How to Create a Craft Picture Puzzle
Create a sentimental and challenging gift for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or the birthday of a friend, family member or teacher. Turn a favorite photo into a clever picture puzzle that the recipient can assemble to discover a meaningful vacation, birthday, wedding, anniversary or group photo. The completed puzzle will also reveal a heartfelt or humorous message on the back. Teach kids the simple craft technique to keep them busy on a rainy day as they make puzzles for one another to complete.
Things You'll Need
- 4-by-6 inch photo
- Cardstock, poster board or chipboard
- Scissors
- Double-sided tape or glue
- Marker
- Tissue paper
- Gift bag or padded envelope
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose a 4-by-6-inch photo and a piece of heavy cardstock, poster board or chipboard.
-
2
Cut the piece cardstock, poster board or chipboard into a photo mat that's a half inch wider than the picture on all sides.
-
-
3
Affix the photo to the mat securely with strips of double-sided tape. If you'd rather use glue or a glue stick, apply the adhesive sparingly to prevent the picture from warping, and then allow the project to dry overnight.
-
4
Write a message for the recipient on the back of the photo mat with a colorful marker. Add a personal note, a meaningful song lyric, an inside joke, favorite lines from a movie, a famous quote or a poem, for example.
-
5
Cut the matted photo into puzzle pieces. Create puzzle pieces with gently curving edges, jigsaw puzzle-like notches or simple straight cuts.
-
6
Wrap the unassembled puzzle pieces in tissue paper and present them to the recipient in a decorative gift bag. If you'd prefer, mail the photo puzzle pieces in a padded envelope.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
To create a bigger puzzle, enlarge the image using a home photo printer, a color copy machine or a local photo lab. If you don't have photographs available, use magazine advertisements, children's artwork, a bumper sticker or any other image to complete the picture puzzle activity. Make a double-sided craft picture puzzle by affixing a photo to both sides of the poster board instead of writing a message on the back of the mat. If you make a mistake while cutting the photo into puzzle pieces and need to start the project over, don't discard the pieces from the first attempt. Use the whimsical shapes to create other crafts like a puzzle piece wreath, a decorated picture frame or collage.
Supervise children closely or have an adult do the cutting. Protect your work surface with a piece of cardboard or a self-healing mat if you're using a craft knife to cut the puzzle.
