Unique Items to Use as Packing Material
PCS Season has those moving (and even those not moving!) within the military community purging and preparing. We find a long-forgotten stack of boxes we shoved in a closet after the last move and decide if we haven’t used it since then, it’s probably time to donate those items. Or maybe we find the turkey roasting pan we were looking for the last two holidays. Either way, these items cab be repurposed for packing as a way to use your resources, and pack things you already need without adding extra packing material.
Kitchen Towels
When wrapping dishes or glasses, why not just wrap them in kitchen towels? Or if you are looking for layering material for the top or bottom of the dish box. then use some kitchen towels! These are convenient because they are already in the kitchen where you are packing up items. You can use them rolled up to provide cushion for the sides of boxes or those empty spaces around dishes, glasses, or pans to prevent them from moving around during the move.
Beach Towels
It is easy to throw the towels together in one box, but if you have pans, breakables, or boxes that you have already packed that have a little bit of space in them, toss a beach towel on top to provide a cushion and keep the box form. Having the boxes stay in their box shape and preventing the edges from collapsing when other boxes are on top helps everything stay in their place when moved, and lessens the chance of items breaking.
Styrofoam Plates
If you have disposable plates leftover from pack-out, or maybe craft time with your children, these make great plate separators when packing your dishes. Just layer a dish, then a Styrofoam plate on repeat and these will provide protection from the forces that moving bring on your dishes.
Socks
Socks are great stuffers for those little holes in boxes filled with books, or even vases and dishes. Don’t dismiss their small size. Fill glasses with them when packing to provide extra padding.
Smaller Boxes
If you have subscription boxes that you receive at home, consider saving a few for packing items. These smaller boxes provide great protection for LEGO sets, cards, or collectible toys. It’s are also great to have smaller boxes if you are packing your own home or containers and need small items to pack in those tight spaces. Packing your boxes well keeps them sturdy and able to withstand pressure from other boxes around them when the boxes shift.
Bubble Wrap
While it is fun to pop and then recycle the bubble wrap as you receive packages, keep bubble wrap around for wrapping and packing, if you have the storage space and an empty box. It can be used as cushion for fragile items, especially as you run out of clothing or soft padded items.
Wrapping Paper
Here me out on this one. If you have a wrapping paper roll that is slowly becoming torn up or apart, or even have a roll that you’ve been carting around for the last 10 years unopened, consider using it as packing material. Just like the plain brown paper that movers use to wrap items, you can use wrapping paper. Wrap picture frames, and toys. You can even ball it up when you run out of socks to stuff in to those small and empty places.
Cotton Balls/Sealed TP
If you are packing up bathroom items like a hairdryer, curler, washcloths and shower head, you can use the cotton ball bag or toilet paper in the plastic wrap as packing material. It keeps items that go in the same room together and allow you to protect the items you are packing.
Hats/Gloves/Scarves
Don’t throw all these lovely packing materials in a box solo if you don’t need to! Gloves, like socks, can be placed in boxes to help provide support in those empty holes. Scarves can provide protection between the glass on picture frames that you are packing.
It may seem counterintuitive when packing to use non-traditional materials. If you have moved a couple of times, you have seen the packing wizards wrapping everything in brown paper. And then, as you unpack you see that half your box is paper. You can safely pack your items without it being all paper if you think about what you are packing and use them efficiently. What will you pack with?
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