Packing Supplies and Solutions

You might think I’m cracked if I try to tell you that it’s possible to turn cardboard boxes into treasure.  You might instantly call to mind that saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and get this vision of clutter and mess.  However, you would probably track with me if I say that you can upcycle cardboard, or transform it into something fun.  Have I got your attention now?  Let’s talk about some really great ways you can recycle that old garbage into something clever and creative:

For the first idea you need multiple cardboard boxes of the same size (or a tall one, if you have access).  Cut the seams on the tops and bottoms and open them up so that you have created, essentially, a tunnel.  Do this to however many you need to make something tall enough to become a puppet theater.  Cut appropriate holes and windows and spray paint or cover with wrapping paper.  Use some pillow cases or old t-shirts to make curtains.  Don’t have any puppets?  There are plenty of options for homemade sock puppets!

If you are feeling super capable, you can take all manner of cardboard and transform it into a Barbie townhouse or any kind of dollhouse.  Making accessories and embellishments is so easy with crafting paper and an Xacto knife.  It will be so cute you almost won’t want your kids to play with it.

Not feeling up to the task of a lot of fine details?  Simply take some decent sized cardboard boxes and cover them with brightly colored duct tape, which will simultaneously decorate and fortify them.  Spray paint some paper plates black and attach them to the bottom of the boxes on both sides and you’ve got yourself some box cars!

Perhaps my personal favorite is taking a couple of the same sized cardboard boxes, or cutting a decent one in half, and turning it into a doll bunk bed.  So cute I could scream.  Use some paper towel rolls, or dowell rods if you have some on hand, and some strong tape as the bed posts and then use some popsicle sticks to make the ladder.  This is basically any little girl’s dream.  Spray paint it and make some custom bedding out of adorable cloth scraps and you’ve got yourself a BFF for life.

Finally, this post would simply not be worthy of posting if I didn’t mention the classic tissue-box-paper-towel-roll guitar.  Remember those?  Man, the memories just come pouring in.  You can use the supplies I’ve already mentioned and simply stretch some rubber bands around the tissue box, or you can look online for some more sophisticated templates.  Amazon boxes are usually the perfect size for this project, and you can cut out a guitar-shaped faceplate from some other cardboard.

1. Getting Started

Moving is overwhelming and stressful.  It tends to sneak up on us and the tasks multiply as time flies.  Sometimes we tend to just put everything off, too overwhelmed by the idea of everything that needs to be done.  The easiest place to start is by collecting your supplies.  Look online for deals on cheap moving boxes and order lots of them.  Get yours hands on as much packaging material as possible!

2. Cheap Moving Boxes

Getting your box situation organized is a crucial step.  Do you invest in some really sturdy, new moving boxes, or do you save yourself a hefty chunk and get some used, cheap moving boxes?  Whatever you choose, it won’t be wrong, and probably just mainly depends on your budget.  The one thing to keep in mind, though, is to go with a lot of medium sized boxes.  Using large boxes makes them too heavy and too awkward.

3. Quick Packing

It’s best if you can give yourself a good two or three months to prepare and organize for a move, but that’s not always realistic.  Some helpful, quick packing tips are: pack small items in small boxes and then put those in larger boxes so that you don’t have a bunch of loose stuff floating around, keep your clothes in their drawers, set aside important papers, pack overnight bags for everyone in the family…

4. Packing the Truck

It helps to plan out how you want to load your moving truck.  Put the largest and heaviest items in first, like appliances and furniture.  Have a bunch of padding set aside (you can collect old blankets or rent some from a moving company).  Place long items in next, like your mattresses, bed pieces, and tables.  Tape disassembled furniture together and keep ALL of the hardware in the SAME place, with the tools that you used.  Pack lighter boxes on heavier, and stuff the holes with bags of clothes and soft items so that there is no shifting during the journey.

5. Extra Packing Tips

You might want to consider letting a moving company prepare your appliances.  If you are going to do it yourself make sure that all of them empty and have been unplugged for at least 24 hours before the move.  Don’t forget to tape all of the doors closed!  Take pictures of the front and back of your entertainment center so that you know your set-up and which cords go where when you move in.  Speciality boxes for large pieces of artwork and frames is highly recommended.  Smaller pictures can easily be packed side by side, with a layer of bubble wrap in between, and then tape them all together.

Moving is full of challenges and twist and turns, starting with how to find cheap moving boxes all the way up to unpacking them in your new home.  Thankfully, enough people have done it and there are plenty of tips and tricks for how to make the whole process go as smoothly and stress-free as it can.

The Best Practices for Packing

A lot of websites and blogs will tell you to start with new, heavy-duty, corrugated boxes.  However, I am going to tell you that using used, cheap moving boxes is just as effective and will save you a ton of money.  That being said, use only the boxes that are not bent or broken, because once the integrity of a box has been compromised it goes down hill from there pretty quickly.

