How to properly tape a box for shipping

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There’s a reason professional movers are way better at packing up our stuff than we are. Not only do they know to never, ever put 50 boxes worth of stuff into one massive box (if you want to get a hernia, go for it)—but they also, quite frankly, are experts at actually putting those boxes together.

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We asked Darina Murashev, a moving specialist at Move.org, to help.

“One of the most common mistakes that people make while boxing up their belongings is not taping the bottom of the box securely enough for it to hold a certain amount of weight,” Murashev says. “When packing heavy items like kitchen appliances and fine china, it’s important to prepare your moving boxes by taping the bottom of the box well past the bottom folds, up high onto the sides of the box. This makes the box more secure when handling heavy items. Doubling up on tape is an additional way to ensure your box is nice and secure.”

How to Put Together a Moving Box (The Best, Easiest Way)

Here, Murashev offers a step-by-step guide on how to put together a moving box.

1) Put the top flaps of the box down, and open the box.

2) Flip the box over and fold down all of the edges into the inside of the box. It’s better to first put the smaller edges inside and then the larger edges.

3) Use your packaging tape and tape down the long, horizontal side of the box. Tape about halfway over the side of the box for extra support.

Make sure the cardboard flaps are close together. Do the same taping again, for more protection.

4) Using the ‘H-taping method,’ tape both sides of the shorter vertical sides of the box, for extra support.