I've really gotten into doing puzzles after not doing them for 30 years...

[Freedomisneverfree]

The last time I did a puzzle (before now) was about 30 years ago and did them with my mom. She died 30 years ago and I lost interest, I found a cool under the sea puzzle and decided to do it. After finally finishing it, my cat liked sitting on it. I shewed her away but she kept laying on it. One day her nail took up a few pieces (it was not deliberate on her part) but she pulled it up and when I was telling her no, she panicked and took up a good portion of the puzzle. I had to start over. This time I bought some poster board made of thin material and learned my lesson. Now I have another puzzle, 1000 pieces and those pieces are tiny! I keep all puzzles on the board making them mobile when I need to.

If you have done puzzles, what tips do you have?

I need to go to Hobby Lobby to get the puzzle glue to glue it down. Yes, I am framing my puzzles and one man offered to build me a frame!

 

[Twisted Gypsy Child]

The last time I did a puzzle (before now) was about 30 years ago and did them with my mom. She died 30 years ago and I lost interest, I found a cool under the sea puzzle and decided to do it. After finally finishing it, my cat liked sitting on it. I shewed her away but she kept laying on it. One day her nail took up a few pieces (it was not deliberate on her part) but she pulled it up and when I was telling her no, she panicked and took up a good portion of the puzzle. I had to start over. This time I bought some poster board made of thin material and learned my lesson. Now I have another puzzle, 1000 pieces and those pieces are tiny! I keep all puzzles on the board making them mobile when I need to.

If you have done puzzles, what tips do you have?

I need to go to Hobby Lobby to get the puzzle glue to glue it down. Yes, I am framing my puzzles and one man offered to build me a frame!

I wanted to write this myself, but I found it easier to search and copy. This one sums up EXACTLY the method I use.
My favorite puzzle is: Favorite Puzzle

When I start a new one, as I'm flipping all the pieces over so that they're right side up, I pull out any border pieces and set them aside, usually in the box the puzzle came in. They're easy to find because you know they will have at least one side that is a straight edge; your 4 corner pieces are the only pieces that'll have 2 straight edges.

Once all my border pieces are pulled, I'll begin putting the border together.

From there, I usually like to find a specific area or thing on the puzzle to work on first. Usually whatever seems easiest because those pieces should stand out more in a sea of random pieces. For example, if the puzzle is of a night sky with the moon and a lightning strike, I'm gonna start with the moon, as it should be easy to find 10 or so grey pieces out of about 990 black pieces. So I pull the obvious moon pieces and put it together. Then, since there's a lightning strike, I know that any black pieces with a white line thru them are going to be the lightning strike. So I go through and pull all the black pieces that have a white line and put the lightning strike together.

I keep doing this so on & so forth to dwindle down the remaining pieces.

However, this is only helpful to an extent if your puzzle isn't as much busy. If the design is more of one solid color, or a gradient of colors, I sort by colors and then start piecing them in with the border and working my way inward.

Once I get down to a lower number of pieces that all look the same, I like to sort them by shape by these groupings: pieces with no outward tabs (all 4 sides cut inward), pieces with only 1 tab, pieces with 2 tabs, pieces with 3 tabs, and then pieces with all 4 sides containing tabs. I'll line them all up in their groups with all tabs facing the same direction. This helps when you've got a good portion of the puzzle done because if you're looking for a piece that you've already got 2 or 3 of its surrounding pieces put together, you're gonna know "Okay this piece I'm looking for here is gonna have at least 2 tabs because the piece to the right of it and the piece below it have inserts.

 

[Concerned American]

The last time I did a puzzle (before now) was about 30 years ago and did them with my mom. She died 30 years ago and I lost interest, I found a cool under the sea puzzle and decided to do it. After finally finishing it, my cat liked sitting on it. I shewed her away but she kept laying on it. One day her nail took up a few pieces (it was not deliberate on her part) but she pulled it up and when I was telling her no, she panicked and took up a good portion of the puzzle. I had to start over. This time I bought some poster board made of thin material and learned my lesson. Now I have another puzzle, 1000 pieces and those pieces are tiny! I keep all puzzles on the board making them mobile when I need to.

If you have done puzzles, what tips do you have?

