Some handy tips and tricks to maximise your enjoyment and to help you in any challenging moments of completing a jigsaw puzzle.
SET UP
- Choose the right puzzle for you - Stick to a size that is achievable for you, 3,000 pieces may seem like a fun idea at the time, but once you start you may regret that. If you have never done a puzzle before you may wish to complete a 500 piece jigsaw. However a 1,000 piece puzzle is considered a challenge but still easy enough to complete, especially with the below tips and tricks. Out of our collection the Classic As puzzle is a great puzzle to start off with as is our easiest of our range, but if you are looking for more of a challenge the Golden Hour puzzle is for you.
- Choose a suitable workspace - Make sure the area you choose will be able to fit the size of the finished puzzles, the PieceHouse puzzles are 75cm wide x 52cm high. Consider using a puzzle mat or a large piece of cardboard so then you don't hog the dining or coffee table while you complete the puzzle.
IT'S PUZZLE TIME
- Find all the edge pieces - You can then create the border of the jigsaw puzzle this will help you get an understanding of the overall size.
- Sort by colour - If you get seperate out the main colours first into seperate piles, then it becomes manageable to work with the pieces and to form sections of the puzzle. For pieces that have no main colour, put them in a pile together and you can look to them later as you build your puzzle.
- Seperate unique pieces - Some pieces may be recognisable to a certain part of the puzzle, these are pieces like parts of text or a particular pattern that is in a recognisable spot of the puzzle, you can make seperate piles for these to build on sections as you collect more of those pieces.
DURING THE COMPLETION
- Work on small sections at a time - By piecing together small sections at a time you are able to start forming the puzzle quicker and you can get a small win/sense of satisfaction as particular sections are completed. Place these sections roughly where they would be positioned.
- Consider the puzzle piece shape - There are varying shaped pieces different configurations of 'ins' and 'outs', in areas that have a large area of a similar colour it is a good idea to then organise the pieces by their shapes, so then you can see the area that a piece is required and recognise the shape that will fit this position.
- Take a break - A puzzle takes a while to complete, make sure you enjoy the process by not putting too much pressure on yourself to complete it in a certain time frame, enjoy the relaxing, mindful nature of the process of putting the puzzle together. You will also come back with fresh eyes the next time you sit down to complete it.
FINAL PIECE
- Enjoy the satisfaction of putting the last piece in place
- Consider doing the Puzzle Pick Up Challenge - If you haven't heard of this, check out our Instagram videos here. It is where you physically pick up the completed puzzle for a bit of fun! Tip: Confidence is key!
