10 Expert-Level Tips for Doing a Jigsaw Puzzle
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- čas přidán 27. 04. 2019
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Do jigsaw puzzles like a pro with these 10 expert-level tips!
Watch my original How to Do a Jigsaw Puzzle video: • HOW TO DO A JIGSAW PUZ...
Get the things I mentioned in this video (all Amazon links are affiliate links):
Gallon Ziploc bags: amzn.to/2ZC2Pvg
Small Ziploc bags: amzn.to/2XO1xvy
Colander: amzn.to/2XSPFZf
Baking Tray: amzn.to/2XH8238
Foamcore: amzn.to/2J4q7El
All of the puzzles that I showed in this video (all Amazon links are affiliate links):
Lakeside Arbor by Bits and Pieces: amzn.to/2DyFUrc
A Quilter's Kiosk by Ravensburger: www.target.com/p/ravensburger...
Outpost by Cloudberries: www.cloudberries.co.uk/produc...
Peanuts Flair by Ceaco: amzn.to/2WauX6n
Purple Robe and Anemones by Pomegranate: amzn.to/2GzyiFE
Sloths by Eeboo: amzn.to/2DAQK01
Origami by Cloudberries: amzn.to/2XLbiun
Color My Heart by Ravensburger: amzn.to/2L8S7sT
Pink/Blue Gradient by Areaware: amzn.to/2GMfhBh
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Have you ever done any of these expert-level puzzle hacks? Which one was your favorite?
I have always stored my puzzles in Ziploc bags. I love the colander idea. When you sort your pieces and find two already put together - do you take them apart? I do. Silly, I know. I'd feel like I cheated a little if I didn't. :-)
Hello again. I am so enjoying your videos. I've done puzzles for many years and in that time I've learned alot. Probably my favorite is sort, sort and sort some more. I use paper plates or cookie sheets depending on the puzzle size. My 6000 piece Noah's Arc took many paper plates to hold alot of sorted pieces. The huge box lid held just the blue. I am kind of OCD so if I open the puzzle for the first time and there are any pieces out together I undo them. Sometimes though if I can see the pieces are ripping apart I just leave them. I have found puzzles missing a piece, one missing two pieces and even one puzzle had two extra pieces that didn't even go with that puzzle. Sometimes the manufacturers will send you a replacement piece you just give them horizontal and vertical numbers of the piece you need. I have made a piece out of a piece of cardboard and paint it to match the finished puzzle. Not really too hard. Keep puzzleing everyone!
I once too made one missing piece myself.
You can do these puzzles on any device, and not worry about missing pieces .
Karen Puzzles I’VE ALWAYS DONE NUMBER 9, AL-WAYS. I find it the best method, and of course, I sort the pieces out by color. Sometimes I get stuck and I need another perspective, so I stand up and look at the puzzle from above and that makes it a lot easier. :) :D
Hi Karen, I’ve not done a puzzle, since I lost my eye sight back in 86. I came Arcoss your channel by chance, while listening to some videos my friend sent me. I now complete a braille puzzle for the the first time in my life. Thank you Karen. (Signed joe Sam grandson)
Glad u found a way to do one💚
Why can write ?
@@apaya3456literally says signed by his grandson
@@apaya3456text to speech or other methods
@@apaya3456are you slow?
I don't mean to brag, but I put together a puzzle in 1 day and the box said 2-4 years.
2-4 years old
Ha GOTEEM
@@lauramcclatchey3631 no shit
Did I ask
Thats the age-
i thought i was a geek for doing puzzles, watching this has confirmed my suspicion
It's OK to be a geek. Instead of socks or ties for Christmas people get me a puzzle.
I was already a geek but I'm going into uncharted territory with puzzling in my 30s! It's so therapeutic!
I was a geek long before getting into jigsaw puzzles. I started doing puzzles after a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, its very therapeutic and helps re-train my brain to stay focused
😂😂😂😂
That is not true because than so am I
I use the ziplock bag hack, too. I also use a Sharpie to scribble the puzzle name, manufacturer and year I completed it the first time. That’s in case it somehow gets separated from the box. For puzzles I decide to donate, I mark “No missing pieces” on the bag. It’s something I appreciate when thrift store shopping for puzzles.
