Nicole's Kintsugi

Packaging Guide

How to package your ceramic

Everything you need to get a broken piece to the studio in the condition it left you in. Twenty minutes of careful packing is worth more than any “fragile” sticker.

Why careful packaging matters

Most of the extra damage I see happened in the post rather than in the original accident. A piece that arrives in the four pieces it broke into is straightforward. The same piece arriving in eleven, because the fragments were loose in the box and rubbed against each other for two days, takes longer and costs more.

Broken edges are what a repair is built on. If those edges are chipped, powdered or rounded off in transit, the join will be wider and more of the piece has to be rebuilt. Packing each fragment separately is the whole trick.

Before you start

Materials required

All of it is available from a corner shop or a hardware shop.

  • Two boxes One that fits the piece with room to spare, and a larger one to hold it.
  • Bubble wrap or foam sheet Enough to wrap every fragment separately.
  • Plain paper or acid-free tissue Goes against the ceramic itself. Not newspaper.
  • Loose fill Scrunched paper, foam peanuts or air pillows.
  • Packing tape Parcel tape, not masking or duct tape.
  • A small sealable bag For chips, slivers and anything dust-sized.
  • A marker pen To label the outer box and the fragment bag.

Step by step

Packing your piece

Photographs for each step are being taken and will be added to this page.

  1. Step 1

    Photograph everything first

    Lay the fragments out on a plain surface and take a few photos. It records the condition the piece left you in, and it helps me plan the rebuild before the parcel arrives.

  2. Step 2

    Collect every fragment

    Check the floor, the bin and the vacuum cleaner. Small chips and dust go into the sealable bag — they are often the pieces that make an edge line up properly.

  3. Step 3

    Wrap each fragment on its own

    Plain paper or tissue first, then bubble wrap, then a small piece of tape to hold it. Fragments that touch each other in transit grind their broken edges away, and those edges are what the repair is built on.

  4. Step 4

    Fill the inner box

    Pack the wrapped fragments into the smaller box with loose fill around and between them. Close it and give it a gentle shake — if you can hear or feel anything move, add more fill.

  5. Step 5

    Box the box

    Put the sealed inner box inside the larger one with at least 5cm of fill on every side, including the top and bottom. This is the single most effective thing you can do; it is what absorbs a drop.

  6. Step 6

    Add a note and seal it

    Include a slip of paper with your name, email and phone number, so the parcel can always be matched to your enquiry. Tape all seams, label the outside, and send me the tracking number.

Worth avoiding

Common mistakes

  • Gluing the piece before sending it

    Epoxy and superglue have to be removed before a repair can start, and removal risks the glaze. If it has already been glued, tell me — it is fixable, but it changes the quote.

  • Taping fragments together to hold the shape

    Tape lifts glaze and leaves residue along exactly the edges I need clean. Wrap them apart instead.

  • One bundle instead of separate wraps

    Fragments wrapped together as a group rub against each other for the whole journey and arrive with softened, powdered edges.

  • A box that fits perfectly

    A snug box transfers every knock straight into the contents. You want space and fill, not a tight fit.

  • Newspaper against the ceramic

    Newsprint transfers ink onto porous and unglazed surfaces, especially where a piece is freshly broken. Use plain paper next to the ceramic and keep newspaper for the outer fill.

  • Leaving the small pieces behind

    It is far easier to set a spare chip aside than to rebuild a missing one. Send everything.

Posting it

Shipping recommendations

Use a tracked, insured service
For small and light pieces within the UK, Royal Mail Special Delivery is usually the sensible option. For anything large or heavy, a courier with a parcel insurance option works out better.
Declare a realistic value
Insure it for what it would cost to be without it, within the limits of the service. Most carriers will not cover ceramics that are already broken, so read the terms before you rely on the cover.
Avoid sending on a Friday
A parcel posted late in the week can sit in a depot over the weekend. Monday to Wednesday keeps it moving.
Sending from outside the UK
Describe the contents on the customs form as a used ceramic item sent for repair, and keep the declared value realistic. Let me know it is on its way so I can watch for it.
Tell me when it is posted
Send the tracking number and I will confirm arrival the day it lands, along with photographs of how it reached me.

The studio address is sent with your quotation rather than published here. If you have mislaid it, email studio@nicoleskintsugi.com.

Not sent your photographs yet?

Start with a quote. You’ll get the studio address and a fixed price before you pack anything.

Request a Quote