Recycle old puzzles by allowing the design on the puzzle to show for a mosaic effect or paint each piece colors to suit the holiday or décor. Use brown, orange, and yellow for Thanksgiving; pink, white, and red for Valentine’s Day; pink, lavender, mint green, and pastel yellow for Easter; or green with red, gold, and silver accents for Christmas. Also consider painting the items school colors or party theme colors.
Make a Puzzle Pieces Wreath
Rub the puzzle pieces over a sheet of fine sandpaper to rough up the varnish on the pieces, allowing the paint to adhere. Wipe any dust off the pieces. Spread the individual jigsaw pieces over newspaper or a painting cloth.
While the paint is drying, cut the center out of a heavy duty paper plate to make a wreath base. Fold a six-inch piece of cord or thick yarn in half to make a wreath hanger. Use packing tape or hot glue to attach the cord to the back of the plate so a loop an inch or so shows over the edge of the plate. Glue several overlapping layers of puzzle pieces to the wreath form. If desired, tie a ribbon bow and hot glue to the wreath.
Puzzle Piece Ornaments
Rub the puzzle pieces over a sheet of fine-grain sandpaper to rough up the varnish on the pieces. Wipe off any dust. On the center of a heavy-duty paper plate, draw the shape of the ornament to be covered with puzzle pieces. Think of a simple outline that illustrates the object – details won’t show up on this ornament. Cut out the shape.
Paint the individual jigsaw puzzle pieces in the desired colors and allow them to dry. Use white glue to attach them to the shape, stacking and overlapping the pieces to hide the paper shape beneath. (It’s okay if the puzzle pieces hang over the edge of the shape.) Allow the glue to dry. Paint glue in a thin layer over the puzzle pieces and sprinkle on glitter (or spread on glitter glue). Shake off excess glitter and allow the piece to dry.
Fold a six-inch piece of yarn in half and hot glue to the back of the ornament, allowing a loop of a couple of inches to show over the top of the ornament.
Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Picture Frame
Again, rough up the pieces a bit with sandpaper and paint desired colors. Plan on a solid color frame with complementary colored pieces glued at each corner. Make a multi-colored frame in a two, three, or four-color combination.
Look for a cardboard picture frame base and add one layer of pieces scattered over the frame. Then, add a second layer, covering the gaps from the first layer. If necessary, add a third layer of overlapping puzzle pieces. Tape a photo to the back of the frame. Add a couple of magnets to attach the frame to a fridge or file cabinet or add a picture hanger.
These three projects allow children to give a new use to jigsaw puzzles they’ve outgrown or lost pieces. With a paper plate or cardboard picture frame, some glue and paint, these projects can be completed in under an hour. Create a textured wreath, a fun ornament, or a picture frame to keep or give as a gift.
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