Clever Packing Tips and Tricks You Just Won’t Believe

When packing a gift for a beloved person, you surely invest it with warm feelings and best wishes and try to make it look beautiful.

When packing your suitcase for an exciting trip, you probably invest it with high expectations and eager anticipation and try to fit inside it as many personal possessions as possible.

When packing your household for an imminent move, you need to invest a lot of time and effort in the process and try to come up with efficient space-, time- and money-saving solutions.

You are certainly well aware of many proven packing techniques to provide maximum protection for your belongings and have them shipped trouble-free to your new home.

But how about some unusual packing tricks that may help you fit twice as many items in one box or find surprising wrapping and padding materials in your own home?

You don’t have to be an illusionist to perform the tricks described below – you just need to resort to your creativity.

Many of the packing ideas you will find here have been inspired by foreign cultures and fascinating insights, drawn on folk wisdom and rich experience from around the world.

Here are some unique packing tips that no professional packers will ever give you:

Nesting Dolls Method

First carved in Russia in the late 19^th century, nesting dolls have brought amazement and joy to people of different ages and many different countries.

They are a set of artistically painted dolls, each one smaller than the previous one, so that they can be placed inside each other. Just imagine the astonishment when you receive a beautiful doll only to find out that you actually possess five, seven, or nine of them nicely stacked in the bigger ones!

Your movers may also be bewildered to find your household items stacked inside one another so that there are fewer boxes to carry and load than they expected.

This packing method will not only give you more space but will also save you time and money, especially when you are paying the moving crew by the hour. Both loading and unloading will be done faster and you will have more time for unpacking and arranging your new place.

Even without thinking of nesting dolls, it has probably occurred to you to stack your bowls and pans, plates and cups inside one another, but there is much more to this “nesting” approach:

• The top item can be used as a container, too. If you have stacked your bowls, for example, has it crossed your mind to put something inside the top one as well? The top bowl will be a smaller one but it can still hold your salt-shakers and pepper-shakers, or can-openers and bottle-openers, or tea strainers and teaspoons, or packs of toothpicks and packs of spices, or various other small kitchen utensils;
• The nesting principle should be applied to everything that can fit inside of another thing, not just chinaware. Even oddly shaped pieces can hold various small items inside. Every bucket, pot, jar, hamper, carton, or chest will be a good enough container for several different pieces of appropriate sizes. You can even use your baby’s cradle and washing tub to transport the little one’s stuffed toys, diapers, and toiletries. Candles, coasters, clothes pegs, batteries, accessories, cosmetic products, etc. – all the small and unbreakable paraphernalia in your home can go into whatever receptacles you have;
• Hats fit into one another as perfectly as dishes do, and the same is true for slippers and even for chairs, especially when they are being loaded into the moving truck or packed for storage. You should always use the remaining hollow spaces to hold something else too.
• It is recommended to provide protective layers between the stacked items. Use disposable paper plates between the fragile china or glass ones, clean paper between clothes, any soft fabrics to provide some padding for the smaller items inside the top containers, or whatever is appropriate in your case.

Packing Timeline: What to Pack When for Moving

Japan-Inspired Packing Techniques

The ancient wisdom of Eastern cultures is a good source of packing inspiration – the simplicity and efficiency of its postulates are compelling in every aspect.

Rolls

Whether you are a connoisseur of exotic food or not, you have certainly tried sushi, at least once.

Its most popular version is maki sushi – a roll of rice, fish, vegetables, or other filling ingredients, all tightly wrapped in nori (dried seaweed sheets).

This exquisite food has nothing to do with packing… except for its basic idea – to combine various ingredients and tastes in one tight roll.

Believe it or not, when rolled, items can take about 50% less space than when folded.

Of course, you cannot roll your fridge to save some space, but you can pack clothes, blankets, curtains, rugs, and the like in nice rolls.

If you use hair ties to hold the thinner rolls together or rubber bands for the thicker ones, the effect is even greater – your fabrics will stay neatly as they are, creases will be almost completely avoided and you will be able to stack a great number of them in one single container.

If you find this hard to believe, perform a little experiment: take one small suitcase and pack as many clothes as you can, neatly folded. Then take them out, roll them, and put them back in the suitcase. You will see for yourself how much space remains for more clothes to be packed inside.

The same is true for larger items as well, of course. Remember – anything that can be folded can be rolled instead. So, roll at large and you will not only save space but will preserve the good condition of your belongings too. Think of a poster, for example, folding it will ruin it while rolling it will allow you to take it with you.

