How to Turn a Photo Into a Puzzle

Photos make great gifts for family and friends and there are unique ways that you can turn your photo into a gift. While some people opt to put their photo on a coffee mug or article of clothing, you can turn a photo into a puzzle by following these easy steps.

Things You'll Need

• Glue
• Enlarged photo
• Cardboard, poster board, foam board, etc.
• Scissors or exactoknife
• Pen, markers or pencil

Instructions

1. Enlarge the photo. The first step is to select the photo you want to turn into a puzzle and get it enlarged. There is no specific size for how big the photo needs to be although many people prefer to get a poster size print since this allows for more pieces to the puzzle.

2. Mount the photo on cardboard, poster board or foam board. You can choose the exact material you want to use as backing for the puzzle. Some people opt to use poster board since it is easier to cut out puzzle pieces, while others prefer cardboard or foam board since they provide better durability. Regardless of what you choose, you will want to ensure that you cover every part of the photo with glue to ensure it sticks once all the pieces of the puzzle are cut apart.

3. Trim off excess backing. Once the photo has been glued on, then you can cut off the excess cardboard, poster board or foam board that is around the picture. Make sure that you get it exact with the edge of the picture.

4. Draw the design of the puzzle on the back. Flip the photo puzzle over to the backing. Take a pen, pencil or marker and draw the design of the puzzle pieces out. You can use your creativity when doing this and make any type of design. Some people opt to use stars, while others go for swirls, twist and turns. Should you want a traditional puzzle, you can go with the traditional jigsaw shapes.

5. Cut out the puzzle pieces. Once the design has been done on the backing, you can take scissors or an Exacto knife to cut out each piece. Ensure that you keep all pieces together by placing them in a large envelope or container.

6. Give the photo puzzle as a gift. After you have the puzzle in many different pieces, you can put the pieces in a container and give them to a family member or friend as a gift. You both will have fun reconstructing the photo as you put the pieces together.

Tips & Warnings

• Give the glue adequate time to dry before cutting pieces apart.