You open the box of a colorful new sea escapes puzzle and dump the pieces out and one thousand seem to turn into one million. Don't put it up for next year. There are step that will make what could be a month-long project become a week's leisure hours. Just about anyone can put together a puzzle, from a Frame Trap Walt Disney to a one thousand piece outdoor scenery. People also often have their own way to put a puzzle together, such as taking only one piece at a time or dumping the whole box on a kitchen table.
There are three easy steps to make even the hardest puzzle simplier. The first and foremost step is to decide to have fun, second putting the border together, and third is completing the rest of the puzzle.
Fun is the first step because there is no reason to put together a puzzle unless one can have fun in the process. Putting a puzzle together is fun for those who like to have hours of quiet time or for those who like to work for a beautiful finished project. The first thing to do is pick the kind of puzzle you like, and this you can do at any store, or even at a yard sale. There are also many different designs and shapes, and also there are now three diminsional and sculptural puzzles.
After you choose the puzzle just right for you, it will be time to start putting it together and putting it together is half the fun. For example, after completing the next two steps the puzzle will be a one thousand piece ocean scene with a deep red sunset and two dolphins playing in the waves.
Even before you start on the puzzle you need to have a large open space, like a table, or a section of plywood. Make sure it is not a place you will need in for a few days. It would also be helpful if it is something you can move out of the way. After you open the box, go through and get all the border pieces.
An easy way to do this is to take a handful of pieces at a time and put all the center pieces into a separate pile. Once the puzzle is laid out before you, take all the border pieces and make room to put together the frame. Then, take the four corner pieces and start from there. Having the border done first allows you to see the size and, basically, where the pieces will go (sky, ocean, dolphins). It would make things easy if you do the sky first and thenwork down the sides and then the bottom. You will now have your frame done, with the sky at the top and the ocean at the bottom.
The third and final step is the hardest, but has been made easier by step two. This third step is the hardest because it is completing the last 850 pieces. There are ways to make this easier, too. Now you need to go back through all the pieces and put these into catagories. For the scenery puzzle you should have three sections: the sky, the ocean, and the dolphins. You should be able to distinguish these pieces because of the color differences.
Once you have divided the pieces into three sections you pick one pile and put the others aside to make more room. Take the pile and spread it out to where you can see all the pieces. Now, for this part you have to be on your own, fitting them together. There are tips for this, too, but it is mostly preference; such as going row by row, or fitting pieces together before you even put them in the puzzle. No matter how you work make sure it is fun and relaxing.
Once you have one section done move on to the next. The best thing to do may be the dolphins in the first of second section, they will allow you to see where the middle is (the middle is always the hardest). After you do the three sections you should be done unless you are a sloppy puzzle person and drop pieces on the floor.
If you follow the three steps on having fun, putting together the border, than the inside, your masterpiece should be complete.
Now decide the next step to take. If you choose to put it on the wall, please do not try and glue piece by piece, that gets messy and it's easy to make a mistake. If you just want to put the puzzle back in the box, take the puzzle apart and put it in the box. Be careful.
If you decide to violently put it up with one sweep of the hand, pieces will go everywhere. If you lose one piece it is no longer a puzzle, it is 999 pieces of cardboard, and once costing eight dollars at Walmart can't even sell for fifty cents at a yard sale. No matter what steps you remember or how you decide to do your puzzle, if you can't make it past step one there is no reason to finish.
