Displaying a Jigsaw PuzzleHow do you display a jigsaw puzzle? There are several ways really...
We have used all of these methods! Yes, we have made a few mistakes along the way! So, here's a few tips that we would like to pass on to you! Hopefully, this will help you prevent making the same mistakes!
The Basics! Frame It!First, you need to pick out a nice jigsaw puzzle to frame! Perhaps, you already have a puzzle or two that would look very nice in a frame! Good!If not, then you'll have to pick one out. This may not be as easy as you might think! Now, there are a ton of choices out there...the choices are absolutely endless! But, keep in mind this small tip! If you want to keep your budget at a minimum, then find a puzzle to fit a frame that you already have. (See our page on framing a jigsaw puzzle) Or, try to match a puzzle to a frame that is a fairly standard size. i.e. a frame from Walmart! Don't worry! If you found the "perfect puzzle" to frame and can't find a frame to fit it; there are other options! First, if it is a "must-have" puzzle, then you can always have it professionally framed. It will end up becoming a beautiful piece of art! Keep in mind, you will be paying more for this service! Costs may accumulate up into the $100 range (or more)! So, make sure that $10 puzzle is a keeper!
Howevever, another option would be a "frameless" frame! What? Check this out... Glue Your Jigsaw PuzzleJigsaw puzzles have always been popular in our family; when we were kids...right up to now! We have completed 100's of puzzles! Uh-huh! That's right...100's!But what do you do with them after they are finished? Mostly, tear them apart, put the pieces back in the box, and shelve it! Right?
Why tear apart that puzzle? (The one that you just spent hours working on!) How about displaying that favorite puzzle of yours with puzzle glue. It is now widely available and very inexpensive. One small bottle (about $3.00) will normally cover your puzzle just fine. Smooth out your puzzle carefully, spread your glue evenly and quickly, and most of all...let it dry completely! PLEASE NOTE! (For a more detailed example of this process, view our page on gluing a jigsaw puzzle!) Next, we recommend mounting your completed puzzle onto a backer board of some sort. This will prevent your puzzle from warping! Foam board and lightweight plywood both work quite well! And, neither material is very expensive!
You will also need some minor mounting hardware attached to the backside of your board. This will enable you to hang your puzzle. Consult with a local craft store to see which mounting method will work best for the weight and size of your board. There are many options here! Now, find a nice spot on the wall, sit back, and enjoy! Both of the above puzzles have been used in our home! They are colorful, non-traditional (not square!), and fun for the kids to have in their rooms!
Or, Display Your Jigsaw Puzzle Under Glass!Another cool way to display you puzzle is under glass! Maybe, you don't want to take the time to glue or frame your puzzle. But, you would still like to keep it around for a little longer!Here's a quick and fairly inexpensive way to do just that! You can have your local glass shop (yes, there is one nearby somewhere!) cut a piece of glass to fit precisely on your coffee table, side table, or nightstand. There are two things to consider when using this method! Make sure to buy thick enough glass (quarter inch should work fine!) to prevent easy breaking. The following example shows an old children's puzzle of ours, Tom and Jerry...a classic cartoon! Sorry, our background is dark, so the glass is kind of hard to define!
You will also want to have the glass shop polish the edges to prevent cuts and scrapes! They will probably do this without asking, but, just to make sure... The cost will be minimal compared to the exquisite look of your "new" coffee table! And, you can change the look everytime you finish a new puzzle! You could even make it themed based, such as a sports puzzle on top of your bar! Change it with the season, or on special holiday's. Take it as far as you wish! You can also use this concept when displaying other paper objects as well!
One More Cool Idea...Here's one more pretty cool idea! But, we must admit, we haven't done this yet! (soon...very soon!)Do you put together a lot of jigsaw puzzles? Like...a whole lot? Like...maybe 100's of them? Well, we have completed 100's of puzzles! But, obviously, you can't frame them all! (We use to take Polaroid pictures of each puzzle when completed, but that soon became much too costly...not to mention, they are no more Polaroid's!) So how about this for a solution? Buy a nice sized digital frame and put all of that hard work into digital storage! There are getting cheaper by the day! Now, every time you complete a puzzle, take several digital photo's of your hard work! Pick a nice photo or two and download them into the digital frame. You now have a never-ending display of your puzzles for as long as you like! Random Notes...Consider all of the possibilities when you are considering framing a jigsaw puzzle. There are many! Sports, wildlife, beautiful scenery, local and specialty puzzles: the possibilities are truly endless! Remember, this is for you! The puzzle will not likely be of much value to other people once it is framed. Our Advice? Pick a colorful puzzle from a quality jigsaw puzzle company! Believe us, not all jigsaw puzzle companies are alike! Think of your puzzle as art...fine art that you would proudly display! Because, that's exactly what you are doing! Take your time in the final steps, especially if you are using glue on your puzzle. One small mistake may turn into a big problem. Want more infomation on the origin of jigsaw puzzles? Click here...Jigsaw Puzzles...and learn more!
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