Making A Picture Puzzle

Making a puzzle out of your favorite pictures can be very entertaining for you and your children. This process is not very difficult to complete, you will have to follow some simple instructions. No need to throw away your old pictures, now you have a new way of having fun with them, by creating a puzzle. Here is what you should do:

First of all you will have to gather all the materials that you will need for this process: a large picture, rubber cement, clear packing tape, two pieces 1/4 "x10"x12"plywood, band saw, scroll saw or jigsaw, paint and thumbtacks. Now, lay the picture(s) out one on of the pieces of wood in the way that you want the puzzle to look like in the end. You have the possibility to use different sizes of wood for different puzzles. However, make sure that you leave a border of about one inch all the way around.

By using the rubber cement, you will have to glue the pictures down to the wood in the order that you want. After gluing, draw the shape you desire for the puzzle around the outside. Now, time has come to start cutting it out. You should start by cutting around the edges of the puzzle, which will give you the border and the full puzzle. Next, take the border piece and glue it to the second full piece. This will be the back and frame of your puzzle. After the glue is completely dry, you have the possibility to paint or stain the frame in order to match the picture(s) you have used for the actual puzzle.

Now, time has come to take the piece with the puzzle and cover it by using the packing tape, making sure that you cut the ends in order to match the shape so that the pieces will fit in. This step is not obligatory, but it will help you preserve the picture so that the puzzle will last longer. Moving on, you will now have to draw the shapes of the puzzle pieces on the pictures by using a marker. You have the ability to draw normal puzzle piece shapes, or wavy / straight lines. Do not forget that you will have to cut them out so you will have to make sure that the saw you will be using can make the shapes you are drawing.

Time has come to cut the lines out, and after that sand down any rough edges. Check to see if the edges of the pictures need to be re-glued, and after that put the puzzle together in the frame. Sand again any places that do not fit properly until the puzzle fits together. Now you can add a thumbtack to each of the pieces in order to make them easier to pull out and hold on to. Depending upon your chosen pictures, you can use all of the same color or pick one that matches the colors on that particular piece.