How to pack fragile items so they arrive intact

Fragile items belong in small, sturdy cartons filled to the top. Movement inside the box is what breaks things — a half-empty carton lets contents shift and collide every time it is set down.

Pack heavy items low and light items high, and never load a fragile carton so heavy that it needs two hands underneath to lift.

Plates travel on edge, like records in a crate, each wrapped in paper. Stacked flat, they crack under their own weight. Glasses and stemware go upright in cell dividers or individually wrapped with paper stuffed inside the bowl.

Use dish packs — double-walled cartons made for the job — rather than repurposed grocery boxes.

Framed art and mirrors go in mirror cartons with corner protection, tape an X across the glass only if the frame is unglazed and you accept residue risk — otherwise wrap in paper and cushion the corners.

Lamps come apart: shade, harp and bulb separately, base wrapped and packed upright. Shades are packed alone with nothing resting on them.

Original cartons are best. Failing that, wrap the screen face in a blanket or foam, pack upright, and never lay a flat panel display flat under weight. Photograph the cable layout at the back before you disconnect anything.