Then flex all folds of the box to reduce the pressure to spring back when trying to hold the box in position to tape.

With the flaps folded down, open the box, flip it over, and place it on something the height of a chair so you don't have to bend down to work. 

Tape the bottom of the box, with three strips of tape going perpendicular to the seam, and one strip centered over the length of the seam. Rub the tape down after applying.

The three strips going perpendicular to the seam should go over the ends by an inch. The strip covering the seam should go over the ends by six inches.

Paper tape has the advantage of being easy to tear by hand, and so not need a tape dispenser.  It's also as strong as a good plastic tape as far as holding the box together.

If you don't fold the flaps down it takes more time and effort to reach in the box, multiplied by the hundreds of times you're going to reach.

To prepare boxes for dishes, first cushion the bottom with crumpled paper, a small pillow or a folded bath towel.  A folded towel can save time and is simpler.

Then bring a stack of plates to your work area.

Tap your fingers on a wet sponge that should be on the table to wet your fingers for much better paper gripping.

Place one plate in the middle of the stack of wrapping paper, and fold two sheets over from a corner.

Repeat folding over the other corners.

With all four corners folded in, leave the dish there.

Bring the next plate over and place it on top of the wrapped plate.

Fold two more sheets in from all four corners  covering both plates.

You now have two plates wrapped without removing either plate.

Repeat with additional plates until the stack is so high the paper doesn't fold over completely.

Then flip the plate bundle over and use two sheets to wrap around the stack from the other side.

Place your dish bundles parallel to the short direction of a small box, and fill any remaining space with crumpled paper or soft & light things.

Then, fill in the remaining space above the dishes with a folded towel, or crumpled paper.

Tape the top closed, 3 rows of tape across the top, and one strip down the flaps-joining center.  Remember to rub the tape down good to make it stick.

Then label the box in the upper right corner with the room it's from, a description of the contents, and any warning needed.

If you forget to fold the flaps down before you tape the bottom of the box, you can  just tape the flaps down to make the reach easier.

A "Dish Barrel Box" has a separation insert, & costs a lot more ($16), but it better protects your dishes.

Create crumpled paper anywhere you want protection.  Flat paper does very little to protect breakables. 

Try to keep things that are going in one box all from the same area to make unboxing easier. Only fragile or scratchabe things need paper wrapping

But if you place a fragile thing surrounded by "soft" or non-hard things you can skip the paper wrapping on that item. 

Put things from the same drawer in the same box.  Use plastic bags to group together things that would be hard to separate later.

Make sure the lids of all containers with liquids are on tight.  It's even better to also put them in a sealed bag to protect against spills (or don't take them).

It's a good idea to make an "Electronics" box for all remotes, cables, phone chargers, cords, and other small accessories. 

Either you or the moving crew can stretch-wrap a lot of things right in place.

It's a higher end job if the more easily damageable things get wrapped in paper.

but you can put many individual items rolled up in the same sheet of paper.

It's a higher-end job if you stretch wrap bundles of silverware, to prevent any rubbing or scratching.

But you can do a quicker job by just stretch wrapping the whole silverware set holder, so it doesn't spill if the box is tipped.

For large fragile things, place them in a box with pillows & soft things.  So save soft things for this use.

You can leave larger items for the movers to prepare, but every extra thing you do saves you money.

For TV's, it's best to use a TV box because it has spacer foam corners that create an air gap to prevent pressure against the screen.

If your move situation allows it, it can save time and expense to put a TV in a passenger car, but it's a little more risky.

You can prepare to box-up your non-plasma TV laying it down.  But tilting a Plasma TV more than a little can ruin the screen.

After stretch wrapping the corners on, without ever touching the screen, slide it into the smaller end of the TV box.

Pictures that will fit in a medium or large  box should be bubble wrapped, and placed in descending size order, making sure frame supports frame.

Fill the remaining space above and to the sides of the pictures with a pillow, folded towel, clothes, or crumpled paper to make it firm.

For pictures that are too big to go in large moving boxes, the moving crew can blanket-wrap them and place them frame on frame, in descending size order, all on a folded up blanket in the "mom's attic" .

But foam corners put in a picture box is the best protection.  It just costs $9 for the foam corners &  $8 for a medium picture box. Less than this and you are taking a small risk of damage.

Multiple pictures should never go in a picture box without frame-on-frame sizes, bubble wrap around each, and stuffing to hold them in place if they could slide or move up and down.

The most frequent cause of picture damage is when they are stacked up when taken off the walls.   

The back side of a  picture has the sharp protrusions that can damage the front side of another picture. So stack back to back.

Coats, or bulky fabrics (even hanging clothes) can go in garbage bags (50 cents ea.)   

Or hanging clothes can be folded into medium boxes ($2.24 each by the bundle), 

Table lamps can go in large boxes, padded on the bottom with crumpled paper, pillows, or bulky fabrics

First unscrew the cap and take the shade off. It's better to never touch the fabric of the shade, only the metal.

Remove the harp by lifting up the little bell shaped things, and squeezing the wires towards each other.

Screw the cap back on the harp, & wrap the harp in paper.

label the harp, & which lamp it goes to (they're not all the same)

Multiple shades can go over each other, small to Large, but add a sheet of wrapping paper between them.

or use a rubber band to bundle the cord.

Wrap the lamp base in bubble wrap.  Then use a little piece of  tape to hold the bubble wrap together.

Put it in the cushioned box standing upright, & fill in between multiple lamps with bulky fabrics, a coat, or crumpled paper. 

If you a lay lamp base on it's side it's more likely to break.  

Wrap the light bulbs individually in crumpled paper, taped together in a group, and add to your lamp box.

Label the box with the "up" direction, and the primary room name  "Livingroom Lamps" so the crew knows which room to bring it to when unloading.

Lamp shades that don't fit over each other get their own box, with crumpled paper on all sides, or wrapped in a blanket or coat.

If your moving crew shows up and you don't have a lamp boxed up, they can find a place to just lay it down.

There's places to tuck things in nestled in a blanket.  The shades cab be put in garbage bags or a box & placed on top or in a cabinet.

Pole lamps can be bubble wrapped, go in pole lamp boxes, and have pillows or coats stuffed around them.