One last rolling tip – if you put smaller rolls into larger ones, you will reduce the used space even further. And you will have the perfect maki sushi for your move!

Make a mental note to treat yourself to some sushi after your successful relocation – it will be an experience to remember.

Furoshiki

Back in the ancient times when plastic bags did not exist and cardboard boxes were not in use, the Japanese came up with a nice packing idea to transport their goods.

Furoshiki is a kind of bundle – a wrapping cloth traditionally used to hold garments, gifts, and various other items. It can be very beautiful and creative, so even nowadays furoshiki are widely used to wrap presents with a unique personal touch.

Actually, it is recognized as an effective environmentally-friendly packing method and is universally promoted.

The furoshiki technique is most obvious in bundle wrapping – an innovative alternative packing method used to prevent creasing and save space. A pre-made small pouch of smaller items is placed in the middle of a pile, consisting of several layers, the bottom one being the largest.

Then, everything is wrapped around the pouch in succession until all the items have been encased in the biggest one. You will have a securely packed bundle that can easily fit anywhere in the moving truck.

Sheets can also be used in a manner similar to the furoshiki idea to provide an easy packing method. Spread a sheet and place various items on it, then just wrap it around them and tie it securely.

Your belongings will be well protected in the soft large sheet and the bundles will be easy to carry and place over other boxes or on top of already loaded large pieces, between furniture legs, etc.

The furoshiki approach is the easiest, quickest, and most convenient packing method for local self-moves. It is applicable to long-distance relocations, as well, but greater caution will be required.

Think Out Of The Box

The traditional method of packing your belongings in moving boxes has its substantial advantages and yet some simple tricks may outperform it.

Using bags instead of boxes is a no-brainer but it may save you much valuable time and a lot of nerves.

Boxes provide better protection for your items and are easier to stack over one another in the moving truck, but they have one major weakness – they have their limitations. Once you place an oval or oddly-shaped item into a box, it leaves room for nothing else.

There may remain some space around it but nothing can fit in except for some soft padding materials. Bags, on the other hand, can conform to any strange shape and allow a better organization of your belongings.

However, they tear up easily and are very slippery which makes them inappropriate for packing and transporting your household items. Well, some bags are different – you just need to know what type of bag is most suitable for a specific purpose:

Ziploc bags

These bags are extremely useful when you need to organize small items and/or keep them together.

They can be attached to a corresponding large piece in order to facilitate unpacking, arranging, setting up appliances, and re-assembling partially dismantled furniture, etc.

Vacuum seal bags

They are great space-savers because when the air is sucked out of them, they shrink down incredibly to use up really little space.

You can put various oddly shaped small items in them in a meaningful fashion and when the bags have been vacuumed, you can arrange them in boxes, suitcases, or wherever you find fit.

Garbage bags

They cannot compete with the above-mentioned ones in terms of functionality but they also have an advantage or two:

• they are so cheap – you can buy literally hundreds of them, so even when you have run out of all available packing materials, you will still have trash bags remaining;
• you can pack your clothes in them, directly from the wardrobe and keep the garments on their hangers;
• they allow you to skip some sorting and packing efforts – just throw whatever you don’t know what to do with inside (many of these items may really belong to the trash – once they are in a garbage bag, it’s really easy to make their way to the trash bin).

Specialty bags and suitcases

Any backpacks, gym bags, beach bags, gift bags, travel bags, and, of course, suitcases can be used to easily transport your items and to keep them safe.

Wheeled suitcases, in particular, come very handy when you need to move small but heavy possessions, such as books, games, CDs and DVDs, etc. All these special bags provide much better protection than plastic ones, of course.

Speaking of suitcases, it’s time for the next smart packing trick.

Don’t Neglect Already Available Containers

Unlike homemade cookies, homemade packing containers are not very popular.

Yet, you can use a variety of items that you need to transport anyway as packing boxes:

• Laundry hampers. They are usually pretty large and can hold a lot of items, such as pillows, shoes, various utensils, etc.;
• Trash cans. Bins that are really clean (ones that have only been used for paper, for example) can be used to store cleaning supplies, toiletries, and many other things;
• Beer boxes. Beer boxes are designed to hold bottles, so they are sturdy and make perfect moving boxes. What is more – they usually have handles, so carrying them around is very easy;
• Hard sunglasses cases. These hard small cases are usually padded on the inside and provide perfect protection for tiny fragile items, such as figurines, souvenirs, jewelry, headphones, etc.;
• Baskets and crates. The more you find in your home, the fewer moving boxes you will need. Anything of small or average size can fit inside, regardless of their initial purpose, as long as they are clean and in good condition.

