Using batting, fabric & yarn when moving
 

Sorry if this is a double post. My message disappeared after I previewed it, but I don't think it was sent.


We are clearing out our house in preparation for selling it. We will be packing and transporting dishes, glasses, etc., that daughter wants. Any experience with using batting, fabric, and/or yarn as padding/wrapping materials? Have loads of each. Seems to me that skeins of yarn in the bottom of cartons would be as much padding as the wadded up paper that packing companies suggest. What about wrapping packets of dishes in fabric once they’re in their little foam envelopes (purchased from UHaul)?

Why not? I've always wrapped things in dish towels, bath towels, wash cloths, etc. because I don't have a fabric stash. You've got to move the fabric too, so why not put it all together in a useful way?

Sounds like a good idea to me. I didn't have fabric the only time we've moved - 30 years ago - but I used towels, etc. to wrap things in.

I have moved a few times in the past and I used all my linen and even clothes for packing. I did also use scraps of wrapping paper/tissue paper. So go ahead and reuse. Great for those delicate dishware and glass/stemware. Washcloths, towels (kitchen and bath) are great for packing. If you have your flatware in the removable trays just put some wash/dishcloths rolled up and into each section. then duct tape over that to keep them secure. I used to put my sharp knives inside of paper towel rolls or you can roll them up in kitchen towels. Cardboard is great for protecting those lids with glass. If you have a large enough piece of cardboard and can fold it in half and cut an x in the middle for a top knob on the lid. Then tape the sides. I keep duct tape, a large utility knife, and industrial size permanent marking pen. I mark on the box the room the box goes into. Any computer or tech equipment just goes into "The Office" box. Same thing goes for pens, paper, etc. "The Office box" That way you know where you will be able to find something to write with if need be. I use my clothes hampers and laundry baskets for packing also and still mark them. Cheap plastic sandwich bags that zip shut are great for packing. Just open for air zip shut and you have bubble. Just make sure they are sealed well shut. I've helped others and recently a friend who moved to another city. There are a lot of people who take everything out of their drawers and pack. What is in my drawers stays there. When transporting chests of drawers we take the drawers out, move the chest and put the drawers back in. So much easier and you don't need more boxes. Of course that's for the clothes you won't be wearing. But still much easier and if it goes into the bedroom, you can add to the drawers such as family photos in between the garments. Just do with what you've got, you'll be surprised how much money you can save. If you're not using clear containers mark on the solid color ones with industrial marker or mark on tape and put on at least the top and couple sides of the container.

Batting makes great packing material. I was sorry I discarded so many scraps of it before I started packing.

when i moved here last year, i didn't use any wadded paper. i used bath, kitchen and bedroom linens. i also used my yarn and some fabrics. i also used some of my clothes. i even folded and saved my boxes as i knew i was moving again this year. i have very little going into the recycle bin.

I used my batting scraps for packing anything that needed padding. I would use the yarn anywhere an empty space is after you got everything packed in a box. I didn't have much yarn so I didn't think of that idea. Just make sure the boxes are marked with exactly what each box contains!!

I think it's a marvelous idea! It'll save on expenses (will have to buy less boxes and virtually no padding; plus maybe be able to get a smaller truck; might even save on hiring movers if they save an hour moving all those extra boxes you won't have), will be better for the environment because you won't be wasting a bunch of bubble wrap or paper, and it'll probably be a lot more cushy than if you'd just wrapped stuff up in paper. That sounds like a win-win-win to me!

Exactly what I did with my last move. Took it one step further and used by yardage and fats around dishes etc. Larger yardages were used to protect lamps and big thing. Then my movers said they were going to shrink wrap dressers etc. just to make sure the drawers were full. Stuffed those with pieces from stash. Worked great -- no packing paper costs -- nothing got broken and would have had to redo stash anyways as it was moving from a crammed closet to shelving. Was kind of like Christmas to revisit my stash as I unpacked.