Great ideas!
Better yet..put on there "extra" pieces...lol
Great idea!
@@rickhilliard2545 Yep. Chuck some pieces in from other puzzles that look similar, drive people nuts.
@@Mike-me3sp Good to see a video comment on a two year old comment of mine..thanks for the comment.
Puzzling keeps you sharp. Dad, age 101 yrs., has a dedicated puzzle table, that’s for a half century been never empty. Now he prefers 500 pieces - finished within a week. Thanks for your tip list. It’s good to see them being passed on to a new generation of puzzlers.
Quite familiar with these tips, dad too likes first sorting out the pieces. (by shapes, color gradations, as well as by texture & image focus. - Thus puzzling before the main event).
Another tip: roll up your sleeves to prevent “catching” a puzzle piece when reaching over.
Oh yeah, watch out for that puzzle elf. You swear that the missing piece has not fallen, even after combing the floor on your hands & knees... Only to have it appear later in that very same spot.
Happy Puzzling!
I turn over a cheap blank canvas to back stops pieces falling off
That darn puzzle elf visits here too!
Yes, at 73 I no longer care to work larger than a 750 pc puzzle. Prefer 500.
If I don't have sleeves the pieces stick to my skin..lol
I'm a 73 year old lady. I don't have a dedicated workspace but this young lady has inspired me to try some easy puzzles...maybe 300 pieces?
It seems very satisfying to actually complete one! ❤💛🌟💛❤
I don’t know if someone has said this already, but I also use the foam core method. I also have a second foam core sheet that I can lay on top of it and secure with binder clips on the outer edges because cat happens.
Jo Foster great idea, thanks!
I used to have 2 big pieces of acrylic with one of them covered in wrapping paper. We just donated one of the big pieces to our vet for anti corona shields but it works perfect to cat-proof puzzles if you do them on the ground.
Cat definitely happens. Thank you. This is a great idea. I have been looking at pricey roll-up puzzle mats so my cats won't be tempted. I won't be traveling with my puzzles, so your idea is perfect for me.
Yes cats my cat jumps on everything I have to hang the puzzles up high but if she nocks the puzzle down or the one that im working on i dont mind redoing it but yeah good tip
I do the same.
Karen kinda reminds me of Amy from Big Bang
Kathryn Brook I thought the same thing!
Samee!!
Yes, but more as her character Blossom from the early 1990s.
Literally exactly what I was thinking lol
Yess!
I keep my edges in a separate bag. Saves so much time on repeat puzzling adventures!
Just finished a 2000 piece puzzle I feel so proud of myself 😁😁🤘🙂🙃
Good job!
@@KarenPuzzles im working on a 1500 piece puzzle ill let you know when im done
I’m over here struggling on a 500 piece
MinYoongi'sSwagAndJimin'sSmolHands
s a m e
MinYoongi'sSwagAndJimin'sSmolHands
Me too lol. All my colors are so similar and I have two dogs with the same fur colors so that’s hard for me lol. I did everything else though.
Edit: I finished the puzzle the next day :D
It took 3 days total.
One thing I do is take a photo on my phone of the how the completed puzzle looks and then I can use the box to sort instead of looking at the puzzle photo. It also helps that I can zoom in on certain parts of the puzzle on my phone! Super helpful.
SADK definitely helpful, thanks!
That is a great idea... thanks for the tip
Excellent tip to take a photo of the image and zoom it when you're stuck, I'm going to use it
That's what I do..especially with the collage puzzles
I’m almost completely blind and I have recently got into doing jigsaw puzzles. I absolutely loved your idea about turning the puzzle upside down, because it added a different perspective to it. I do my puzzles without even being able to see the picture on the box and not knowing what to expect when I open it. I have no idea what my end result are even supposed to look like, so solving the puzzle without matching colors was my favorite suggestion. I’m going to be uploading a video on Tuesday, March 31 about how I complete puzzles as a blind person
That's fascinating! I'm so glad you've discovered a love of jigsaw puzzles!
herbie59 thank you so much for the kind words!
I am amazed at what you can accomplish!!Did you do you video? Where can we find it? Thanks and happy puzzling.
