If you're a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast I have a question for you

[crazymama]

OP I feel your pain. I love jigsaw puzzles but only do them once a year... over the Christmas/New Years period. It's a tradition. Last Christmas I picked a really tough one and, yes you guessed it, got to the end and the last piece was missing!!! Uggggghhhh!!! I scoured the floor etc but it was nowhere to be found. So anti-climactic!!!!!!

 

[aboveH20]

Oh totally. Assembly Try #1 found me in the exact same predicament. I built it on a glass tabletop so thankfully I was able to secure it with cardboard and painters tape in a way that I could see the backside of the pieces.

Clever about the glass tabletop. When I first opened the box and saw how many pieces there were I was overwhelmed on how to start. I kept meaning to google tips for doing jigsaw puzzles but just muddled my way through.

OP I feel your pain. I love jigsaw puzzles but only do them once a year... over the Christmas/New Years period. It's a tradition. Last Christmas I picked a really tough one and, yes you guessed it, got to the end and the last piece was missing!!! Uggggghhhh!!! I scoured the floor etc but it was nowhere to be found. So anti-climactic!!!!!!

I initially got the puzzle because one Christmas when my son came home from college he got into one I left out. This one didn't tempt him.

I primarily did this one 1. because it's Disney! and 2. with my arm in a sling there's not a lot I can do. I've repeatedly told my husband NOT to get me another one thinking I enjoyed this one.

 

[kimblebee]

Clever about the glass tabletop. When I first opened the box and saw how many pieces there were I was overwhelmed on how to start. I kept meaning to google tips for doing jigsaw puzzles but just muddled my way through.



I initially got the puzzle because one Christmas when my son came home from college he got into one I left out. This one didn't tempt him.

I primarily did this one 1. because it's Disney! and 2. with my arm in a sling there's not a lot I can do. I've repeatedly told my husband NOT to get me another one thinking I enjoyed this one.

A tip I always use is to do the outside first. Go through all the pieces and separate all the ones that have an edge. Once the frame is built pick a solid colour close to the edge and find those pieces. Then, the puzzle will spread on its own.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

PM me you address and I will gladly mail it to you -- and just like Amazon Prime , free shipping!

Really? That is such a generous offer! I love puzzles, especially Disney ones; however, as enticing as the offer is, I couldn't possibly ask you to do that. Shipping even within the U.S. is so expensive these days! My daughter is moving to New York in October. I will just have her swing by and pick it up for me. That way she can bring it back with her for Christmas and we can complete it over the Christmas holidays when we do one of our big puzzle marathons. (I think we did four large 750-1000 piece puzzles over the course of a couple of weeks this past year.)

I wish you a speedy recovery for your arm. It must be very frustrating to be so limited in what you can do for an extended period of time.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

I totally understand. I spent two years doing a giant Hawaiian landscape. You can imagine how much fun it is to match up palm trees at a sunset on a beach

My mom and I did this same puzzle years ago. It was a nightmare. The entire top 2/3's of the puzzle was pretty much black. (The palm trees and beach were silhouetted against a thin yellow strip of sunset. I can't even find an image online that comes close to what this picture was. All of the Hawaiian sunset images online look so colourful with just a few palm trees for black.) Thankfully, after months of working on it, we got it finished...complete with all of its pieces! My mom glued the whole thing together so we would never have to do it again and then it sat in the basement for years until it finally got thrown out. We had no desire to frame it. Once it was done, we didn't even want to look at it again and wouldn't have wished that puzzle on our enemies. I have since instituted a puzzle-buying rule for myself that there must be at least SOME variations in colour in the puzzles pieces. Even the blue sky in the OP's puzzle has differences in hues, etc. that you can work with, but pure black ever again? No thank you!

 

[aboveH20]

A tip I always use is to do the outside first. Go through all the pieces and separate all the ones that have an edge. Once the frame is built pick a solid colour close to the edge and find those pieces. Then, the puzzle will spread on its own.

