Packing for a move is so energy-draining and time-consuming that the last thing you want to do is add to the complexity of the task. And yet, sometimes you may need to do so – you may have some specialty items (antiques, collectibles, musical instruments, sports equipment, etc.) to relocate and preparing them for moving is certain to make the packing process even more difficult than it already is.
Despite the packing challenges, however, you will definitely not leave your gorgeous grand piano or exquisite china set behind – and if you have some home canned food, you won’t just throw it away before the move either. You can, of course, give it away to friends or neighbors, or donate it to charities, but you will most likely want to keep it (homemade jams and pickles taste really good, not to mention all the time and effort that go into making them).
If you want to take your home canned food to your new place, though, you will need to find a way to keep all those canning jars safe and sound during the move. And that’s not easy – mason jars are made of glass, so they’re quite fragile. Besides, full jars tend to be rather heavy, so a standard moving box can easily break under their weight.
To avoid accidents and breakages when moving the glass containers, you need to pack them correctly.
Here is how to pack jars for moving so they arrive at your new home safe and intact.
Step 1. Prepare the packing containers
When it comes to packing jars for moving – be they jars of preserves or jars of honey, jelly, peanut butter, etc. – your first task is to find appropriate packing containers.
Full jars are quite heavy, so you need strong moving containers – and you need to prevent the fragile glass jars from coming in contact with one another when they’re inside their packing containers.
Your best bet is to buy heavy-duty moving boxes with dividers – these boxes are thick and sturdy, so they will easily withstand the weight of the full jars, and the cardboard dividers will keep the glass jars separate, so they don’t knock against each other.
Be sure to get small to medium-sized boxes – large moving boxes are not appropriate for packing jars:
- They fit a lot of jars – and if you put a lot of full canning jars in a box, it will become very heavy and very difficult to lift and carry (and may collapse under the weight);
- They are big – if you don’t fill the box with jars so it doesn’t become too heavy, there will remain a lot of empty space in the carton and you will need to find some soft lightweight items (or to use professional cushioning materials) to fill that empty space, so the jars don’t have room to shift around during the move.
Once you’ve got the right boxes, reinforce them with packing tape for extra security (especially important if you’re not using brand-new, heavy-duty moving boxes), then line the bottoms of the boxes with cushioning materials (such as old towels or bubble wrap) to create a protective layer for your jars.
Bonus tip: Avoid packing jars in used boxes
As tempting as it may be to get used boxes from local retailers for free and use them as packing containers for your move, you’re strongly advised not to pack jars in old cardboard boxes – their strength will be compromised from previous uses, so they may not be able to withstand the weight of the full mason jars. (See also: The risks of using free moving boxes)
The only exception are liquor store boxes – these boxes are meant to hold glass bottles, so they’re very sturdy and have cardboard dividers in them. Therefore, if you can find used liquor boxes in good condition for free, you can safely use them for packing your jars for moving.
Strong, durable, and easy to carry, milk crates also make good packing containers for jars. They can safely hold a single layer of quarts or two layers of pints – you will just need to slide pieces of cardboard down between the jars to keep them from banging into one another during the move.
Step 2. Protect the jars
When the moving containers are ready, it’s time to focus on the jars themselves – they need proper protection in order to survive the move in one piece.
So, how to pack glass jars for moving so they stay safe and intact during the entire relocation process? As with all fragile items, the best way to ensure the safety of glass jars during a move is to wrap them in protective materials.
The cheapest and easiest way to wrap jars for moving is to wrap each individual glass container in a couple of sheets of newspaper – you won’t spend any extra money for professional wrapping materials, the jar will be well protected, and even if the ink from the newspaper leaves a stain on the glass surface, you will likely be able to easily remove it when washing the jar.
If you want to avoid ink stains, you can wrap your jars in packing paper (use three or four sheets of paper for better protection) or bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is the safest choice (it provides ultimate protection against shocks and vibrations and can prevent an item from breaking), but it’s more expensive than the other options. (See also: Where to get bubble wrap for free)
Good to know: How to wrap a glass jar in bubble wrap
- Lay out a long strip of bubble wrap and roll up the jar (there should be at least two layers of bubble wrap around the glass container);
- Secure the wrapping in place with tape;
- Fold the ends of the wrap (at the top and at the bottom of the jar) and tape them down.
It’s a good idea to secure the protective coverings with tape when wrapping your jars in packing paper or newspaper, too.
Step 3. Pack the jars
Now that the moving boxes are properly prepared and the jars are well protected, you can finally start packing your jars.
1) Place the wrapped jars in the padded boxes:
- If you’re using partitioned containers, place every jar in a separate compartment;
- If the boxes don’t have dividers, arrange the wrapped jars next to one another, then slide some cardboard pieces between them to act as separators.
Bonus tip: It’s not a good idea to stack the jars in the boxes as doing so will make the cartons too heavy and will increase the risk of damage to the glass containers.
If there remains a lot of empty space over the jars in a box, you can either cut the carton to make it the right height or place some lightweight kitchen items (like packs of spices or pasta, dish cloths or towels, pot holders or oven mitts, etc.) on top of the jars. Don’t stack anything heavy on top of the glass containers, because glass is too fragile to support a lot of additional weight.
If you decide to stack some of your jars (when packing pints, for example), be sure never to stack them more than two jars high and don’t forget to place a protective layer (a piece of thick cardboard) over the first layer of jars.
2) Fill all the empty space in the box with cushioning materials (packing peanuts, bubble wrap, old clothing items, etc.) to provide extra protection to the glass containers, keep them from shifting during the move, and prevent them from knocking against each other.
Even if the boxes have dividers, it’s still advisable to add some cushioning around the jars.
Bonus tip: Do not use crumpled paper for padding when packing jars for moving – it won’t be effective enough as the heavy glass containers can easily crush the paper wedges.
3) Close the box and seal it securely with packing tape. Don’t forget to label it as “FRAGILE” and to mark which side is up.
That’s all – now you know how to pack mason jars for moving. The glass containers will survive the relocation safe and sound – just be careful not to put anything heavy on top of the boxes that contain jars when loading the moving truck (or your car).
Happy moving and bon appetite at your new home!
