How to Make Solving Solve a Jigsaw Puzzle Easy

Solving jigsaw puzzles can be a fun past time: it's good for your mental acuity and it's just plain satisfying to see it come together. But, if you ever want to get above a 100 piece puzzle you make the whole process easier and more pleasant for yourself.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cookie sheets or take-out food trays
• Large board
• Good light

1. I admit it, I'm a jigsaw puzzle addict. Sometimes I'll do one right after another for months. For me, it's an easy way to occupy my hands so that my mind can think the deeper thoughts. I think of it as therapy. But I don't just work the pieces straight out of the box...that would drive me crazy!

2. Sorting is the key to success. The first thing I do is pour the pieces into a large bowl and sort looking for the four corners and the straight edges. It won't take too long before you have the majority of the pieces. Toss them into the lid of the puzzle box.

3. Now, get 3-4 cookie sheets. I have also used fast food trays (but I refuse to say how I got them home on the grounds that it might incriminate me!). Using the same bowl of pieces, see what the most common color is. Pick out the pieces that include that color and toss them onto one of the trays. It doesn't have to be perfect. Before long, you'll have the majority of the pieces into color groups and your bowl empty. Turn all the pieces right side up so you can see them.

4. 

   I like to have a large piece of cardboard to work my puzzles on. Make sure it's big enough to fit the entire puzzle. Helpful hint: between puzzling sessions, just slide the entire thing under the couch. Now it's out of the way and won't get messed up. Sometimes I'll even put an edge on the bottom made out of folded masking tape so I can do the smaller puzzles on my lap without spilling the pieces.

5. 

   Grab your straight edges and dump them out on your base. Turn them all right side up and get to assembling. Before long you'll have all four edges done. Don't fret if you're missing a few pieces, they're on your trays someplace.

6. Some puzzlers like to work from the edges in, just matching the patterns as they go. Some puzzlers prefer to work "vignettes" or small pictures within the puzzle: Zoo puzzle, work the zebras first. It doesn't matter, because you have your trays organized by color they'll be easy to search. Now it's just a matter of solving the puzzle. Another tip: those trays and the box can be stored with the puzzle under your couch.

Tips & Warnings

• When you open the puzzle for the first time, blow out the dust so it doesn't get everywhere
• When you're finished, donate them to a senior center or to goodwill
• If you love the picture, glue it together and frame it!
• Photography based puzzles are harder than those that are paintings or drawings.
• Did you know that Walmart can make a custom puzzle out your pics? Cool!
• Jigsaw puzzles can become addictive!

[showpup]

on 3/11/2009 Awesome! Love your puzzle tips! I'm going to hunt up some cardboard for my next puzzle now. I love them but always afraid my puzzle project will get in the way or lose pieces. Thanks for the tips. 5*

[writedesign]

on 3/10/2009 I do puzzles on rainy days. Great advice. 5*