Good tip about doing the border first, and I like the part about the puzzle spreading on its own. Maybe I got in its way too much

Really? That is such a generous offer! I love puzzles, especially Disney ones; however, as enticing as the offer is, I couldn't possibly ask you to do that. Shipping even within the U.S. is so expensive these days! My daughter is moving to New York in October. I will just have her swing by and pick it up for me. That way she can bring it back with her for Christmas and we can complete it over the Christmas holidays when we do one of our big puzzle marathons. (I think we did four large 750-1000 piece puzzles over the course of a couple of weeks this past year.)

I wish you a speedy recovery for your arm. It must be very frustrating to be so limited in what you can do for an extended period of time.

Can I ask what part of NY? We're about 200 miles due south of Montreal.

Yesterday I made very last minute plans to go to Disneyland for a day while we visit my son in California (his request). It's two months post surgery but I'm wondering what rides I should avoid.

My mom and I did this same puzzle years ago. It was a nightmare. The entire top 2/3's of the puzzle was pretty much black. (The palm trees and beach were silhouetted against a thin yellow strip of sunset. I can't even find an image online that comes close to what this picture was. All of the Hawaiian sunset images online look so colourful with just a few palm trees for black.) Thankfully, after months of working on it, we got it finished...complete with all of its pieces! My mom glued the whole thing together so we would never have to do it again and then it sat in the basement for years until it finally got thrown out. We had no desire to frame it. Once it was done, we didn't even want to look at it again and wouldn't have wished that puzzle on our enemies. I have since instituted a puzzle-buying rule for myself that there must be at least SOME variations in colour in the puzzles pieces. Even the blue sky in the OP's puzzle has differences in hues, etc. that you can work with, but pure black ever again? No thank you!

Funny how you didn't want to hang it after all that work. I've been wondering about all the puzzles I see framed at nursing homes. Do the residents really do them -- I know they have plenty of time, but still? Maybe the night staff does them.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Can I ask what part of NY? We're about 200 miles due south of Montreal.

She will be on Wall Street doing her senior project for college...nowhere near where you are at. (When I suggested my daughter could pick up the puzzle, I did so rather jokingly. I do realize that New York consists of more than just New York City! ) We live a fair bit south of you, but once every few years we drive up to Montreal. We have to get our poutine fix somehow. We are tentatively planning a trip to Niagara Falls at some point, but that trip north won't have us in your ballpark. I guess you will just have to drive west to come and join us and then you and I can work on the puzzle together!

 

[Mel522]

A tip I always use is to do the outside first. Go through all the pieces and separate all the ones that have an edge. Once the frame is built pick a solid colour close to the edge and find those pieces. Then, the puzzle will spread on its own.

I never do the edge first. I find it harder because when you work on the top of the puzzle it's so far away and not easy to see details and sometimes you get glair on the pieces and can't see anything. I start with a color and work from there.

 

[Micca]

These stories are why I don't do puzzles. I would be completely demoralized to get to the final four pieces only to learn I've done something wrong/the wrong pieces were in the box.

 

[Domo]

OK, for some obtuse reason I read this thread topic as "If you're a jigsaw pizza enthusiast"...

Humm.

 

[Micca]

a jigsaw pizza enthusiast"...

Domo it's your million dollar idea!!! Jigsaw Pizza! Over 500 pieces just $9.99

 

[aboveH20]

She will be on Wall Street doing her senior project for college...nowhere near where you are at. (When I suggested my daughter could pick up the puzzle, I did so rather jokingly. I do realize that New York consists of more than just New York City! ) We live a fair bit south of you, but once every few years we drive up to Montreal. We have to get our poutine fix somehow. We are tentatively planning a trip to Niagara Falls at some point, but that trip north won't have us in your ballpark. I guess you will just have to drive west to come and join us and then you and I can work on the puzzle together!

My older son went to college in NYC and then worked there for a few years before heading to LA.

I'll just set the puzzle by the side of the Thruway and you can slow down and grab it.

I never do the edge first. I find it harder because when you work on the top of the puzzle it's so far away and not easy to see details and sometimes you get glair on the pieces and can't see anything. I start with a color and work from there.

I can see that. I started the puzzle on the dining room table and quickly realized I didn't have enough room to build the puzzle let alone spread out the pieces. Fortunately we have a big table in the basement and was able to sit on two sides of the table to work on the top or bottom of the puzzle. Glare was a huge problem.