@@Katie-vy5rd hello! Yes! I actually have my own channel with this account with many videos of me solving puzzles! Hope you enjoy it! Take care!
Hi Karen! I just found your channel and I am so stoked! I'm 35 and I suffer from a very debilitating anxiety disorder, and jigsaw puzzles have become a form of therapy for me. I find that concentrating on them, sorting all the pieces, and the endorphin rush I get when I find THAT one missing piece is so satisfying. It really calms my brain down and stops the anxious thoughts.
Same :)
Same 🙋🏽♀️
Love all the great ideas! 💡 But I was genuinely flabbergasted at the separate ziplock baggie for edge pieces 😱 Sorting those out when starting a puzzle is such a core part of the experience for me! Pre-sorting when you put it away feels like soaking the communion bread in wine before it hits your stomach, hahaha 😆
You can always mix them back in for the everything experience. I do the separate bag. I even put the pieces in all face up. For me doing a puzzle is about putting pieces in, flipping pieces face up and sorting out the edges is a tedious chore that I have to get out of the way first.
I agree. It's sacrilege. I was so shocked when she suggested this.
I just finished a 1000 piece puzzle in 1 week alone.. I feel so proud of myself
I starded to do a 1500 piece 2 days ago and I just realized IT IS FREAKIN' HARD
Congrats!
Took me 3 week but 500 I’m a day or two weird
Who else is here during quarantine?
I love all the new quarantine puzzlers!
meee
Me, on my 4th week of quarantine 😃
I can't remember the last time I did a puzzle. I've done 4 since the quarantine started.
I am
Really important tip: don't do puzzles near vents. I was doing a puzzle at the kitchen table and a piece fell on the grate on top of the vent. Luckily it didn't fall in, but I reoriented myself on the table so I wasn't so close to the vent. Keep your pieces safe!!!
Sus
Another option could be a screen to cover the grate with. Even if a price does fall there it can't go down. Screen because airflow is important, even when puzzling.
Been there, done that.
I am on my fourth 2,000 piece puzzle since quarantine started. I don’t like using shortcuts. To me the fun in doing a puzzle is taking your time, rummaging through the box or searching for that one piece to finish a section. Probably just me though.
Me too 😊
Now we over 70s are confined to our homes ( UK Coronavirus ) thanks goodness for jig- saw puzzles. Great show, Karen
I am not 70, but the first thing I did when we were supposed to stay inside, was go and buy a 2000 pieces puzzle. And I wasn’t the only one, they where almost sold out! Some people buy toilet paper, others food- me I went for coffee an puzzles 😅
34 here and I live in NYC. Have been cooped in my apartment since 3/12 with the exception of going to the grocery store. I’ve been doing puzzles as well like a mad woman. It’s really the only thing that keeps me sane these days! Stay safe and healthy. Good luck to you. We’ll get through this.❤️
Keep safe and happy
@@LauriSolvb that sounded fun!!! 😍😍
I realize this video was made a couple years ago but have a suggestion for the foam core. If you have a dollar tree store around you, go there and buy their foam poster board. They come in white or white with a black covering on them. I always get the white ones, and like Karen says, I move them from the couch, to the bed at times or from my card table I usually work my puzzles on. The card table is an easy move too in case you want to be in the living room watching and or listening to the tv while working on a puzzle. The Dollar Tree foam poster boards are only $1.00, so I buy several at once, just to keep some on hand at home. They don't take up much room, but do go to your dollar tree! Hope this don't bite me in my tail, and next time I go get some it's all gone....LOL I just did 4 deer, cabin related puzzles for my deer hunting brother to put on his walls, so I also glue the puzzles to the boards. Don't have alot to trim off either with the 1,000 piece puzzles. I've got 2 puzzles coming from Amazon that are for my walls, and one I had personalized with a picture from my grandsons graduation from high school that will definitely be a living room picture. If the quality of it turns out ok, I've got 4 more graduation related pics to get done and make him his own collage. Happy Puzzling Everyone!!
Instead of foam, I use a dog kennel replacement liner. They’re light and cheap and have edges for keeping the pieces in!
