Sunday, September 18, 2011

How To Pack Pots and Pans

By Diane Schmidt, About.com Guide

A step-by-step guide to packing pots and pans, ensuring they arrive at your new home safely.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: As much Time as Needed

Here's How:

1. Prepare a medium-sized box by placing slightly scrunched-up plain newsprint or brown paper in the bottom. Don't scrunch the paper into tight balls, but instead let it balloon on the bottom. This will help with shifting during the move. Styrofoam packing peanuts can also be used.

2. Place all pots on a clean working surface.

3. Stack them in groups of three, with the smaller pots fitting inside larger ones.

4. Take a roll of brown paper or very large precut pieces of packing paper (plain newsprint/plain brown paper) and cut a piece that is larger than the circumference of the largest pot of the three that you're packing.

5. Place the piece of packing paper over the large pot, then place the next sized pot inside, nesting them.

6. Select another piece of paper slightly larger than the circumference of the second largest pot and place that over the second pot.

7. Take the smallest pot and place it inside the second pot.

8. Once the three pots are nested, place the stack upside down on the stack of paper. Use 2 to 5 sheets as needed.

9. Fold each corner over the stack then carefully tape the paper in place, making sure that the stack is kept tight.

10. Place the stack on the bottom of your prepared box. Pots and pans can be used as the bottom layer in a box, placing more fragile items on top.

11. Tape your box well and mark it with "Kitchen" and what's contained inside. If you're adding fragile items, make sure you write that in large letters on the top and which end is up. If you've organized your kitchen packing well, you can also add a number to the box, indicating the order in which it should be unpacked.