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Easy fixes for missing puzzle pieces
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So you’ve spent the afternoon putting together a jigsaw puzzle, but then the unthinkable happens—after looking everywhere, you realize that there’s a missing piece. We’re here to help you replace it by showing you how to make a new puzzle piece using an image printed off your computer and basic crafting supplies. We'll also share resources you can use to buy replacement puzzle pieces on the internet.
How to Replace Missing Puzzle Pieces
Craft a replacement puzzle piece by printing out a high-resolution image of the puzzle art, tracing an outline of the missing piece onto the image, and cutting it out and gluing it to a piece of cardboard. Alternatively, contact the puzzle manufacturer to get replacement pieces or buy a copy of the same puzzle.
Steps
Section 1 of 2:
How to Make a Missing Puzzle Piece
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Scan or take a picture of the completed puzzle. To scan it, place the puzzle box or the poster that came with it image-side down onto a high-quality scanner. Run the scanner and follow the instructions that came with it to upload and save the scanned image to your computer files. [1] X Research source
- If you don't have a scanner, take a photo of the puzzle art on the box or the poster with your mobile device. Snap the image in an area with good lighting and ensure no glare reflects off the box's or poster's surface.
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Crop the image down to a small area surrounding the missing piece. In a free photo editing software like GIMP or Canva , click on the Crop tool. Select a point near the part of the image where the missing puzzle piece is located and drag your mouse away to create a virtual box around the puzzle piece. Lift your finger off the mouse button, and the rest of the image outside the box you made will completely disappear.
- Make the size of the cropped image large enough to accommodate the missing puzzle piece as well as the pieces adjacent to it on all sides. This way, when you eventually print out the image, you'll have plenty of room to trace and cut the missing piece's outline.
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Resize the cropped image to match its size in the real world. Take out your real-world puzzle and measure the length and width of the area you cropped digitally on your photo editing software in centimeters. Enter these dimensions into your photo editing software (the image resizing option is located under the Image tab in GIMP and the Position tab in Canva).
- Resizing an image in GIMP : With your image file already opened in GIMP, click the Image tab and select Scale Image. Use the dropdown menu next to the dimension values to change them from pixels to centimeters. Then type in the width and height measurements you took on your puzzle and click Scale to confirm the changes. [2] X Research source
- Resizing an image in Canva (Free Version)
: Upload your image to Canva, click on the image, then select Use in Design. On the next screen, select the image and click Position on the toolbar. Scroll down to Advanced and click the lock icon to lock the aspect ratio (this lets Canva know you want to resize the entire image, not crop it). [3]
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Research source
- Use a free unit conversion calculator like UnitConverters to convert the width and height measurements you took of your puzzle to pixels. Next, copy and paste the converted numbers into the Width and Height boxes in Canva, then press Tab on your keyboard. The image should automatically resize.
- For example, if the area surrounding the missing puzzle piece that you measured in the real world is 5 cm tall and 5 cm wide, enter this information into the software to change the cropped image's dimensions.
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Print the image out onto matte-finish or printer paper. Using matte-finish paper will make your replacement puzzle piece look more polished. However, it’s a good idea to print the image on cheap printer paper first as a test run, so you can ensure it’s the right size before wasting high-quality sheets.
- Printing an image in GIMP : Click the File tab and select Print from the dropdown menu.
- Printing an image in Canva : Click the Share button in the upper right corner of the design editor tool. Download the design with the resized image in it as a PNG file for the highest quality. Then open the Downloads folder in your computer files, open the PNG file in your PC or Mac's native Photos program, then select the Print option from the toolbar.
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Place the image under the puzzle where the missing piece is located. Adjust the placement of the image to line up with the rest of the puzzle. [4] X Research source Next, use a sharp pencil to trace the shape of the missing piece onto the image. -
Glue the image to a piece of cardboard, then cut out the puzzle piece. Spread puzzle saver glue onto the cardboard with a small paintbrush and adhere the image to it. [5] X Research source Finally, cut out the outline of the puzzle piece. To make the most precise cuts, use an X-ACTO knife . [6] X Research source
- Ensure the cardboard is the right thickness and matches the rest of the puzzle pieces before using it as your replacement piece. If the cardboard is too thick, stack multiple pieces of a thin cereal box together instead until they reach the right thickness, then glue them together.
- When cutting with an X-ACTO knife, place whatever you're cutting on top of a self-healing cutting mat . Never cut the material on a table or the puzzle, as the X-ACTO knife blade is sharp and could damage the surface underneath it.
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Finish the replacement puzzle piece with an acrylic sealer. Paint or spray the acrylic sealer evenly across the piece, then let it dry for a few hours. This step will make your replacement piece look glossy and protect it from future wear and tear. It's an optional addition, but it's highly recommended to help your replacement piece blend in with the rest of the puzzle. [7] X Research source
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Fit the new puzzle piece in the missing spot to complete your puzzle. Now your puzzle is completely assembled and you can enjoy it! From here, consider gluing it together to form a display picture (and prevent any other pieces from going missing).
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Tips
- When cutting out small puzzle pieces, use an X-ACTO knife to get around the tiny curves and corners more easily.Thanks
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Things You’ll Need
- A computer with a free photo-editing software like GIMP or Canva
- A scanner or a mobile phone with a high-quality camera
- A printer
- Printer paper
- Matte-finish paper
- Cardboard or a cereal box
- Puzzle saver glue
- A sharpened, erasable pencil
- Scissors and/or an X-ACTO knife and a self-healing cutting mat
- Spray acrylic sealer
References
- ↑ https://youtu.be/x8pVSRoWvWM?si=HsKPz4thVs8L5gGn&t=6
- ↑ https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/GIMP_Quickies/#changing-the-size-dimensions-of-an-image-scale
- ↑ https://www.canva.com/help/resize-and-crop/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/x8pVSRoWvWM?si=Ujb3b5aIH5XZheWx&t=100
- ↑ https://youtu.be/x8pVSRoWvWM?si=5koPfhjdIsOs_tn0&t=77
- ↑ https://youtu.be/XJ-82NXKPYw?si=EkS3blGzKh4PzHVv&t=384
- ↑ https://craftingagreenworld.com/articles/tutorial-repair-a-puzzle-with-a-handmade-puzzle-piece/
About This Article
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- "Used this tutorial to "fix" a puzzle in October. Thanks for the tips!"
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"Used this tutorial to "fix" a puzzle in October. Thanks for the tips!"
