4 Tips for Shipping Glass Christmas Ornaments
Glass Christmas ornaments are a popular holiday gift, but probably not the best one when it comes to buying gifts for people who live far away: glass baubles are very fragile and can break easily during transportation. If you’re determined to mail Christmas ornaments to your loved ones as a present, check our our tips for shipping glass Christmas ornaments that will help to protect them from breaking and save you money on shipping.
Choose the Right-Sized Box
Choosing the right box is Shipping 101 because the size of the box affects the safety of the items inside and your shipping costs at the same time. The bigger the box, the higher the shipping cost; in addition, if the box is too big, it won’t keep the items inside safe enough because they might jostle around even with cushioning. On the other hand, if the box is too small, there will be no room for enough cushioning materials, and the ornaments might break under the slightest amount of pressure during transportation.
So, what you need is a sturdy box made from corrugated cardboard (a lightweight and at the same time reliable material) that is just big enough to fit all your ornaments and cushioning materials to protect them. Take this as a rule of thumb: there should be about two inches of space between the ornaments inside the box and each of the walls.
Protect Each Ornament Individually
If you’re shipping several glass ornaments in one box, you should wrap each of them individually and keep the ornaments separated from one another inside the box. Here’s how you do it:
- Wrap each ornament in at least a couple of layers of tissue paper, bubble wrap, or foam packing sheets. Carefully tape the wrapping to keep it in place. Make sure to keep the wrapping snug, but not so tight that it might make the ornament break under pressure.
- Place each ornament into its original package or any small cardboard box. If you don’t have enough boxes, use cardboard dividers to keep the ornaments separated (see below).
- Tape the bottom of the shipping box securely and line the bottom of the box with a layer of packing paper or another cushioning material.
- Put the decorations inside the box. If they are not packed in individual boxes, use cardboard dividers to keep them from bumping into one another. Make sure there is space between the ornaments and the walls of the box, as we’ve mentioned above.
- Fill any remaining space inside the box with packing peanuts or another kind of cushioning material. Don’t forget to add a layer of cushioning on top of the ornaments.
- Close the flaps and give the box a gentle shake to make sure the ornaments don’t move around. If they do, add more cushioning.
- Tape the box shut with at least two layers of strong packing tape.
Make Sure to Label the Package Properly
To ensure that your package with delicate glass ornaments is handled as carefully as possible, you need to label it as fragile. Write the word “fragile” in big letters with a black permanent marker on each side of your package and add a “This Side Up” sticker with arrows to make sure the box doesn’t get turned upside down during transit.
Consider Purchasing Shipping Insurance
Most postal and courier companies cover shipments valued up to a certain limit (usually $100 or so) against loss or damage, but if you want additional protection, you should consider paying for additional coverage. You can purchase shipping insurance directly from the carrier or from a third-party insurance company. Since Christmas ornaments are not that expensive (unless they are vintage), it will cost you only a couple of bucks. We recommend that you save on shipping by printing discounted shipping labels online and use the money you’ve saved to pay for additional insurance.