How to prepare your art collection for moving

To start with a beautiful quote by Thomas Merton: “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Surely, an item capable of awakening feelings this strong deserves to be treated with supreme care. This is exactly why moving companies in Arlington TX decided to share their vast experience on the subject and help you prepare your art collection for moving.

Essential tools

When it comes to the tools, the list isn’t that extensive. The first recommendation of our movers Carrollton TX is getting a good pair of scissors and/or a box cutter. You’ll need to cut sheets of wrapping paper and bubble wrap often, and doing it with dull tools is a nightmare and a time sink. The second recommendation is the permanent thick-tipped marker, for proper box labeling. And that’s it! The bare essentials.

Man in black shirt looking at paintings - prepare your art collection for moving — The right tools and best supplies are the best way for your collection to reach their destination safely.

Choosing the right supplies

The artwork is valuable. Both financially and emotionally. Therefore, our movers Plano TX strongly recommend you only use quality packing supplies to prepare your art collection for moving. Precious artwork demands the utmost care and the best protection possible.

With that out of the way, let us move on to the list of supplies you’ll need:

Boxes of various sizes. Always get boxes at least a few inches bigger than actual pieces of artwork. Remember – you’re not only placing artwork inside but several layers of padding too.
Packing tape and Artist tape
Glassine paper and Kraft paper
Bubble wrap and packing peanuts

Prepare your art collection for moving – 5 easy steps

1. Prepare for the task at hand

Clean your hands thoroughly, even if you intend to use the gloves.

After that, give a good scrub to the surfaces upon which you will be placing artwork during packing.

2. Painting specific: Securing the piece

If a painting has a glass cover, you’ll need to secure it in case it breaks. Make an X across the glass surface using Artist tape. This way, even if the glass shatters, the tape will hold it in place, thus greatly minimizing the risk of damage to the painting itself.

Framed paintings on the wall — Damage to paintings can easily be prevented just by proper packing!

If the painting is framed, be sure to place cardboard corners, right after wrapping it in glassine paper.

3. The first layer of protection

Paintings should first be wrapped in several sheets of glassine paper.

Wrap Sculptures and other breakable art pieces in a few layers of Kraft paper.

4. The second layer of protection

Wrap individual pieces of art in bubble wrap. Make sure that the flat side is facing the art piece, especially if it’s a painting.

5. Boxing the art piece

Place a few sheets of bubble wrap, loosely crumpled Kraft paper or packing peanuts at the bottom of the box. Be sure to leave enough space so that the piece of art doesn’t protrude when you place it inside.

Add additional cushioning all around, until the box is full, but don’t seal it yet. Shake the box a bit, to make sure the art piece has no wiggle room. If it still moves, add more padding and repeat the process.

Once everything is securely in place, add padding on top and seal the box with packing tape.

Lastly, don’t forget to label the boxes properly. Use the marker to write “Fragile” on at least two sides and top of the box.

Final note

To end as we began – with a quote by everyone’s favorite Bob Ross: “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents”. Of course, if you’d rather not risk any mistakes, hiring professional packers is always the best course of action.