How to pack paintings and pictures for moving house

If you’re moving house and handling your own packing then some items – like your paintings and pictures – can be particularly tricky.

Here we show you what packing materials you will need and how to pack paintings and pictures in order to make sure they are well protected during your move.

how to pack pictures and paintings

To pack your pictures and paintings safely for a house move you will need:

a picture carton
packing paper
bubble wrap
scissors
packing tap
marker pen

Check out our tips on packing materials you'll need for moving house.

Instructions:

Unroll your bubble wrap and place it on your packing station, making sure it’s smooth side up with the bubbled part facing outwards (this prevents the air bubbles from marking the glass).
Lay your picture/painting face down on top of the bubble wrap and cut a piece big enough to cover the item.
Fold the bubble wrap over and start taping down – remembering not to tape directly on to the picture or painting to avoid damaging it.
Repeat this process until the picture or painting is fully covered and all the edges are tucked in and taped down neatly.
Next, build your picture carton. Take the first part and line the bottom with two or three sheets of scrunched packing paper. Repeat until the bottom is fully lined.
Take your picture/painting and place it on top of the scrunched paper inside the carton.
Take two or three more sheets of packing paper, scrunch, and pad out each side of the picture/painting.
Tape the side of the carton shut, then pad the top of the picture with more scrunched packing paper before taping the top shut.
Take the other part of the picture carton and place it over the top of the one containing your picture or painting so that it’s nestled securely inside. Tape the sides and top securely.
Finally, make sure to clearly label the box as ‘fragile’ so that your removal crew know to handle it with care.

Looking for professional packing services?

If you're worried about packing fragile items like paintings and frames then choose a removal company that offers professional packing services.

Trained packers will use specially designed packing materials to expertly pack and wrap all your fragile items to minimise the risk of anything getting damaged in transit to your new home. For larger paintings and frames we can also create custom built crates to provide additional protection during transport.