These stories are why I don't do puzzles. I would be completely demoralized to get to the final four pieces only to learn I've done something wrong/the wrong pieces were in the box.

Very wise. I hope nothing you read here changes your mind!

OK, for some obtuse reason I read this thread topic as "If you're a jigsaw pizza enthusiast"...

Sort of like the sign I've driven by a couple times for storage sheds. I thought it said Do You Want Your Garbage Back before finally realizing it said Do You Want Your GARAGE Back.

Humm.

Domo it's your million dollar idea!!! Jigsaw Pizza! Over 500 pieces just $9.99

 

[bjscheel]

A tip I always use is to do the outside first. Go through all the pieces and separate all the ones that have an edge. Once the frame is built pick a solid colour close to the edge and find those pieces. Then, the puzzle will spread on its own.

Yes I always start with the border. Then go on to an easily identifiable feature and then on to the next until it's just the background/same colored areas left. For same colored sections I sort pieces by shape and one by one test them till one fits and then go on to the next piece. I did one that was hundreds of advertising pencils in rows. For each piece I just had to locate the pencil on the cover, put the piece in the general vicinity, and eventually get some hooked together.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

I'll just set the puzzle by the side of the Thruway and you can slow down and grab it.

That sounds perfect! Maybe just hang it on one of those mail hooks like they used to use for trains. I'll just grab it that way and then we won't even have to slow down. Be ready for whatever I throw out the window at you!

 

[aboveH20]

Yes I always start with the border. Then go on to an easily identifiable feature and then on to the next until it's just the background/same colored areas left. For same colored sections I sort pieces by shape and one by one test them till one fits and then go on to the next piece. I did one that was hundreds of advertising pencils in rows. For each piece I just had to locate the pencil on the cover, put the piece in the general vicinity, and eventually get some hooked together.

And you do that for fun, right? Of course I cut apart fabric and then sew it back together, so I guess I shouldn't talk.

That sounds perfect! Maybe just hang it on one of those mail hooks like they used to use for trains. I'll just grab it that way and then we won't even have to slow down. Be ready for whatever I throw out the window at you!

That's cool. Problem solved!

 

[Skippy918]

My kids and I finished 3 puzzles over the course of 2-3 months. They were 500 piece puzzles, so not completely overwhelming but we did run into instances where we thought there was a missing piece only to find out it fit after rotating it. I've got another one in the closet for another time. We used the puzzle glue sheets to glue them.

 

[monorailsilver]

I love puzzles. I have done 5000 piece ones of water/mountains. So frustrating but so fun at the same time!

I have now resorted to the free ones on an app. I can finish them in a few hours and no missing pieces. Miss the huge ones though! I do have one my dd got, well I got her for her birthday that we need to start again but I will wait til the weather gets cold.

 

[aboveH20]

My kids and I finished 3 puzzles over the course of 2-3 months. They were 500 piece puzzles, so not completely overwhelming but we did run into instances where we thought there was a missing piece only to find out it fit after rotating it. I've got another one in the closet for another time. We used the puzzle glue sheets to glue them.

So I'm guessing the puzzle glue sheets go on the back of the puzzle to hold it together to frame it.

I love puzzles. I have done 5000 piece ones of water/mountains. So frustrating but so fun at the same time!

I have now resorted to the free ones on an app. I can finish them in a few hours and no missing pieces. Miss the huge ones though! I do have one my dd got, well I got her for her birthday that we need to start again but I will wait til the weather gets cold.

5000 pieces?!?

 

[bjscheel]

So I'm guessing the puzzle glue sheets go on the back of the puzzle to hold it together to frame it.

I use those, I think it's called Puzzle Presto. It's large sticker sheets you cover the back with and they work great. My tip for getting the puzzle turned over is to do the puzzle on a card table. When finished, cover the puzzle with a large piece of cardboard. Holding the cardboard and the table at the same time, turn the table upside down. Now you have the puzzle laying on the cardboard with the back side up!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

A tip I always use is to do the outside first. Go through all the pieces and separate all the ones that have an edge. Once the frame is built pick a solid colour close to the edge and find those pieces. Then, the puzzle will spread on its own.

I also do this. I really enjoy putting puzzles together too but I consider doing the edge first a must nowadays