How to Make Wardrobe Boxes for Moving House
Quality wardrobe boxes can be expensive yet they are surprisingly simple to make, allowing you to cut the costs of moving house. Whether you’re packing up your clothes to move or to go into storage, you’ll want to make the process as easy as possible. Using a cardboard box as a wardrobe is the best way you can pack your clothes to ensure they are fully protected.
Most removal companies will be able to provide you with wardrobe boxes, but it will cost you extra. To save money, you can make your own wardrobe boxes from items you already have. By using wardrobe boxes when moving house, you’ll not only save money, but you’ll save time as you can simply just transfer them straight from the box to your new house.
Compare My Move have put together a few simple steps describing how to make your cardboard wardrobe box, including a diagram to make things even easier.
Making Your Own Wardrobe Box
To make your own wardrobe box for moving house, you’ll first need a tall box. Your local supermarket or café will have various sizes of cardboard boxes they need to get rid of and sites such as Gumtree are always giving away free cardboard boxes locally. Alternatively, friends and family might have cardboard boxes lying around waiting to be recycled.
The recommended dimensions for the ideal box size is 51 cm x 53 cm x 122 cm, according to most removal companies. Aim to find the tallest box you can get your hands on as you’ll be packing long pieces of clothing such as dresses and trousers. It should be long enough to hold your coats as well.
Whilst you can make your own wardrobe box, if you're looking for a move that is completely stress-free, we can provide you with high-quality, durable packing boxes to help with your packing.
To make a wardrobe box, you will need:
- Tall cardboard box with dimensions roughly 51 cm x 53 cm x 122 cm-
- A rail or pole, or something similar to hold the clothes
- Brown tape to secure the box
- Label to make it easier for unpacking
We’ve put together a step by step diagram, so you know exactly how to make your own cardboard wardrobe box.
Step 1
Cut out an opening flap to easily place the clothes in once you’ve assembled the wardrobe box. Cut from where the top flap meets the rim of the box - it is best to use a sharp knife for this. You should then slice down the edges of the box on both sides cutting to about a third of the way down. Fold the top flap inwards and the newly cut section outwards. This will create a fold-out section for your wardrobe box. Creating the flap will make the process of loading and unpacking the clothes even easier for you.
Step 2
Next, you should create a hole on both sides of the cardboard box so you can easily slot in the rail or pole to hang your clothes. Cut the holes on either side of the wardrobe box just beneath the top rim as you are going to need to be able to close the flaps when it comes to taping everything up. Don't cut the holes too big, however, as there's a risk it could tear, making a bigger hole. The holes should be just big enough to fit the hanger pole.
Step 3
Work out the size of the rail you need by measuring the width of the box. You can buy fairly inexpensive hanger rails from DIY shops like IKEA or B&Q or online sites such as eBay or Amazon. Alternatively, something similar in weight and length would do the job, something that you may already have lying around the house. Place the pole or rail through the holes to create a hanger for your clothes.
Step 4
Once you’ve fitted the pole, you can start adding your clothes on their hangers into the self-made wardrobe box. Load one garment at a time and review the structure of the box so you do not overload the clothes rail. Secure it with brown tape and don’t forget to label the box to make things easier when it comes to unpacking.
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Where to Buy Wardrobe Boxes for Moving
You may prefer to save time by buying your wardrobe boxes already assembled. Most removal companies will provide a packing service or the option of buying a wardrobe box, providing you request it before booking the move. If you have any specific requirements for your move, make sure you mention them when requesting a house removal quote.
Alternatively, many hardware and online shops offer competitive prices for their wardrobe boxes and often have bulk buy deals. You might be able to find such deals on websites such as Amazon and eBay.
Cost of Wardrobe Boxes
It's free to make your own wardrobe box when moving, but you might prefer to just buy one ready made. We've researched the cost of wardrobe boxes to save you the hassle. We've listed a range of well known shops such as The Big Yellow Self Storage, as well as some independent online websites and their costs. All prices listed below are correct as of July 2021:
| Company | 1 Wardrobe Box | Pack of 3 | Pack of 5 | Pack of 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packing Boxes | £10.40 | £29.24 | £41.61 | £76.47 |
| Macro Packaging | £7.00 | £24.90 | £40.50 | £80.00 |
| Kite Packaging | £7.34 | £22.02 | £32.75 | £57.00 |
| The Big Yellow Self Storage | £9.14 | £27.41 | £45.69 | £91.38 |
| Pheonix Supplies | N/A | £23.99 | £33.99 | £62.99 |
The cheapest for one box is £7.00 from Macro Packaging, but if you require 3 wardrobe boxes, the cost increases to £24.90 which is still cheaper than other deals we could find online. However, many sites will offer bulk buy deals and cheaper prices if you buy more than one. For example, Kite Packaging sells their wardrobe boxes per unit, with their bundle deals offering the cheapest we could find.
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To save even more money on your home removal, get connected with Compare My Move and we'll provide you with up to 6 professional removal companies in your area. We'll also save you up to 70% on the cost as well.
