Regardless of the move distance, packing jewelry for moving should not be underestimated. After all, you’ll be moving small items that are almost always expensive, valuable, and delicate. In reality, some jewelry pieces are so fragile and they may even tangle in themselves and break during the transportation phase itself.
And now that you know how to pack necklaces when moving, it’s time to learn the best way to pack earrings for moving as well.
You can’t possibly expect to simply toss randomly all your earrings into a shoe box and find them in perfect condition after the move – things just don’t work that way. Instead, you’re expected to invest some time and effort into protecting your valuable earrings so that they make it to the new home perfectly intact.
Here’s how to pack earrings for a move.
Inventory and sort out your earrings
Before you can pack your earrings for moving, the very first thing you’ll need to do is inventory and sort out your jewelry pieces so that you don’t waste precious time packing things that you won’t need or use when you move to the new home.
It’s not the space you should be worried about – earrings are small enough and can fit almost anywhere. It’s about spending that extra time to protect those jewelry pieces only to forget about them after the move.
When packing for a move, you just have to be way more practical than usual to make it all work smoothly.
Luckily, sorting out our earring when moving shouldn’t take too much of your time. Here’s how to do it:
- PLACE a large sheet of clean paper on a table, on a bed, or on the floor. That’ll become your temporary jewelry sorting station.
- POSITION all your earrings on the paper sheet.
- TAKE a look at your neatly arranged jewelry pieces. It’s easy to spot the ones that you’re taking with you no matter what, right? Those will be the pieces you absolutely love, the ones you wear regularly, the ones that have sentimental value for you, the ones that are expensive.
- PUT aside the earrings that you’re not parting with. Now, you should be left with the ear ornaments that are more or less in doubt.
- GO through the jewelry pieces that you’re not sure what to do with, one by one, and make case-by-case decisions based on several factors.
- OPTIMIZE your jewelry collection. If a piece is damaged or too worn out, then think about whether it’ll be worth the money to get repaired (depending on its worth). Fashion changes fairly quickly and so do people’s tastes. If you just know that you won’t ever wear some of the earrings you own, then don’t bother packing them and moving them across the country. If any of them are still usable, simply gift them to someone you know will be glad to have them.
- DON’T SPEND too much time sorting and optimizing your earrings prior to packing them. If you find yourself really unsure what to do with some of your jewelry pieces, then take them with you so that you can figure it out after the move. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Needless to say, you’d hate to find any of your earrings damaged after the move, so pay attention to the best way to pack earrings for moving. As you may already know, these jewelry pieces are believed to be the most fragile and delicate ones, making them a bit tricky to protect well for transport.
How to pack earrings for moving? All in all, there are 4 good ways to pack earrings for a move. Read on to find more details about each one.
How to pack earrings in a jewelry box
Without a doubt, the best way to pack earrings when moving house is to transport them inside a jewelry box. Jewelry boxes are designed to keep delicate jewelry pieces safe, so things will become very easy and straightforward if you own a good-quality jewelry box.
The best thing about jewelry boxes is that they offer two types of protection at the same time: an inside one in the form of separate compartments lined with soft cloth and an outside one in the form of a hard shell made from strong materials – either wood or metal.
Wrap each earring individually in soft packing paper, then arrange them all inside their designated compartments inside he jewelry box. If necessary, add clean packing paper to fill in any remaining space inside the box – the earrings should NOT be shifting inside during transport.
If you don’t have a jewelry box, use one of these three methods of packing earrings for shipping: cardboard cards, pill organizers, or Ziploc bags.
See also: How to pack fragile items for moving
How to pack earrings with cardboard cut-outs
This method for packing earrings for a move is suitable for both long earrings with hooks and small stud earrings. The idea is to attach them to a hard base that will keep them well secured throughout the entire house move.
- CUT pieces of cardboard that are roughly the size of a business card. Each cardboard cut-out will hold one pair of earrings. If you do happen to have business cards you no longer need, you can use them instead.
- TAKE a safety pin and make two holes in each cut-out, slightly apart in the upper part of the card.
- SLIDE the hook of an earring through one of the holes, then do the same with the other piece.
- WRAP carefully the cardboard card with the attached earrings in plastic wrap (Saran wrap) to secure the jewelry pieces and keep them protected from dust and moisture.
- WRAP the created bundle in a final layer of either soft packing paper (for the more ordinary earrings you own) or bubble wrap (for the more valuable and expensive pairs). Use a bit of tape to secure the outer layer.
- PLACE the protected pairs of earrings into a small cardboard box where you will pack the rest of your jewelry pieces too: bracelets, necklaces, and rings. A sturdy shoe box can be perfect for that purpose.
IMPORTANT: Remember to keep that jewelry-filled box with you at all times – NEVER hand it over to your movers.
Good to know: Bubble wrap vs. Packing paper
How to pack earrings in pill organizers
Another good way to protect earrings when moving from one home to another is to pack them inside a day-of-the-week pill organizer. That’s especially true for the smaller, more compact earrings you own – like stud earrings.
- WRAP carefully each separate earring of a pair in soft ink-free and acid-free wrapping paper.
- WRAP both protected earrings into a single sheet of packing paper to 1) provide an extra layer of protection, and 2) to keep each pair together.
- INSERT each bundled pair of earrings into a separate slot of the pill organizer.
- STRETCH WRAP the entire pill organizer once you’ve filled out its individual slots (compartments). Add one outer layer of packing paper around the entire organizer and fix it with tape.
- PACK the protected day-of-the-week pill case in the small cardboard box where you will keep the rest of your jewelry until you reach the new home.
Read also: How to pack valuables when moving
How to pack earrings in Ziploc bags
Packing earrings with cardboard cut-outs (best suited for long earrings) and in pill cases (best suited for small stud earrings) is an excellent method of protection when it comes to expensive and valuable earrings – for example, sterling silver earrings, pearl earrings, or gold earrings.
But if you have fairly inexpensive earrings and you can’t afford to lose too much time to pack them really well, then you can use a simple packing method that should still offer a good level of protection for your jewelry pieces.
- WRAP your more ordinary earrings in soft packing paper.
- SLIP each protected pair of jewelry piece into a plastic Ziploc bag. If you have small sealable plastic bags, then use one for one pair of earrings. If you have bigger Ziploc bags, place more than one pair into the plastic container.
- TRANSFER the plastic bags into the box containing the rest of your jewelry.
Must-read: Packing Timeline: What to pack when for moving
