You’re moving, and you don’t want your grandmother’s china or your collection of ceramic elephants to end up in shards on the way to your new home. Taking time to pack fragile items properly with the right moving supplies ensures that they will make it to your new home unscathed.

Plates

Wrap each of your plates in bubble wrap, and secure it in place with a piece of tape. Uship recommends packing your plates into boxes vertically; this reduces surface area and the risk of breakage during transportation. For finer china, place a piece of cushion foam or pliable cardboard between each individually-wrapped plate. Fill empty spaces in the box with crumpled packing paper to reduce jiggling during transport.

Glasses and Fine Glassware

It’s best to use small or medium double-wall cardboard boxes to pack your glasses and fine glassware. Cheap Sacramento Movers suggests stuffing the inside of each glass with packing paper for structural support. Then, wrap the outside of each glass with packing paper, and secure it into place with a piece of tape.

You can stack glasses in your boxes as long as you put the heaviest glasses on the bottom and lighter glasses on top. Put a piece of pliable cardboard in between each layer.

Bowls

Use clean packing paper to wrap each of your bowls individually. Place smaller bowls, such as soup bowls, into boxes vertically. United Van Lines suggests wrapping larger bowls, such as mixing bowls, individually and placing them rim-side down into a box. It should be okay to stack two or three larger bowls on top of each other, as long as you put the heaviest bowl on the bottom of the stack and the lightest on top.

Collectibles

Figurines, Ceramics, and Pottery: Pad the bottom of the box with bubble wrap. Wrap each item in several sheets of clean packing paper or bubble wrap, and secure it in place with tape. Don’t allow the tape to touch the actual item because it can cause damage to the finish or paint. Place your fragile collectibles into the box in an upright position. These types of items travel better standing upright than they do laying on their sides. Fill all empty spaces within the box with packing paper so that your collectibles don’t jiggle around during transport.

U-Pack recommends using smaller boxes to pack heavier items. A dish pack box may work well for smaller, lighter collectibles.

Mirrors

Starting in the center of the mirror, place painter’s tape on the glass, extending it to the mirror’s edges in the shape of a star. This will help absorb vibration during transport and keep the glass from sliding around. You can put foam frame protectors on the corners of your mirror to protect them. Wrap the entire mirror in bubble wrap. You can use corrugated mirror boxes to pack mirrors for transport.

Vases

Stuff the inside of the vase with crumpled up packing paper. Wrap the outside of the vase with bubble wrap, and secure it in place with tape. Put a layer of bubble wrap in the bottom of the box for extra padding. Place the vase into the box standing up with the heavy side down. UShip recommends using smaller boxes to pack vases. If the vases are light, you can pack more than one in a box, with pieces of foam or pliable cardboard separating them. Fill all empty spaces in the box with T-shirts, towels, or packing paper to prevent jiggling during transport.

Abnormally-Shaped Items

Wrap abnormally-shaped items in clean packing paper, and secure it into place with tape. Next, wrap the pieces in bubble wrap. Be sure to protect all the fragile corners and edges of these pieces. You can utilize foam coverings for fragile edges or corners.

If you layer, place a piece of pliable cardboard between each layer in the box. Always place the heaviest items in the bottom of the box, and layer lighter items on top. Never over-pack boxes. Fill any empty spaces in your boxes with packing paper or bubble wrap.

You are probably worried about all of your fragile items getting to your new home in one piece. By using these tips, you can ensure that your collectibles, dishes, mirrors, and precious family heirlooms arrive safely and securely at your new home.