Crafting a Safe Haven: How to Build a Wooden Crate for Shipping Fragile Ceramic Sculptures

Kosmas Ballis

Making sure your artwork will get to its destination in one piece is very important. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to build a wood crate for shipping fragile ceramic sculpture.

Materials:

  • Plywood sheets (at least 3/8 inch thick)
  • Wood glue
  • Wood screws
  • Foam padding
  • Packing peanuts or bubble wrap
  • Packaging tape
  • Screwdriver
  • Saw
  • Measuring tape

Step 1: Measure the sculpture Measure the dimensions of your ceramic sculpture. You will need to add at least 2 inches to each dimension to account for padding and the thickness of the wood.

Step 2: Cut the plywood Using a saw, cut four pieces of plywood to the dimensions you just measured. These will be the sides of the crate.

Step 3: Assemble the sides Using wood glue and screws, attach the sides together to form a box shape. Make sure the corners are square and the sides are flush.

Step 4: Add the base Cut a piece of plywood to the same size as the bottom of the crate. Attach it to the bottom of the crate using wood glue and screws.

Step 5: Add padding Line the bottom of the crate with foam padding. This will protect the sculpture from impact.

Step 6: Wrap the sculpture Wrap the ceramic sculpture in foam padding or bubble wrap, making sure it is completely covered.

Step 7: Place the sculpture in the crate Place the wrapped sculpture in the center of the crate, on top of the foam padding.

Step 8: Fill the remaining space with packing peanuts Fill any empty space in the crate with packing peanuts. This will prevent the sculpture from moving around during shipping.

Step 9: Seal the crate Close the lid of the crate and seal it with packaging tape. Make sure all seams are securely taped.

That’s it! Your crate is now ready for shipping. Here are some links to where you can buy the supplies you need:

I hope this tutorial was helpful! Good luck with your ceramic sculpture shipment.

Leave a Reply