How to Put Together a Hard Puzzle

These days, puzzles can have thousands of pieces. The harder puzzles can seem daunting, but just like easier puzzles, they can be finished! In fact, finishing hard puzzles may be good for your brain; research has shown that jigsaw puzzles may improve your memory. ^{[1]
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Research source} With a little bit of patience and some careful planning you can be finishing difficult jigsaw puzzles in no time!

Things You Should Know

Set up your puzzle on a flat surface that's big enough to hold your finished product.
Sort the pieces by color or major feature. Check the picture on the box for clues.
Arrange all of the corner pieces in a square, then add the rest of the edge pieces.
Use the box as a reference to add in the rest of the center pieces.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Creating a Workspace

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For example, if you have roommates that eat meals at different times, it may not be a good idea to use the dining table to build your puzzle. Instead, set up a portable card table to work on or spread out a blanket in a low-traffic area.
This is usually printed on the side of the box. You will need an area large enough for the puzzle to lay when finished. Some people dedicate a table as "The Puzzle Table" and do not use that table for anything else during the puzzle completion, while others will set the puzzle up on a board or other flat surface that can be moved from place to place to allow use of the table for other activities between puzzle working sessions.

Part 2

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Sorting the Pieces

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(If you dump the pieces out, you dump the "cutting dust" with them, and clutter up your work area.) Empty the cutting dust into the trash.
Sort the puzzle pieces by major color or feature.
3
Separate out the edge pieces from the other puzzle pieces and set them on your workspace. The edge pieces have at least one completely straight side while the center pieces have no straight sides. Corner pieces, or pieces with two straight sides, are considered edge pieces.
- If you have a large enough space, you may opt to lay all the pieces out on a table at once. However, if your space is limited, you may opt to place the puzzle on a movable board and sort the pieces into bins or bowls of some sort to keep colors or shapes of a certain type together.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Matching the Edge Pieces

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If you pile puzzle pieces up, you may overlook important parts of the puzzle. ^{[2]
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Research source}
These pieces are the foundation of the puzzle you’ll be building.
4
Begin building the puzzle by connecting all of the edge pieces together into lines. Using the box image as a reference, arrange the lines of edge pieces next to their corresponding corners.
- When you’ve used all of the edge pieces your puzzle will look like a picture frame. Leave the center of the frame free of pieces and only put sections of completed pieces in. (Otherwise, you will have a continuous issue with removing unsorted pieces from the area where you want to work or put in completed sections.)

Part 4

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Adding the Center Pieces

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1
Sort the pieces by color if you have not already done so. Use the picture on the box to guide your color and shape groupings. It is important to break the work down into smaller groups so that it’s easier to tackle the project. Most puzzles have large sections with similar colors, such as large bodies of water or mountains, so sorting the pieces will give you an advantage. ^{[3]
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- One alternative to sorting is to arrange pieces in a large horseshoe shape. This arrangement will allow you to see all of the puzzle pieces by sweeping your gaze from left to right.
- Set all of the pieces out flat and picture side up. If you place the pieces into piles it will be harder to identify the pieces you need.
2
Choose a simple area to start building. Use the box as a reference. Look for long lines, large shapes, and unifying aspects. These features will help you to quickly find the right pieces hiding among the others. Leave complicated features such as faces and small details for last. These features use fewer pieces and are therefore more difficult to find.
- If you get stuck, move to another section. The purpose of this step is to create many small groups that can be put together later.
3
Take a break. This is the part of puzzle building that frustrates the most people. If you find yourself getting angry at the puzzle, take a quick break to clear your mind. Go for a walk, have a glass of water, or read a book. Take your mind off of the puzzle for a little while. When you return, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to search for puzzle pieces again.
- If you’ve really hit a dead end, turn the puzzle picture upside down or work from a different side of the puzzle. This will force you to search for similarities in color and shape between the pieces that you may not have noticed otherwise.
Puzzles always take longer than you expect. If you’re in a rush, consider getting an easier puzzle. If you can only work on your puzzle for a few hours at a time, build your puzzle somewhere that it will be undisturbed for a few days. Once again, if you need to move around a lot while working on this puzzle, consider purchasing a puzzle board to make your puzzle mobile.
Once you’ve created small clusters of finished sections, carefully place them inside of the “frame” you built from the edge pieces. Using the top of the box as a guide, move the different clusters around until they’re in the right places. Connect the clusters together and press in any finishing pieces. You’re finished!

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Question

What can I do with the puzzle when I am finished with it?

Community Answer

Spray or brush it with clear adhesive. When it's dry, carefully flip it over and do the same. When dry, it can be framed.

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If there are no distinct images (such as a puzzle with all same flowers & colors,) how could this be done more easily?

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This is the most difficult kind of puzzle. For these puzzles, it's important that you build the frame first and then focus on creating smaller groups from the center pieces. If you try to tackle the whole image at once you'll get overwhelmed. Even if your groups are just two or three pieces large you'll find that creating these groups will organize the pieces and bring you closer to your goal.

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Should I do one color group at a time?

Community Answer

Start with the edges, as they are the easiest. Work your way to the middle according to color.

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If you have to move your puzzle around a lot consider purchasing a Felt puzzle board. ^{[4]
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Research source} These boards keep your puzzle pieces safely in place and can be rolled up and stored

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Consult the picture on the box whenever you are confused.

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Walk around your table to view the puzzle from a different angle if you can.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Not 100% sure if a piece is fitting? Hold the (2 or 3) pieces up to a light. It's easier to catch tiny places where the curves don't fit. You can also check from the back. Cheaper puzzles are cut from one direction & you can usually tell from the back pretty easily.
Even though I first separate the puzzle pieces by color, when I'm down to 50 or 75 pieces, I separate them by how many tabs are on them. This goes much quicker in finishing the puzzle.
I separate my colors onto computer paper which allows me to work on one color and then move the whole sheet away to work on the next color. It's a space saver as well.

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Warnings

Be patient and don't get too frustrated if it's hard. If you get frustrated , you may risk ruining all of your hard work.

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How to Put Together a Hard Puzzle

Things You Should Know

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Creating a Workspace

Sorting the Pieces

Matching the Edge Pieces

Adding the Center Pieces

Community Q&A

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Tips

Tips from our Readers

Warnings

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