Alternative Packing Materials: How to Pack Without Boxes and Bubble Wrap

Use The Pocket Approach

Pockets allow you to keep whatever you need with you all the time. You are definitely going to need the household items you are packing, so fill the available “pockets”:

• Pillow cases. They provide perfect packing for your pajamas, towels, underwear, and even some personal-care items. Pillowcases can hold a lot of these and when unpacking, you will have your bedding ready, your quick shower provided for, and a change of clothes available – easy and efficient;
• Winter wear. Large and thick winter clothes can provide perfect wrapping, of course (one sweater is enough to securely pack your crystal vase, for example), but you can also use scarves to hold bundles of clothes or other items together, you can fill mittens and hats with small accessories, etc.;
• Shoes. Shoes can be damaged or deformed when crushed against each other in the boxes, so you are advised to stuff them in order to preserve their shape. Instead of using packing paper, you can just fill them with socks. Be crafty – stuff pairs of socks that are appropriate for the corresponding pair of shoes and it will be really easy to access your footwear after the relocation – in matching pairs!

Perfect Organizers

If you have many small and delicate items to keep organized and protected during the move, think of non-standard containers:

• Egg cartons – great for rings and pins, small figurines and buttons, and other odds and ends. If necessary, provide some padding (cotton or paper) on top of your items and wrap the entire carton with thin plastic wrap to prevent it from opening;
• Drinking straws or rolls of toilet paper – these are famous necklace and bracelet organizers as slipping the chains through them and clasping the ends prevents tangling. The same method can be used for chargers, headphones, and other chained pieces or items with long cords that can easily get tangled in themselves.

Other similar techniques make use of pill organizers, sandwich bags, cardboard cards, and others. You can find further details on the topic here.

Plastic Wrap Is King

The list of benefits that plastic wrap provides when packing your household is a really long one. You can use it to:

• make perfect bundles of clothes – the exact length and size you need. Besides, it is not as slippery as normal plastic bags;
• pack various bathroom items, so that any chance of leaking is prevented;
• close various containers that don’t have lids – buckets, hampers, and so on;
• keep items together – you can even prevent cabinet doors and glass cases from opening during transportation if you wrap them well;
• wrap drawers full of clothes, office supplies, cosmetic products, etc. – this way you will not need to empty the drawers and pack the items separately. Just leave everything where it is and cover the drawers in plastic wrap – neat and easy.

The Many Practical Uses of Plastic Wrap for Moving

Weird Padding Materials

It is an open secret that using towels, tablecloths, linen, blankets, and other soft materials can save you the money for buying Styrofoam peanuts, packing paper, bubble wrap, and other professional padding supplies.

However, your more delicate personal possessions may need better protection or may be too small to be wrapped in a blanket or a sheet.

In such cases, you can make use of the following rather unusual items to provide really good wadding:

• Pantry items – especially rice, although any other grains or cereals will do the trick as well. If you fill the remaining space around a small fragile item with them, you will perfectly immobilize and protect it – actually better than Styrofoam peanuts. The only disadvantages: you will need a large amount of grains and you will not be able to cook them afterwards;
• Sponges and oven mitts – any soft small pieces will provide perfect wadding;
• Handkerchiefs, wipes, table napkins, etc. – cotton clothes are just irreplaceable;
• Paper bags, shredded paper, ends of print rolls – any kind of clean paper will do. You can use newspapers, of course, but they may leave ink stains on your items.

So, what is the best way to pack your belongings for a move?

Starting as early as possible and carefully sorting all your possessions is definitely the first step.

Then you have a variety of traditional and innovative methods to choose from.

Weigh the pros and cons of every packing technique and use the most appropriate one for your specific situation.

However, if some items are too difficult to pack or too precious and you wouldn’t like to risk it, remember that professional packers can take the burden off your shoulders and do the job for you in a speedy and experienced manner.

You can also resort to their services whenever you feel that you don’t have enough time to dedicate to the packing process. Packing your life is quite a demanding adventure indeed.

Have you come across some other surprisingly effective packing tips for moving? Share your experience with us!