Exquisite pieces of art, precious collector’s items, and other delicate valuables require utmost care and protection – especially when being moved from one location to another.
So, if you’re about to move house and have some extremely expensive or deeply treasured belongings that can be easily damaged during the relocation (because they’re highly sensitive, made of breakable materials, oddly-shaped, etc.), you will certainly be worried about the safety of your valuables – and will want to provide them with maximum protection. The best way to do that is to pack them in wooden crates.
The robust wooden crate will protect your valuable item from impact and will keep it safe from dust and dirt. In order to prevent shifting during transit, however, (and completely eliminate the risk of damage to your prized possession), the crate needs to be a custom fit.
You can use professional crating services to have a special item custom crated for moving, but it will cost you a pretty penny. It will be much more cost-effective to make a custom crate yourself – building a wooden crate is not overly difficult and the materials are relatively cheap and easily available. As long as you have some basic building skills – and some basic tools – you should be able to manage quite well.
Read on to find out how to make a wooden crate and ensure the safety of your delicate valuables during your next move without spending a fortune.
Why do you need wooden packing crates?
Cardboard boxes are excellent packing containers, but the level of protection they provide may not be adequate for all items and in all circumstances:
- Cardboard boxes can tear during the move and leave your cherished belongings exposed and vulnerable to damage – or a valuable item may fall out of the box and break;
- Cardboard cartons can collapse under heavy weight – if stacked under a heavy object or box – and their contents can get smashed;
- Cardboard is not strong enough to prevent damage from impact.
Sturdier packing containers are needed to guarantee the safety of fragile valuables, especially when the risk of damage is higher – such as in the case of long-distance moves, when shipments travel hundreds or even thousands of miles in all kinds of traffic and weather conditions and may even get transferred to other trucks or put in temporary storage along the way.
So, to have peace of mind when moving especially delicate or extremely expensive items, you’re strongly advised to pack your valuables in wooden moving crates.
What tools and materials do you need to build a wooden packing crate?
In order to make a wooden crate, you need some wooden materials – such as plywood panels or oriented strand boards (OSB), as well as several 2x4s – and the right tools for the job.
Before you can purchase the necessary materials, though, you need to determine the size of your custom crate. Measure the dimensions of the item you intend to pack in the wooden container and add about 4 inches to all parameters (so you have enough space for wrapping and cushioning materials) to determine the approximate height, length, and width of the crate you need to build.
You will probably not be able to find wood boards of the right size, so you will need to buy larger plywood sheets or OSB panels and cut them to size.
To do that – and to assemble the crate – you’re going to need:
- A saw
- A drill
- A screwdriver (an electric screwdriver will make your work faster and easier)
- Screws
Keep in mind that when using wooden crates for packing, it’s advisable to line them with foam (to create padding for the delicate items in the crates), so make sure you have some foam insulator sheets (about 1/2″ thick), as well.
All necessary materials can be bought at a home improvement store.
How to build a wooden crate
Once you have everything needed, you can get down to work:
Step 1. Cut the wood boards to size
The first thing to do when wondering how to build a wooden packing crate is to figure out the exact dimensions of all crate parts – the bottom, the top, and the four sides (paired two by two).
The dimensions of the bottom should match the dimensions of the base of the item that will be packed in the box, adding about 2-3 inches in both directions to allow space for cushioning and wrapping materials inside the crate.
The length of two of the sides (side A and side C) should be the same as the length of the bottom. The other two sides (side B and side D) need to be about an inch longer than the width of the bottom (or more, depending on the thickness of the wood boards), so they overlap the first two sides, giving you something to screw them into.
The sides will screw into the bottom for assembly, so you need to add about 2.5-3 inches to the height of the crated item to figure out the final height of the sides (1/2″ to allow space for screwing the sides to the bottom, 1 inch for padding and wrapping materials at the bottom, and 1 inch for padding and cushioning materials at the top).
The top will screw into the sides when the crate is packed, so it should be the exact same size as the ready wooden box (as wide as sides B and D and about an inch longer than sides A and C).
Good to know: When packing a painting, a mirror, or another flat item that will be transported upright, you need a strong frame (so you need four strips of wood, about 2 inches wide – two longer ones and two shorter ones, in accordance with the dimensions of the object to be crated) and two large sides (typically made of plywood sheets).
Once you’ve made precise measurements, use a saw to cut the OSB panels and/or plywood sheets to size.
Step 2. Cut the foam to size
Now that the parts of the future crate are cut to size, you can cut the foam lining too:
- Cut a piece of foam to line the bottom of the crate – the foam piece should be exactly the same size as the bottom;
- Cut foam inserts to line the sides of the crate. The height of the foam liners has to be about 1.5 inches smaller than the height of the sides and the pieces need to be attached 1/2″ down from the top. The foam liners for sides A and C should be as long as the sides, while the foam inserts for sides B and D should be an inch shorter than the sides and need to be attached 1/2″ in from both edges.
Use short screws or glue (polyurethane adhesive) to attach the foam pieces to their respective parts.
Step 3. Screw the bottom and sides together
With everything ready, it’s time to assemble the wooden box. All sides screw into the base along the bottom edge – screw sides A and C into the base first (use long screws), then screw sides B and D into the base (use long screws) and into sides A and C (use short screws). Make sure all edges align perfectly.
When making a wooden crate for a flat item, assemble the frame first (screw the longer pieces of wood to the shorter ones, with the shorter ones on the outside), then take one of the plywood sides and screw it to the frame.
Bonus tips:
- Always pre-drill to make it easier to screw the wood pieces together;
- Clamp the wood pieces together when assembling the crate – to ensure a tight fit and make screwing easier;
- When packing a heavy item, consider framing the crate for extra support – use some 2x4s to frame the edges of the bottom and the sides, so the crate can withstand heavy weight without a problem. For smaller crates that are not extremely heavy, a 2×4 may not be necessary – it will be enough to reinforce the edges with strips of OSB.
Step 4. Pack your special item in the wooden crate
Wrap your delicate item in packing paper and bubble wrap, place it in the newly-built crate, and fill all remaining empty space with cushioning materials (packing peanuts, pieces of bubble wrap, etc.). (See also: How to pack fragile items for moving)
The wrapping materials around the object will provide an initial layer of protection against dust, dirt, scratches and other superficial damage, the soft materials in the crate will cushion the item and prevent shifting during transit, the foam lining will provide protective padding, and the wood boards will create a hard protective cover around the crated item, so the risk of damage to your cherished possession will be completely eliminated – or at least reduced to an utter minimum.
Step 5. Seal the crate
Once your valuable item is packed in the crate, cut a foam insert to fit the top and put it in place (the foam insert should be flush with the sides). Then, screw the top of the box – it should be pre-drilled and screwed with short screws.
At this point, your moving crate is ready.
All that is left to do now is to label the box with its contents and destination room and designate which way is up. Mark the crate as FRAGILE and write HANDLE WITH CARE, DO NOT STACK, and any other necessary handling instructions on the sides of the box with big, bold letters. (See also: How to label moving boxes)
Knowing how to build a moving crate will save you some money on your move and will help ensure your peace of mind. Making a wooden crate, however, requires time and effort – and you may not have enough time or enough energy to spare on the job during the arduous moving process. Or you may simply not be up to the task.
In such cases, you can always hire professional crating services – the experts have the specialized tools, technical know-how, and rich experience to handle the job in the best way possible so you can rest assured in the safety of your delicate valuables.