I need to go to Hobby Lobby to get the puzzle glue to glue it down. Yes, I am framing my puzzles and one man offered to build me a frame!

The grand kids have a lazy susan-style spinner that they put under the board that they puzzle on. Makes it easy to spin to adjust your view. LOL, I knew a lady some years ago who liked puzzles to the extent that she bought one that was 1000 pieces and totally white--the opposite side was totally black. She completed it -- twice (both sides). I just told her that she had it bad for puzzles.

 

[Freedomisneverfree]

Wow! thanks for great advice. Something I found (by accident) is when I stand up and look down at the pieces, I can solve it faster vs. sitting down and having glare and other annoyances.

I, too take the border edge pieces and try to find those right away. I like to get that done first and then really dig into the meat of the puzzle

This 1000 piece is so big, I have two poster boards, one for the edges and one for the middle pieces.

 

[Concerned American]

Wow! thanks for great advice. Something I found (by accident) is when I stand up and look down at the pieces, I can solve it faster vs. sitting down and having glare and other annoyances.

I, too take the border edge pieces and try to find those right away. I like to get that done first and then really dig into the meat of the puzzle

This 1000 piece is so big, I have two poster boards, one for the edges and one for the middle pieces.

Here is another type of puzzle that my friend used to do. Three Dimensional--but it is pieces just like a flat puzzle.

Wrebbit3D Puzzles

Wrebbit3D Puzzles

wrebbit3dpuzzle.com

 

[Freedomisneverfree]

I wanted to write this myself, but I found it easier to search and copy. This one sums up EXACTLY the method I use.
My favorite puzzle is: Favorite Puzzle

When I start a new one, as I'm flipping all the pieces over so that they're right side up, I pull out any border pieces and set them aside, usually in the box the puzzle came in. They're easy to find because you know they will have at least one side that is a straight edge; your 4 corner pieces are the only pieces that'll have 2 straight edges.

Once all my border pieces are pulled, I'll begin putting the border together.

From there, I usually like to find a specific area or thing on the puzzle to work on first. Usually whatever seems easiest because those pieces should stand out more in a sea of random pieces. For example, if the puzzle is of a night sky with the moon and a lightning strike, I'm gonna start with the moon, as it should be easy to find 10 or so grey pieces out of about 990 black pieces. So I pull the obvious moon pieces and put it together. Then, since there's a lightning strike, I know that any black pieces with a white line thru them are going to be the lightning strike. So I go through and pull all the black pieces that have a white line and put the lightning strike together.

I keep doing this so on & so forth to dwindle down the remaining pieces.

However, this is only helpful to an extent if your puzzle isn't as much busy. If the design is more of one solid color, or a gradient of colors, I sort by colors and then start piecing them in with the border and working my way inward.

Once I get down to a lower number of pieces that all look the same, I like to sort them by shape by these groupings: pieces with no outward tabs (all 4 sides cut inward), pieces with only 1 tab, pieces with 2 tabs, pieces with 3 tabs, and then pieces with all 4 sides containing tabs. I'll line them all up in their groups with all tabs facing the same direction. This helps when you've got a good portion of the puzzle done because if you're looking for a piece that you've already got 2 or 3 of its surrounding pieces put together, you're gonna know "Okay this piece I'm looking for here is gonna have at least 2 tabs because the piece to the right of it and the piece below it have inserts.

Beautiful Kincade puzzle!

 

[Freedomisneverfree]

I call this puzzle my cancer puzzle as I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer recently and on the 26th I am having a total hysterectomy. Wish me luck!

The puzzle occupies all my thoughts of what will happen. I like to keep busy until the day of surgery.

 

[Concerned American]

I call this puzzle my cancer puzzle as I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer recently and on the 26th I am having a total hysterectomy. Wish me luck!

The puzzle occupies all my thoughts of what will happen. I like to keep busy until the day of surgery.

Good Luck! Keep your positive outlook. I'm sure everything will work out for you!

 

[Freedomisneverfree]

Good Luck! Keep your positive outlook. I'm sure everything will work out for you!

Thank you! You are a really good person

 

[Twisted Gypsy Child]

Wow! thanks for great advice. Something I found (by accident) is when I stand up and look down at the pieces, I can solve it faster vs. sitting down and having glare and other annoyances.