Reinforce the bottom of said boxes with packaging tape.

Pack heavier items at the bottom and lighter items at the top.

Fill all empty spaces with linens, newspaper, bubble wrap etc. for additional support and protection.

Do not pack your boxes too heavy, so the first step is using medium sized boxes.  Also, be sure to use even smaller boxes when packing things like books.  Even though you started out by reinforcing the bottoms, the larger the box the heavier it will be and the more likely that the bottom will go out.

Ensure that each box can close and be properly sealed.  Don’t leave stuff sticking out the top because then you can’t stack them, and that will be the beginning of a very frustrating moving experience.  That’s why you got cheap moving boxes– so you can use as many as you need to!

Keep in mind that if you are using a moving company, they will refuse to move any boxes that appear to be incorrectly packed, not durable, or containing hazardous items.

Also, a moving company will charge you a fee if they wind up having to repack any boxes during the moving process.

Packing Small Items

Packing small items is a challenge, to be sure.  From hardware to silverware, they are small, loose objects that make moving more of a nightmare.  This is when organization becomes the most important.

As you are taking your furniture apart, make sure you put the hardware in individual baggies that are properly labeled.  Then, put all of those baggies in a larger bag, and keep that with the other essential items you are going to need for the unpacking process.

Use shoeboxes or plastic baggies for other smaller items, and then pack those in a larger box.

Most Important Tip for Moving

Once again, a lot of websites and blogs will encourage you to pack in garbage bags to save on boxes.  Once again, this is why you find cheap moving boxes, so that you don’t have to skimp on them.  Garbage bags tear easily, are awkward for stacking, and wind up being more trouble than they are worth.

1. Getting Started

Moving is overwhelming and stressful.  It tends to sneak up on us and the tasks multiply as time flies.  Sometimes we tend to just put everything off, too overwhelmed by the idea of everything that needs to be done.  The easiest place to start is by collecting your supplies.  Look online for deals on cheap moving boxes and order lots of them.  Get yours hands on as much packaging material as possible!

2. Cheap Moving Boxes

Getting your box situation organized is a crucial step.  Do you invest in some really sturdy, new moving boxes, or do you save yourself a hefty chunk and get some used, cheap moving boxes?  Whatever you choose, it won’t be wrong, and probably just mainly depends on your budget.  The one thing to keep in mind, though, is to go with a lot of medium sized boxes.  Using large boxes makes them too heavy and too awkward.

3. Quick Packing

It’s best if you can give yourself a good two or three months to prepare and organize for a move, but that’s not always realistic.  Some helpful, quick packing tips are: pack small items in small boxes and then put those in larger boxes so that you don’t have a bunch of loose stuff floating around, keep your clothes in their drawers, set aside important papers, pack overnight bags for everyone in the family…

4. Packing the Truck

It helps to plan out how you want to load your moving truck.  Put the largest and heaviest items in first, like appliances and furniture.  Have a bunch of padding set aside (you can collect old blankets or rent some from a moving company).  Place long items in next, like your mattresses, bed pieces, and tables.  Tape disassembled furniture together and keep ALL of the hardware in the SAME place, with the tools that you used.  Pack lighter boxes on heavier, and stuff the holes with bags of clothes and soft items so that there is no shifting during the journey.

5. Extra Packing Tips

You might want to consider letting a moving company prepare your appliances.  If you are going to do it yourself make sure that all of them empty and have been unplugged for at least 24 hours before the move.  Don’t forget to tape all of the doors closed!  Take pictures of the front and back of your entertainment center so that you know your set-up and which cords go where when you move in.  Speciality boxes for large pieces of artwork and frames is highly recommended.  Smaller pictures can easily be packed side by side, with a layer of bubble wrap in between, and then tape them all together.

It’s moving day.  You wake up with a smile on your face and your make-up already done.  You feel so energized and prepared you don’t even need to go and make a pot of coffee.  Your feet hit the ground and they are already in your peppy moving day sneakers.  You’ve got your moving day playlist already loaded, and so you pop in your earbuds and ride the banister down to the entryway, which is full of nicely stacked shipping boxes that are perfectly labeled.  They look like a battalion, ready for inspection.  Does this sound a realistic scenario?

Of course it is!  And that’s because you followed these few simple steps to help make the whole process go so much smoother:

Get Ahead of the Game:

• Start going through rooms weeks ahead of time, sifting through all of your belongings. Now is the time to get rid of clutter!  Ideally, you can hold a garage sale and put that money towards something fun for your new house (which should be a positive incentive to get all the hard work done).
• Figure out how many boxes you are going to need. There are some online calculators to help you determine that number.  Make sure you don’t get a bunch of large boxes, which might sound good in theory but are, in reality, a living nightmare.  The goal is to pack medium sized boxes well that can be carried and stacked easily.  Shipping boxes aren’t cheap!  Calculate the number and secure them way ahead of time.

