Assemble the box. I currently buy boxes from The Boxery. If you’re looking for alternatives to Uline: burlesquedesign.com/blogs/news-1...
This bowl is about to be bundled tighter than Randy in A Christmas Story but “fragile” stickers go on opposing corners.
Getting ready to wrap. Materials: bubble wrap, cling wrap, tape, microfiber cloth. My ceramics are earthenware, more fragile than stoneware or porcelain, so they need as much tlc as possible. I try to reuse materials I get in bisque shipments as much as possible.
We’re wrapping a yarn bowl, one of the most delicate pots because of the yarn feed cut into the design. I fold the bubble wrap like a present, making sure the side with the yarn feed has the most padding.
Add compostable packing peanuts. I like these because they are compostable. and fit to the shape of the pot nicely.
Add a couple scoops to the bottom and push down. You must make a nice soft bed for the pot.
Put the yarn bowl in the center, face the yarn feed side toward the corner so no pressure can be applied to that area. NO PART OF THE POT SHOULD TOUCH THE WALL OF THE BOX. Or you’re in for a bad time.
Pack peanuts around the sides of the pot so it cannot move. Needs to be tucked in and read a bedtime story. That last part is optional.
(Don’t forget the card!)
You may think you are done when peanuts reach the top of the box. Wrong. Push down again, but not too hard. Add a few more to create a nice little peanut mound rising from the top of the box.
Close the box. If it’s bulging at the sides, you’ve packed the piece too tightly and need to try again. Should need a little force to close it but still have flat walls.
Then shake it, or throw it to your friend. I’m not kidding. You do this gentle test to make sure you hear no rattling because I guarantee the post office won’t be so careful.
When I packed up my telescope for warranty service the instructions were "pack it so it will survive a drop from shoulder height onto a hard projection. Because that will happen during shipping. Remember that 'fragile' stickers are strictly decorative."
I’m in Australia. Our delivery person told us that the handling people see fragile stickers as a personal challenge.
The most battered parcels are the ones with “caution fragile” on them.
When I was an archaeologist on the North Slope of Alaska, we had to ship artifacts back Outside to the lab. Our PI taught us to pack like we expected the USPS to actively try breaking everything we boxed up.
I recently had to repack my yarn bowl to be moved across country. I knew this move was likely when I received the bowl, so I held onto all the packing peanuts and the box. I redid the cling wrap, but forgot about the bubble wrap 😥 didn't know about the yarn feed in the corner trick either.
A lot of this is to protect against USPS handling, but I’m sure you’re being gentler so I think it will be fine 🙂 I’m honored you’re treating it with such care!
Thanks for the thread. I don’t think I ever shipped anything as fragile as you. I definitely don’t do a good job with the peanuts. No nesting, just laying.
Also, I worked very close with the USPS years ago. I’ve seen things that haunt me to this day. 😆
