How to Pack Paintings for Moving

Moving delicate items – such as paintings and artwork – from one home to another is a risky endeavor that can easily result in irreversible damage to your valuables.

To ensure the safety of your precious possessions during the move, you need to provide them with top-notch protection – in other words, you need to pack them as safely as possible.

Packing artwork for moving is not a simple task – it requires great care, specialized packing materials, and meticulous attention to detail.

Read on to learn the best way to pack paintings for moving.

Step 1. Get Appropriate Packing Materials for Paintings

To ensure that your paintings stay safe and sound during the move, you’re going to need quality packing materials:

• Acid-free packing paper – to protect the delicate surface of the artwork;
• Bubble wrap – to provide cushioning and insulation;
• Styrofoam corner protectors – to protect the corners of framed artwork;
• Packing peanuts – to fill empty spaces in the packing boxes and prevent the paintings from shifting during transportation;
• Cardboard boxes – strong cardboard boxes of appropriate size or specialized picture boxes;
• Wooden crates – for extremely valuable artwork or very large paintings;
• Cylindrical cardboard protectors – for canvas paintings without frames;
• Packing tape – to keep the protective materials in place and seal the packing containers.

Packing Materials for Moving

Step 2. Prepare the Paintings for Packing

Once you have the necessary packing supplies, you can start preparing your paintings for packing:

• Take the paintings down from the walls;
• Remove any hardware, such as picture hangers or screws;
• Clean gently the paintings with a soft paintbrush or microfiber cloth to remove spider webs, dust, and dirt;
• Use masking tape to create an X over the glass to prevent it from shattering during transit. This applies to paintings with glass covers.

Step 3. Wrap the Paintings in Packing Paper and Bubble Wrap

This step is all about ensuring the safety of your paintings during the relocation process by wrapping them in high-quality protective materials.

So, how to wrap paintings for moving?

• Lay a sheet of acid-free packing paper on a flat surface and place a painting on top of it (in the center, glass side down). Carefully wrap the paper around the painting, making sure to cover it completely (for large paintings you may need to use several sheets of paper). Secure the packing paper with tape. Make sure the packing tape doesn’t come in touch with the painting surface.
• Keep in mind that when packing paintings for moving, it’s crucial to use acid-free packing paper as regular packing paper could damage the delicate surface of the artwork. The soft packing paper will provide the first layer of protection to your painting.
• Protect the corners. When packing framed artwork for moving, fit corner protectors over the corners of the frame to protect them from damage during the move and add stability to the entire painting.
• Wrap the paper-wrapped painting in bubble wrap. Use several layers of bubble wrap to ensure that the painting is well-protected from all sides. Secure the bubble wrap with packing tape. Bubble wrap will provide cushioning and additional protection to the painting during transit.

How to Pack Fragile Items for Moving

Step 4. Pack the Paintings in Boxes or Crates

Your safely wrapped paintings are now ready to be boxed for moving.

The packing boxes need to be very strong (to provide good protection to the artwork) and slightly larger than the paintings that will be placed in them (the wrapping materials will take some space and you will still need room for cushioning materials).

Picture boxes are your best choice – they’re made up of four separate pieces of strong cardboard that interlock together to create a customizable protective case that can be adjusted to fit perfectly your framed artwork.

If you don’t have picture boxes, you can use any strong cardboard boxes.

How to pack a painting in a picture box

• Slide two of the box sections into one other and cover their joined sides with bubble wrap. Do the same with the other two pieces of the specialized box;
• Place the wrapped painting in the cushioned first section of the box and adjust the sides so that they fit tightly around the frame. Add some wadded paper or bubble wrap in the box to provide extra cushioning and prevent the picture from shifting during transportation;
• Place the second section of the specialty box over the frame and adjust it to fit well;
• Run several circles of quality packing tape around the picture box to ensure that the two sections are securely joined.

How to pack a painting in a regular moving box

• Choose an appropriate size box and put some bubble wrap on the bottom;
• Place the wrapped painting in the padded box and fill any empty spaces with bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or crumpled packing paper to prevent the painting from shifting during transit;
• Seal the box with packing tape.

Label the packing boxes with their contents and destination room. Be sure to indicate the side where the glass side of the painting is and to write ART, FRAGILE, and HANDLE WITH CARE in big letters to ensure that the painting is handled correctly during the move.

Bonus tip: Pack your paintings in wooden crates

If you have a larger or more valuable painting, you may want to consider using a wooden crate instead of a cardboard box. Wooden crates are much stronger than cardboard boxes and will provide better protection for your valuable artwork.

Cover the bottom of the crate with a thick layer of bubble wrap, place the wrapped painting over it, and fill all empty spaces with packing peanuts. Seal the crate and label it with contents and any necessary handling instructions.

Types of Moving Boxes

How to Pack Different Types of Paintings

The above tips for packing paintings for moving work great for all kinds of framed artwork. Different types of paintings, however, have their own specifics and require slightly different packing techniques:

How to pack oil paintings for moving

Oil paintings are extremely delicate and require extra care (the oil paint can easily crack or get damaged during transit).

If the painting is not under glass, it is a good idea to apply a coat of varnish to the surface before wrapping the artwork for moving – this will help protect the paint and prevent it from cracking. Wrap the painting in acid-free packing paper and don’t use bubble wrap – it may imprint itself on the paint and ruin the painting.

Pack your paper-wrapped oil paintings in wooden crates as detailed above.

Bonus tip: When wondering how to pack acrylic paintings for moving, you can use the above tips for packing oil paintings. Since acrylic paintings are usually not as expensive as oil paintings though, investing in wooden crates may not be worth it – you may prefer to use regular picture boxes.

How to pack canvas paintings for moving

If you have canvas paintings with no frames, you can’t just “wrap” the canvas – you need to roll it up:

• Place a sheet of acid-free paper on a flat surface and lay your canvas painting down flat against the paper with the painted side down;
• Roll the canvas and paper up together, starting with one of the short sides (the painted surface should be on the outside as you roll). Roll carefully and loosely;
• Place the rolled canvas into a sturdy cardboard tube with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of your canvas roll (so you don’t damage the canvas when sliding it inside and the painting can breathe);
• Seal the cylindrical cardboard protector and mark it as ART, FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE.

How to pack large paintings for moving

Large paintings are more difficult to handle and transport than smaller pieces of art, so you need to take some additional measures:

• Use multiple layers of packing paper and bubble wrap to provide cushioning and protection.
• Pack larger paintings in wooden crates instead of cardboard boxes to provide extra support during transit.

When moving paintings, be sure to position them vertically (on their edges, not lying flat – this will allow pressure to distribute evenly on their entire surface and will prevent breakage) in such a way that they can’t fall over (between large heavy items that are well secured in place, against the wall of the moving vehicle, etc.)

Make sure nothing can fall over – or rub against – the paintings during transport (it’s best to place the artwork between soft pieces such as sofas and mattresses).

Avoid exposing your paintings to extreme temperatures or moisture during the move – as a rule of thumb, artwork should be transported in a climate-controlled vehicle.

Bonus tip: It is a good idea to purchase additional moving insurance for your paintings – artwork is very expensive and often imbued with high sentimental value, so you’d better be safe than sorry.

In conclusion, the best way to pack paintings for moving is to wrap them in protective materials and put them in specialized moving boxes. By following the steps outlined above and using the right materials, you can ensure that your artwork stays safe and sound during the move.

For maximum safety, however, consider hiring professional art movers to pack and transport your paintings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)