Prepare for the Immediate Future:

• Set aside anything that you might need immediately after you move in (plastic baggies, tool kit, a small box of kitchen essentials).
• Pack an overnight bag so that you don’t have to go digging through boxes on your first night in your new home.

Pack Smart:

• Packing always takes longer than we think it will. There’s the making of piles of stuff to get rid of, throw out, and pack.  There’s the misting of eyes as we come across precious memorabilia. So start a long time in advance!  Weeks, if you have them.
• Shipping boxes may be heavy duty, but your body probably isn’t. Try to avoid stuffing an entire box with books.  Normally, you want to pack everything that goes in the same room together, but in the case of super heavy stuff like books the suggestion is to pack half books and half linen closet.

Candy boxes with assorted chocolates are usually the go-to when it comes to giving candy as a gift, but I say that we break out of that boring old mold (or box) and go with something fresh and creative!  What am I talking about?  Homemade candy bouquets!  Here are are three different ways to say goodbye to boring old candy boxes and hello to exciting new candy bouquets:

Lollipop Bouquet

Step one: choose your container.  The whole point is to be fresh and creative, so choose an appropriate and thoughtful container.  Use a sand pail for a child, a coffee cup for your coffee-loving friends, a tin or a flower pot.  Don’t get stuck at the first step!

Step two: choose your candy.  Try to find out what kinds of candy the recipient loves, and then try to find similar candy that is brightly packaged and individually wrapped.  This candy bouquet is meant to be edible, so hot glue-gunning individual M&Ms is just not the way to go.

Step three: start at the bottom.  Trace the bottom of the container on a chunk of Styrofoam and then cut it out and glue it to the bottom of the container.  Paint a skewer or stick green (or cover it with green floral tape) and stick it in the Styrofoam.  Paint/tape a Styrofoam ball green and stick that to the other end of the stick.

Step four:  get pinning.  Pin the candies to the ball using floral pins.  Be sure to pin the wrappers- you’re not spearing the candy!  Then fill in the rest of the container with the leftover candy.

Cookie Bouquet

Step one: glue a piece of Styrofoam to the bottom of a coffee mug.  Try pick a mug that speaks to the occasion: Christmas, birthday, the recipient’s favorite something-or-other.

Step two: bake some cookies!  Make them small, so that they aren’t too heavy.  Here there are two options.  You can stick the popsicle stick in the dough before you bake it, or you can sandwich the popsicle stick in between two cookies, using icing for the glue.

Step three: Stick the popsicle sticks in the Styrofoam at the bottom of the mug, and then fill the empty space with tissue paper.  Wrap the mug in a clear cellophane wrap and tie it with a ribbon.

Clearly, you can see that when it comes between choosing candy boxes and candy bouquets that candy bouquets are the answer!  I wouldn’t be surprised if you weren’t even reading this and have already run to the kitchen to begin making your own.

Not everyone is Type A and enjoys the thrill of packing up their entire home in shipping boxes and moving them point A to point B.  Not everyone enjoys the challenge of coming up with creative ways to make the process as efficient as possible.

Thankfully, those people have put together some tips for the rest of us, and here are ten of them:

• Right out the gate, make sure you are properly sealing your boxes.  Shipping boxes are only shipping boxes if you can ship stuff in them without the bottom blowing out.
• Keep the rooms separated.  Don’t pack stuff from the kids room into a box that has hall closet stuff in it.  This will make the unpacking process so much quicker, and easier.
• Save money by keeping your drawers stuffed, securing the contents a couple strips of masking tape (which will not ruin your furniture), or even self-stick plastic wrap.
• Pack your plates standing on their sides.  Wrap each one individually in paper, and stuff all the empty spaces.  A helpful, bonus tip is to pack larger glass items at the bottom, since shipping boxes aren’t usually handled with an extra amount of care.
• Use wardrobe boxes or the trash bag/wardrobe bag concept.  There is no need to take all of your clothes off their hangers when you are moving.
• When its time to tape a box shut, lay a piece of string along the seam, leaving a few inches hanging off one side.  When it’s time to unpack you can pull on the string, which will cut right through the tape.
• Your boxes need to be properly labeled or you won’t know which room they needed to be unloaded into.  The last thing you will want to deal with is a bunch of scattered shipping boxes or, even worse, having one room stuffed with all of them from the floor to the ceiling.
• As you are breaking down your furniture and taking down your picture frames just go ahead and place all of that hardware in plastic baggies and label them.  Then, take those labeled plastic baggies and put them in a bigger bag, or a small box.
• Do yourself a favor and begin the packing process weeks in advance.  It always takes way longer than we think we will, and it’s the biggest project and hugest stressor.
• You may not have heard this tip, and it’s just begging to be told: pack small items in large boxes and large items in small boxes.  The basic concept is to pack heavy items in small boxes so that they don’t go breaking through the bottoms of the large ones.