Gluing Jigsaw PuzzlesGluing jigsaw puzzles is a great way to save your puzzles. On this page, we'll show you how! A truly unique display technique for your puzzle comes in a $3.00 bottle...of glue! Glue does many things for your puzzle!
C'mon! Give it a try! Gluing jigsaw puzzles is fun and very affordable and loads of fun! Oh, we said that already!
Shall We Get Started Gluing Jigsaw Puzzles?Pick a puzzle...any puzzle! Actually, pick out a puzzle that you like, and will enjoy looking at...time and again! Your choices are endless!
Thus, we picked out this puzzle to demonstrate our "how-to" glue a puzzle page! So let's get started! (Don't forget to buy your glue! It's kind of important when gluing jigsaw puzzles. Most retail stores, that sell jigsaw puzzles, sell jigsaw puzzle glue!) It's quite easy! Here's a quick tip sheet on how to do it!
Mount Your Puzzle to a Solid Backer Board
Because a "somewhat rigid" backer board will prevent your puzzle from warping! Buy a lightweight piece of plywood. Or, easier than that, use a thick piece (quarter inch - half inch thick) of foam board. Foam board is much easier to cut, trim, etc. Both work well! Position your puzzle on the backer board and draw an outline with a pencil. (Quick Tip: Mark your line, ever-so-slightly, just inside of your puzzle dimensions! This will help "hide" your backer board, allowing only your puzzle to be scene! ...and prevent further trimming later on!) Now, simply cut out your board. A straight edge and a sharp knife works best with the foam board! You can use an electric jigsaw for the plywood (We know, kind of ironic, eh?) The next step is to glue your puzzle to the backer board! You'll want to use a strong bonding glue for this! For example, a wood glue, or panel adhesive...you want it to stick well!
Carefully position your puzzle on the freshly glued backer board and gently apply pressure throughout the surface. Make sure that there is an even bonding of the two surfaces. Examine the edges, looking for any "glue-gaps" or voids. Quickly re-apply glue where necessary! You may need to apply some weighted objects to ensure that the puzzle "presses out" nice and flat on your baord! A stack of some good old heavy books will work just fine!
Doublecheck your efforts so far!
Now, once again, let your puzzle dry completely! Time to Hang It Up!There's just one more small step. You'll need some form of mounting hardware, attached to the rear of your backer board in order to hang your new piece of art!There are many, many methods that may be used here: wire, small brackets, adhesive brackets, etc. Here are a couple of easy "tricks" that we have used successfully. One is quite simple: cut a hole in your foam board, before you glue your puzzle to it! That's it!
Another trick that we have used is also quite simple! Cut two (very small) holes: one on each side of the board, a few inches from the edge and roughly halfway down from the top! Using a thin craft wire (we used a 20 gauge beading wire) push it through one hole, run it down to the other hole and push it back through. Cut your wire and tie it off, tightly! That's it! Now, when you hang your puzzle, the wire acts as a self-adjusting hanger, allowing you to balance your frame evenly. Foam board is a lightweight material, even with the weight of the puzzle. Thus, you can get by using a fairly lightweight hanging system. If you plan to use plywood as a backer board, then upgrade your hanger strength accordingly. If you are not sure which method to use, we recommend visiting a craft store and consulting with a professional. They will be able to tell you which mounting hardware will work best for your project based on it's size and weight. Of course, you can also use your own judgement and creativity, here, as well...we'll leave that up to you! In any case, test out your mounting hardware to make sure it is securely attached to your frame. And now...just hang it up on the wall and enjoy! The Finished Product!
Ah! The finished product! All of that hard work has paid off! Actually, gluing jigsaw puzzles is just not that hard, It just takes a little time and patience...for the glue to dry! Do we have to use Glue?That is a common question. Gluing jigsaw puzzles is not for everyone! Many people just don't like glue! It can be a mess to deal with, if you are not careful!So how about this? Contact paper! You know, that sticky paper that you use to line your cupboard shelves with. You'll still need to "flip" your puzzle. Then, cut your paper to fit the puzzle. Peal away the backing and carefully cover your puzzle. Warning! Be extremely careful when doing this. Contact paper is very sticky and unforgiving! If you "goof-up", you may even have a bigger mess on your hands! Take your time! Quick Tip! You may want to overlap the puzzle slightly, and then trim off the excess after you have finished. This will allow for some error, in case you are slightly off-line! (Buffalo Games is now offering a product that they call "Puzzle Presto". Their product comes in smaller sized sheets of adhesive paper and accomplishes the same thing as contact paper. Smaller sized sheets allows you to handle things much easier!)
Random Thoughts...What is the cost of gluing jigsaw puzzles? Not too bad really! Here are some of your potential costs:
These are just examples, obviously, you don't need all of those items. In our case, we spent just over $20.00 (including the puzzle!) Try it! It's easy! You can do it!
Our Advice? Start out small! Practice first, by gluing jigsaw puzzles on the smaller side, before you do that "masterpiece" puzzle! Like anything else, practice makes perfect...or, at least, a whole lot better! AND gluing jigsaw puzzles is no exception! Take your time, relax, smooth everything out evenly, and your puzzle will turn out just fine! We think that gluing jigsaw puzzles is a great way to keep and display, that favorite puzzle of yours!
Fun for Kids Gluing jigsaw puzzles is fun for kids! This glow-in-the-dark fish puzzle was assembled by Cameron of Mount Juliet TN. Return from Gluing Jigsaw Puzzles to Paper Examples
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