How to Make a Puzzle

Few things are as pleasurable as solving a puzzle. Sitting down alone or with family to solve put all the pieces back together is truly a fun and mentally stimulating experience. But if you want to take the fun of this scrumptious, mental-meal to a whole new level, the perfect appetizer would be to make a puzzle yourself from scratch!

Not only will this allow you to decide on the complexity of the puzzle, but also add a unique layer of adventure and problem solving to the experience. Of course, these DIY puzzles also work as excellent, personalized gifts or toys to keep your young ones busy (and preferably off their phones for a little while!).

Puzzles are special because the rush when everything is back in place, is like nothing else. Here is how you can get the best of the puzzle experience.

After getting the hang of solving jigsaw puzzles physically, you may want to buy one more. Not just for you, but also for your friends or even your family members so that they can join in on the fun.

Puzzles are something fun that's away from the screens, and will also bring you closer by fostering human connection. But they don’t come cheap: the prices of jigsaw puzzles may be too high to sustainably buy whenever you get the itch to solve them. Therefore, making your puzzles at home might just be a good idea.

When making your puzzles at home, some materials may be a little expensive at the beginning, but cheap in the long run. You can create one puzzle after another, at a cheaper price than what you could have spent buying them individually. Another caviar on top—you can sell it after you are done with them for others to also enjoy.

So, have you done the math? It sounds good, right? Well, remember when we said it may be a little bit expensive, we were not only referring to the money part but also the time part. You will need to have enough time so as to understand the materials you will need and also learn how to make your own jigsaw puzzles. Let’s start with the tools and materials that you will need.

Making a DIY puzzle at home can be done with easy-to-find materials. Let’s look at what you will use to make your DIY puzzles before we briefly discuss them:

You will need to have an image that your jigsaw puzzle will be based on. You can design your image, use your family or friends' photos, or even use your children’s artwork—there are a variety of selections that will not limit your creativity. As you select the picture of your choice, make sure it’s clean and visible.

After having your picture ready, you will need to make it more sturdy so that the joining pieces can stay in place as you solve it. For this, you will need a backing board. A foam board or a cardboard of ⅛ to ¼ inch is a good material and size for this ; you can also use your cereal box cardboard as the backing. Always make sure the backing board’s dimensions are slightly larger than the picture you will use.

Now, you will need to stick your picture onto the backing board using an adhesive. Glue is a good choice but not just any glue. Spray adhesives and white glue work well for attaching your picture to foam boards and cardboard.

The rule of thumb is to choose a glue that’s acid free, it spreads evenly and dries clearly with no residue left behind. To apply the glue you will need to use a foam brush which will absorb the glue and disperse it better than a paint brush.

Given the board and the picture are well joined, you will then have to draw your pattern. You will need pencils , erasers , and a ruler to create a grid for your pattern before you design a pattern for your jigsaw puzzle. Then you can use your pencil again to draw the jigsaw patterns, the patterns should be of a consistent shape.

You will need a cutting mat as you prepare to cut your jigsaw puzzle pattern. Cutting mats protect soft surfaces such as wood tables and glass tables from cut marks when you are cutting out your puzzle.

To cut your puzzles you will need a sharp craft knife. This knife makes it easy to cut the curves in your jigsaw puzzle. Make sure to keep them well maintained as dull craft knives will destroy your pattern rather than cutting them.

To make sure your puzzles are safe from dust, moisture, and dirt, apply a clear sealant over your puzzle pieces. Clear sealants such as water-based varnish will give your puzzle pieces a clear fish and make it last for more than 3 years.

For those who want precision and consistency in their puzzle designs, puzzle templates are your go-to option. These are already-built patterns you can find online or from stores. In addition, you can use small shape punches to add variety to your designs.

Other useful tools you will need include:

Before we go into the step-by-step process that you can follow to make your customized puzzles, let’s recap the materials you will need:

Follow the following steps as we show you how to make a jigsaw puzzle at home:

Have your picture ready and make sure it’s clean and visible. Gather a foam board that is clean, flat, and not damaged. The foam board should be ¼ inch thick in size and its dimensions should be slightly larger than your picture.

Use a foam brush to apply glue evenly across the foam board using smooth, overlapping strokes. Work from the center outward. 

Carefully position the image onto the glued surface, starting from one corner and gradually lowering it while smoothing with a clean roller or plastic card to prevent air bubbles. If bubbles appear, gently press them toward the edges.

Use a slightly heavy object(like a book) to place over your image so as to apply slightly even pressure as the glue dries. Allow it to dry for 6-12 hours; the best approach is to leave it to dry overnight.

After your picture has dried, carefully trim the edges to remove the excess foam board from your picture.

Then, with the picture facing down, use a pencil and a ruler to measure and mark five equal sections both horizontally and vertically. Draw lines connecting these marks to create a grid, and confirm to ensure the grid sizes are uniform.

Within each grid section, draw puzzle piece patterns using squares, or ovals jigsaw shapes. The shapes should be consistent but vary the patterns. Make sure to mark them clearly as we get ready to cut them.

Place your picture on the cutting mat. Using a sharp crafting knife, carefully cut one piece at a time as you follow the jigsaw pattern.

Use a paint brush to apply varnish on each of your puzzle pieces. Let it dry for 2-3 hours before you apply another coat. Also, after the second coat, you should let it completely dry.

After the varnish dries completely, test fit all the puzzle pieces.

If you would love to make your puzzles online, some websites and applications offer this. For most of these online tools, you will find they offer free versions and trial periods. Let’s look at some of them:

For this online jigsaw puzzle maker, you start by uploading an image from your computer. To play with other people you will have to pay for the packages available which include school and business packages. 

Interacty is an interactive puzzle maker that you can use to create online branded puzzles with a timer. To use the website you will first need to register for an account . It has 3 plans that you can choose from: individuals, businesses, and enterprises. The free version of this platform has ads. 

Here, you can create personalized crossword puzzles. To make it more fun, use wordplay and word descriptions that you, your friends, or family members are familiar with. To use it you have to be using the Windows operating system and download the app .

You can upload your images for this puzzle maker to create personalized jigsaw puzzles. To create your jigsaw puzzle, you have to register for an account and you will get ads if you are using the free version. 

Just as every journey ends with a final step, our exploration of DIY puzzle-making concludes with endless possibilities ahead. Will you be creating puzzles from cherished photographs of your friends and family or your children’s creative drawings? Whichever pictures you want to create into fun mind games for your kids or unique gifts for your loved one, making puzzles is more than just a hobby—it's a form of storytelling where each piece carries meaning.

So gather your materials, choose your method, and begin your puzzle-making adventure. After all, the most rewarding puzzles are the ones we create ourselves—one piece at a time.