How to Make Puzzles With Recycled Cardboard as a Home Business

These steps will help you put together your very own jigsaw puzzle business.

If you love puzzles, enjoy recycling and have ever wondered about starting your own home business, consider putting your interests together. Creating puzzles with recycled cardboard can be a rewarding home business. After all, what's better than making money at home while doing something you love while being kind to the planet? The proliferation of social commerce sites like Etsy.com and CraftMall.com makes selling handcrafted goods easier than ever.

Things You'll Need

• Vintage cardboard
• Scissors, for hand trimming the cardboard
• Jigsaw puzzle machine
• Burlap
• Ribbon
• Picture of the completed puzzle
• Access to the Internet, for research

Instructions

1. Think of an angle. When selling handcrafted items, you want to create something special---something that can't be found in a department store. One great idea is to use vintage cardboard. When you do this, you don't even need to cover your cardboard with a picture.

2. Acquire access to a jigsaw puzzle machine. You can cut out the cardboard by hand, but this process is time consuming. If you are serious about selling puzzles for profit you should buy, rent or borrow an electric jigsaw puzzle machine. They come in different sizes and price ranges and work with multiple cardboard thicknesses.

3. Locate cardboard. You will need lots of cardboard for your puzzles, especially if you are looking for interesting cardboard that will make fun puzzles without adding a picture. Be creative! Consider using old cardboard calendars or vintage game boxes that are broken or no longer contain games. Place an ad on craigslist.com or freecycle.com and have people bring their old cardboard to you.

4. Cut down the cardboard so that it is the appropriate size for your jigsaw puzzle machine and glue and cut the puzzle according to your machine's directions.

5. Package the puzzle. Instead of purchasing puzzle boxes, consider cute, crafty alternatives, like burlap bags tied with ribbon. Attach a picture of the completed puzzle to the bag.

6. Find places to market and sell your jigsaw puzzles. Participate in local craft fairs, approach a gallery or small craft store, or sell your puzzles on online craft sites, such as etsy.com.

Tips & Warnings

• Think strategically. Personalizing puzzles and making puzzles that commemorate events can lead to guaranteed sales.

References

• " Woman'sDay.com"; Make a Little Extra Money Hawking Your Homemade Goods; Corbin Robinson; August 25, 2009

Resources

• World Environmental Organization: 100 Top Recycling Sites