How to Pack a Bedroom: Moving Your Clothes, Bed and More

Packing up bedrooms before a move can be more challenging than it first appears. Not only are there clothes, shoes and accessories to pack, but you also have heavy furniture, beds, jewelry and other valuables, and in many cases, a TV and other electronics. You’ll also need to sort through artwork, décor and other fragile, often irreplaceable items.  

A poor packing job will ultimately catch up with you on the other end when you’re struggling to find misplaced things and cleaning up after breakage and spills. Put in the extra time up front and save yourself from hassles and frustration later. 

For this article, we’re going to focus on tips and tricks for packing up bedrooms. Use this advice to do the job yourself or as a guideline to help decide whether to leave the project in the hands of a reputable moving company like Mayflower, who’ll do all of the heavy lifting for you.  

Bedroom Clean-Out and Decluttering  

Decluttering is your default first step before you start packing.  From a practical standpoint, you’ll have less to pack and besides, most move estimates include weight as a factor. Therefore, the lighter your load the more money you’ll save. Go bedroom by bedroom, divide what’s worth keeping and consider the rest clutter. Sell or donate what you can and then recycle or toss what’s left.   

Still sound overwhelming? Let’s take it step by step. 

• Go through your closets and dresser drawers to decide what clothing you want to keep.  
• Set aside items that no longer fit your style, that you don’t wear anymore or have damage like rips or stains.  
• Be realistic about clothing you’re hanging onto for sentimental reasons or that doesn’t fit properly anymore. Face it, you’ll want a new wardrobe anyway! 
• Put all your bedroom linens through the wash. Suits, sweaters, gowns and ties will definitely benefit from a trip to the dry cleaner. 
• If some of the items still have value, hold a garage sale, gift them to friends and neighbors or donate them. Tip: Here’s a list of charities that offer free pickup services. 

Packing Bedroom Basics 

Packing Supplies You’ll Need  

Ready to start packing up your bedrooms? Start by gathering all the packing supplies you’ll need:  

• Sturdy boxes with flaps that completely close 
• Wardrobe boxes  
• Packing paper  
• Bubble wrap  
• Packing tape for sealing the boxes  
• Felt tip markers for labeling the boxes  
• Mattress bags 

For a deeper dive, check out this downloadable list of packing supplies for bedrooms and every other room in your home. 

When everything’s been cleaned and decluttered, here’s how to proceed:  

• Focus on one bedroom at a time. This will help keep you organized. 
• Pack up any guest or seldom-used bedrooms first: They’ll be the least impactful on the rest of the household.  
• When you get to your own room or a child’s bedroom, start by packing the least used items or anything you don’t intend to use until after moving day. Save regularly used items until right before moving out day. 
• Label boxes by bedroom.  
• Get children involved in packing their own bedrooms. It gives them a sense of control over what’s happening. Just be sure to supervise what they’re packing so that their items are as secure as possible.  
• Certain bedroom items, including the clothing, sheets and blankets you’ll use immediately after your move, should go into a First Night Box.   

Clothing and Linens  

First of all, make sure to set aside the clothes you’ll need to wear before your move, as well as a comfortable, preferably layered outfit for the actual move day. 

• Leave clothes on hangers and pack them into a wardrobe carton to minimize wrinkling. Tip: One carton holds about two feet of compressed clothing.  
• Wardrobe cartons are must-haves, especially when it comes to packing your nicer pieces.  
• If you don’t use wardrobe cartons (you really should), remove each piece of clothing from its hanger, fold it, and place it in a suitcase or a box lined with packing paper.  
• Protect blankets, sheets, towels and pillowcases with a sheet of packing paper lining the bottom of your boxes.  
• Be sure to wash any dirty clothes before packing them up. Nobody wants to deal with that chore with so much other settling in stuff to do. 
• Seal the boxes with packing tape. 

Shoes and Accessories

Shoes are a significant investment both in terms of comfort and cost. Here’s how to help ensure they arrive without a scratch or scuff: 

• It’s best to move shoes in their original boxes. The next best thing would be to wrap shoes in packing paper before putting them in a larger box. Be sure to keep each pair together.   
• Wrap your more valuable or fragile items in bubble wrap for added protection.  
• Take expensive jewelry pieces with you to reduce the risk of them getting lost or misplaced.  
• We recommend packing your hats together in boxes. Don’t put too many hats in one box to avoid damaging them.  

Books  

Before we get to the tips, we suggest you downsize your library by donating or gifting any books you’ve already read. You can also sell them online or through a secondhand bookseller.  

• Hardcover books can be very heavy. Pack them into smaller boxes so they are still easy to carry.  
• Pack books with alternate spines facing down and up. 
• Wrap collector’s editions, expensive books and picture albums individually with newspaper and separate them with cardboard. 
• Pack all boxes tightly with crumpled packing paper to prevent books from shifting during the move.  

Picture Frames and Wall Décor 

First, think carefully about what goes onto the truck. You may want to take certain heirloom items and irreplaceable photos with you. 

• Wrap framed photos and artwork individually in packing paper and stand them on their edges inside moving boxes.  
• Place a sheet of corrugated paper or small bubble wrap over the glass to prevent scratching, along with cardboard or Styrofoam corner protectors.  
• Fill any extra space with packing material so the frames don’t shift during transit and mark the boxes as “FRAGILE.”  
• Large pieces of artwork should be packed separately in specialty mirror or frame boxes.  

Beds and Mattresses  

Here’s how to pack two of a bedroom’s most bulky and awkward items: 

• Most bedframes are designed to be disassembled. If you’re comfortable doing this yourself, be sure you place all screws, nuts, and bolts in a sealable plastic bag that is clearly labeled and put it in your parts box.  
• Pack up your washed pillows, blankets and sheets in a large box.  
• Many moving companies, Mayflower included, can supply you with a special mattress carton to protect it from dirt and dust during the move.  
• If you have a specialty mattress such as a memory foam mattress, be sure to store it flat. 

Tip: Is it better to pack up your old mattress or buy a new one? Check out our “Take or Toss” article. 

Bedroom Furniture and Rugs  

Like other rooms in your home, packing bedroom furniture is largely a matter of padding and protection. 

• Cover any exposed furniture surfaces with packing paper, bubble wrap or moving blankets. If you disassemble any furniture, place screws, nuts, and bolts into a bag and label it.  
• Wrap furniture legs with bubble wrap and attach them to the furniture with shrink wrap.  
• Send area rugs out to be professionally cleaned. This way, they’ll be rolled up and ready to go on the moving truck. 

TVs  

Packing TVs can be tricky.  

• Detach cords, roll them up, and store them in a separate, well-labeled bag or box.  
• If possible, pack your TV in its original box and packaging materials.  
• If you don’t have the original box, wrap your TV screen securely in bubble wrap to help prevent it from getting scratched or cracked but avoid taping directly to the TV. 

Mayflower Can Help You With Moves of Any Size and Distance  

Trust Mayflower to take the hassle out of your cross-country move. Our customized, full-service moving packages can cover all your moving needs. Mayflower’s experienced agents can manage storage, packing, unpacking, car shipping, debris removal and more.   

When you’re ready to make a move, our blog offers a wealth of ideas to streamline your move and help you settle in. And our digital magazine, Welcome HOME, can help simplify and streamline your move.   

Get a no-obligation quote today.