Making Jigsaw Puzzles

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What Do You Get Out Of Making Jigsaws

This is a real craft hobby. You can increase the level of complexity, design and finish as you learn. However it is a great pastime.

Making jigsaw puzzles in wood or cardboard effectively makes you a professional jigsaw puzzle maker. You can make fabulous gifts for friends and family and really personalize those puzzles.

You can establish a brand of your own with special cuts and have them signed, dated and kept for posterity by the recipient.

The sense of satisfaction is immense.

Pictures

You can of course use photographs, pictures and even your own artwork as the puzzle picture. For a detailed look at what you can do see our pages on Photos and Artwork.


For Photos you can get the best photo you can to suit the purpose. You may wish to have a photo of friends and family, a pet, a sporting occasion, some fabulous scenery, sunsets, the sky at night or indeed anyone of an amazing range of possibilities. Just keep the photo as a digital file on your PC ready to print.

For Artwork create any picture you want keeping in mind the challenge you want to give the recipient. Again, you may have artwork of scenery, pets, people, buildings, town scenes, the beach, animals, trains, cars, boats or any of the amazing possibilities.

You may wish to use an existing photograph or picture that is the best for this puzzle.

The next step in making jigsaw puzzles is to scan the image onto your PC ready to print.

Making Jigsaw Puzzles Materials

You must now decide on the materials to be used. You may well choose from sturdy foam or more likely wood or cardboard.

For safety be sure you have the right equipment to cut the chosen material, the right safety equipment and know exactly what you are doing. You may well have a helpful local DIY store who will help.

Making Jigsaw Puzzles - Picture

Print the puzzle picture onto medium thickness paper. The thicker the paper your printer will take the better.

Experiment with different papers until you feel comfortable with it.

Making Jigsaw Puzzles - Picture Mounting

You can mount the picture into the backing material with a glue such as white glue. For a more professional making jigsaw puzzles touch ask a local store to do dry mounting.

Now use a mounting spray to complete the job. Again, ask local experts on the correct safety procedure here and the best methods.

Making Jigsaw puzzles - Draw Out The Pattern

Now draw out the jigsaw pattern. You can make up your own pattern.

There are lots of puzzle patterns and your own design will be just fine.

As you learn you will be able to see how to interact with the image and cut along color and pattern lines.

Making Jigsaw Puzzles - The Cut

Now arrange for the backing material to be cut. For safety I have to recommend that you ask an expert to do this for you. They may use an appropriate knife for foam and a scroll saw for cardboard and wood.

Please be sure you use the correct safety procedures for making jigsaw puzzles.

Making Jigsaw Puzzles - Finish

Finish off the puzzle by sanding it lightly. Smooth edges are important, particularly if a child will use the puzzle.

After all this fun crafting you will have a fabulous puzzle to be very proud of.

Making Jigsaw Puzzles - Keep Learning

There are many ways to improve your skills.

You will get better at choosing puzzle pictures and know what makes a challenging jigsaw.

The cuts you use will be refined by the puzzle picture, hugging color separations, challenging the puzzler with hard to connect colors and difficult cuts.

The early puzzle makers in UK introduced so called whimsys which were personal puzzle piece shapes. They made the puzzle harder to do.

You may choose not to include the picture with the puzzle.

Also the puzzle will need a box or a bag to hold the pieces.

Sign the puzzle for posterity.

See our accessories page for frames and glue to finish the puzzle in style.

I hope you have a great time making jigsaw puzzles. I know everyone will appreciate those precious gifts.

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