I, too take the border edge pieces and try to find those right away. I like to get that done first and then really dig into the meat of the puzzle

This 1000 piece is so big, I have two poster boards, one for the edges and one for the middle pieces.

Yes, standing up is a good technique. Also walking away and coming back in 15 to 10 minutes often gives you a fresh look at things Pieces that have been hiding magically appear right before your eyes.

 

[Freedomisneverfree]

Yes, standing up is a good technique. Also walking away and coming back in 15 to 10 minutes often gives you a fresh look at things Pieces that have been hiding magically appear right before your eyes.

Exactly! When I feel frustrated, I put the board away and make another attempt later

 

[Cassandro]

I like 300-500 piece puzzles. The pieces are bigger and they don't take weeks to complete.

 

[Mashmont]

I wanted to write this myself, but I found it easier to search and copy. This one sums up EXACTLY the method I use.
My favorite puzzle is: Favorite Puzzle

When I start a new one, as I'm flipping all the pieces over so that they're right side up, I pull out any border pieces and set them aside, usually in the box the puzzle came in. They're easy to find because you know they will have at least one side that is a straight edge; your 4 corner pieces are the only pieces that'll have 2 straight edges.

Once all my border pieces are pulled, I'll begin putting the border together.

From there, I usually like to find a specific area or thing on the puzzle to work on first. Usually whatever seems easiest because those pieces should stand out more in a sea of random pieces. For example, if the puzzle is of a night sky with the moon and a lightning strike, I'm gonna start with the moon, as it should be easy to find 10 or so grey pieces out of about 990 black pieces. So I pull the obvious moon pieces and put it together. Then, since there's a lightning strike, I know that any black pieces with a white line thru them are going to be the lightning strike. So I go through and pull all the black pieces that have a white line and put the lightning strike together.

I keep doing this so on & so forth to dwindle down the remaining pieces.

However, this is only helpful to an extent if your puzzle isn't as much busy. If the design is more of one solid color, or a gradient of colors, I sort by colors and then start piecing them in with the border and working my way inward.

Once I get down to a lower number of pieces that all look the same, I like to sort them by shape by these groupings: pieces with no outward tabs (all 4 sides cut inward), pieces with only 1 tab, pieces with 2 tabs, pieces with 3 tabs, and then pieces with all 4 sides containing tabs. I'll line them all up in their groups with all tabs facing the same direction. This helps when you've got a good portion of the puzzle done because if you're looking for a piece that you've already got 2 or 3 of its surrounding pieces put together, you're gonna know "Okay this piece I'm looking for here is gonna have at least 2 tabs because the piece to the right of it and the piece below it have inserts.

I got a an all-gray irregularly-shaped 5000 piece puzzle. You couldn’t tell the front from the back. I never knew if I did the puzzle upside down or not, and wasn’t sure if a piece was missing or you just couldn’t find it. It didn’t help that on the way into the house, the opened box spilled all the pieces in the grass, and we had to pick them up. It was also very windy and rainy that day, so they were everywhere, and it was a mess.

 

[Twisted Gypsy Child]

I got a an all-gray irregularly-shaped 5000 piece puzzle. You couldn’t tell the front from the back. I never knew if I did the puzzle upside down or not, and wasn’t sure if a piece was missing or you just couldn’t find it. It didn’t help that on the way into the house, the opened box spilled all the pieces in the grass, and we had to pick them up. It was also very windy and rainy that day, so they were everywhere, and it was a mess.

My brother is color blind and has no problems doing those

 

[leftwinger]

Enjoy the tapioca night at the home too. WTH? Puzzles?

 

[hondo 50]

I do the outline first, but even then I'm only good for two pieces.

 

[luiza]

It takes all sorts of Deflection pursuits for softer souls to hide away from Reality, which is so often too harsh and complex .

This real world is simply far too much for most .
Too complex and lacking hard values leading to Guaranteed Truth based on unimpeachable Authority .

No wonder softer Souls seek to hide away --occasionally , or even all the time .
Until they are ready .

 

[EvilCat Breath]

I call this puzzle my cancer puzzle as I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer recently and on the 26th I am having a total hysterectomy. Wish me luck!

The puzzle occupies all my thoughts of what will happen. I like to keep busy until the day of surgery.

Good luck. You deserve a full cure.