brown paper—you don’t want any ink to transfer on to the paint. Also, apply heavy duty corner protectors and a layer or two of bubble wrap or foam front and back, and then tuck securely into large, heavy-duty, adjustable picture boxes.

Small mirrors, photographs, and accent art

Family photos, small mirrors, and accent art should be individually wrapped in newsprint and bubble wrap before placing them vertically into a cardboard box lined with more bubble wrap or foam padding.

Sculptures, antiques, and keepsakes

Odd-shaped breakables like sculptures, antiques, and keepsakes should be protected by tucking pieces of foam padding into crevices and around delicate appendages. Then wrap them in a generous layer of bubble wrap and pack them into large, individual boxes filled on all sides with several inches of foam padding or packing peanuts.