Tag Archives: crafts

Create Your Own Puzzle

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Though it is possible, we are not going to talk today about how to create a puzzle of your own from scratch. Instead, we’d like to introduce you to a customizable puzzle. Made by Cobble Hill, these create your own jigsaw puzzles can turn into anything you want. Or, more importantly, into anything your kids want. The pack of colorful crayons that go with it was designed to let children’s imaginations flow freely and practice their creativity.

As a parent, you can help them come up with an idea for the puzzle, and perhaps even help with its drawing. Then, assembling can turn into a wonderful activity that you can share with your family. If you need a gift for their grandparents, there’s nothing better than Cobble Hill’s “Create Your Own Puzzle.” It will give your children the opportunity to express themselves and create something original, with their own hands. And, you must already know it, there’s no better gift than the one that comes from the heart; especially when the one offering it is a young member of your family.

Drawing is one of the childhood joys that can rarely keep up with age. So why not make it last, and let your children enjoy drawing and being creative as much as they can. If you don’t do it, you might regret it later. What if you were the parent of the next Picasso or Van Gogh? Would you dare and try to put an end to their talent, depriving the world of an artist who could inspire millions?

Go to Puzzle Warehouse and get your children the “Create Your Own Puzzle” jigsaw puzzle. They come in 20 or 70-piece puzzles, 12-piece postcard puzzles or a 36-piece floor puzzle. When the work of art is complete, send us a photo of your child’s creation!

How to make puzzle glue

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Putting a jigsaw puzzle in itself is quite interesting, preserving the completed puzzle can give you immense pleasure and bragging rights if you have a group of friends who are into puzzles. The tougher the puzzle, more the pleasure. But how do you go about preserving those masterpieces? You could glue it to a board or a mat, and maybe even frame it.

The idea of preserving a completed puzzle is great but you need the right stuff to preserve it. Puzzle glue can be picked off the shelf of most craft stores or bought online, but to extend the fun of solving a puzzle why not learn how to make puzzle glue yourself? Don’t dread, preparing puzzle glue is easier than you think, there are various ways of preparing glue at home and the simpler the better.

Puzzle glue is essentially Mod Podge, a thinner more spreadable version of the typical Elmer’s White School Glue. To create a high quality puzzle adhesive that is safe to use on the front of the puzzle, mix equal parts white Elmer’s glue and water in a glass container and shake until the consistency is even.  

There are other ways to create your own glue, including a flour paste. Just half a cup of flour and enough water to mix into a thick paste is all it takes. Drying time is high compared to commercial products with this mixture, and make sure there are no lumps; adding a bit of sugar and salt makes it more sticky. It is not suggested to use this mixture on the front of the puzzle as it may not dry clear – instead flip the puzzle over and glue the back. The next best homemade glue uses Gum Arabic. Add just enough water to the gum arabic to dissolve it, and you have a strong glue which dries quickly when applied. These types of glue don’t always dry clear, so use it on the back of your puzzle first.

Gelatin based glue is great, as it is clear and waterproof, but it takes a bit more effort and more resources to make. It is well worth it, though, if you plan to stick your puzzle onto glass. There are other ways of preparing glue like using milk and vinegar, but I would suggest against this since it does not have a good shelf life.

Teach your kids how to make puzzle glue and you will have your them stuck to jigsaw puzzles and make a lot of good memories along with it.

*Note: Be careful when gluing puzzles – it not recommended to glue puzzles that have special or high-quality finishing like glitter or matte-finished puzzles. The glue could ruin the quality of the puzzle. In these cases, it’s best to go with something like Puzzle Presto – sticky sheets that you can use on the back of the puzzle that don’t cause damage to the pieces.

How to Glue a Puzzle Together

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Puzzle glue to glue a puzzle together

After you’ve worked for hours or days on a complex, beautiful puzzle, what next? Do you admire it for a moment and then take it apart? Consider gluing your puzzle together instead, to preserve your great work.

Materials needed:
Your completed puzzle.
A large piece of cardboard to use as a work surface.
Glue (Mod Podge and rubber cement work well. Hobby stores also sell special puzzle glue).
A foam brush.

First, you will need to very slowly and carefully slip the cardboard under your puzzle. Working from one end, carefully lift an edge of your puzzle, slip the edge of the cardboard underneath, and release the puzzle edge on top. Slowly inch the cardboard down the length of the puzzle. *Tip: Assembling your puzzle on top of the cardboard would eliminate this step.

Next, use your sponge brush to spread your glue over the top of your puzzle. Cover a few sections at a time, ensuring that you have complete coverage and a thin coat. Continue until the entire surface is covered, cleaning any stray drops as they occur.

Allow this coat to completely dry, and then repeat. After the second coat is dry, you should feel as though you can tug on the puzzle and not feel it will pull apart.

At this point, very carefully turn the puzzle over on its face and repeat the gluing process. Again, apply two coats, allowing each to dry thoroughly. If you like, you may add as many coats equally to both sides as you’d like until you are satisfied that the puzzle is secure.

When the final coat is dry, you have completed the task of gluing your puzzle together! Now you can tack up your beautiful project on the wall, display it on a desk, attach it to a piece of wood or even frame it so that you and your loved ones can enjoy it for ever.

How To Make Jigsaw Puzzles For Kids

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Barnyard Friends, a great puzzle for kids

Jigsaw puzzles for kids are a great way to keep them entertained and happy. Children will gladly spend hours working on various puzzles. Making your own jigsaw puzzles makes for a creative and fun project and involving your children in the process will ensure that they enjoy the end result even more.

To make jigsaw puzzles for kids you’ll need a large piece of poster board. The size of the board depends on how big you wish your puzzle to be. You will also need to pick out an image. A small picture or photograph can be scanned onto a computer and printed off in much larger sizes if need be.

With rubber cement, glue the chosen picture onto the chosen size of poster board. Be careful that the picture is perfectly flat and without any wrinkles. When you are finished, set the piece aside for several hours while it dries.

Next comes the fun part. With a pencil, lightly draw out shapes onto the picture. These will be your jigsaw pieces. You can draw any shape you like. If you want to create a puzzle that will be a little harder to solve, use a ruler to create grids and stencils to draw smaller more intricate jigsaw pieces.

After the puzzle’s pieces have been drawn out to your liking, cut them out. Be sure to take your time and cut each piece slowly and carefully. Even the smallest error could lead to an uneven puzzle. After all the pieces have been cut out, the newly created game can be enjoyed. And as with most jigsaw puzzles for kids, keeping the homemade pieces in a small box will ensure that your creation will be enjoyed for years to come. Gluing a smaller version of the puzzle’s image on top of the box will give it a more permanent feel as well.