I live in the north east where the snow and cold keeps us inside 75% of the time. I only do puzzles in the winter and feel I’m horrible at it so I just now sought HELP and found you! I think I just got a whole new attitude adjustment in my puzzling!!
THANK YOU!!
This whole ordeal is puzzling but where else quarantine doing my first puzzle and I love it
Great tips ! Also, consider these tips: (1) Stand up - like your tip to do the puzzle upside down, standing up give you a broader perspective and I've fitted many pieces this way; (2) Trouble finding a particular color or shade that goes next to the piece you already have in the puzzle? - take the puzzle piece out and hold it in your hand next to your collection of pieces with similar shade - you should be able to find neighboring pieces this way; (3) Shift your target - frustrated with working on a difficult area? - don't give up, just shift your target to a different area of the puzzle and work on that for a while - success in another little area of the puzzle will give you a boost.
I watched the video, thinking I'd pick up a new tip or two. (I've been working puzzles for fifty years, and I like the really challenging ones!) However, I use every single tip that you suggested. They work! I'm so proud of myself! Ha Ha.
As random as a puzzle channel is, I am so grateful! I use to find puzzles intimidating, but your videos have helped me see the fun and joy puzzles bring me. Thank you thank you thank you ❤️
I absolutely love your channel! So nice to know there are others out there who are obsessed with doing jigsaw puzzles. My hacks: I use a cheap, sturdy poster frame to build on. Similar to the foam core as it is light and portable, but has a little raised frame around the edge so pieces don't fall off during transport. I slide my unfinished puzzle under the couch, where it is safe for the next day. For some reason, I only like to do a puzzle once. A finished puzzle is broken up, re bagged and placed in a box of shared books and puzzles at the office. People love free stuff and I don't feel guilty throwing it away, nor need to find a place to store it. Sometimes people aren't too thrilled with difficult puzzles tho. Thanks again for your amazing channel! Just have to ask, any relation to Bruce Mahler from Seinfeld? Maybe you just have a similar dialect. Thanks again for the great videos!
I don't like doing puzzles twice either! Funny, Thought I was the only one.
great tips! thank you! i just started puzzling with a 200, now doing a 300, next is 500. I'm really enjoying it. what got me started was watching your videos of the world championships.
My husband and I retired and it’s bleak and wintery outside . Puzzles are perfect for us. Great ideas thank you
I am glad to see your puzzles in bags. Our family has been doing the 2 bag trick since the 70s. I keep 4 kinds of plastic bags on hand for my puzzles. I have sandwich bags and also snack bag size for smaller size edge pieces. I have the Ravensburger fabric puzzle that you have. That is stored in a large baggie, not a ziplock bag. I use ziplock bags for larger rectangular shaped boxes. If the ziplock won’t lay flat, then I use a baggie.
My favorite fun way of extending puzzle time is this:
1) Do the border/edge
2) Divide the remaining pieces into somewhat equal sections in puzzle trays
3) Start with one tray, but my catch is you can only put in pieces that connect to the edge or pieces connected to the edge.
4) Keep going through the trays in the same order until the puzzle is finished.
Keep making puzzle videos. I enjoy watching them. I was hoping to see a new one posted this morning!
I love your method for easier puzzles where you don't want to just race through them!
Karen I love this channel! I've been known as "the puzzle guy" among my friends and family for my whole life. During quarantine, I knocked out a 1,000 piece puzzle of Santorini (very challenging) and a 1,000 piece puzzle of Star Wars - both incredibly fun. Managed to do the Star Wars one in about 20 hours. The Santorini one took a bit longer just because of all the sharp changes in the picture itself (buildings, walkways, etc) but I've been approaching the puzzle sorting/assessment process with all of your hacks without even knowing about them!
New sub here, for sure! Can't wait to see more!
We use the tray idea but purchased about 10-15 identical lightweight cookie sheets with edges (you want the lightest ones possible-Dollar Tree or similar) to sort and stack. We use different colors of cardstock under the pieces. When you need to consolidate pieces, lift the cardstock and slide the pieces into the next tray. About 4 trays with an empty on top will cover a 1000 piece puzzle and cat proof it for overnight on the dining room table. If you want to clear the table, stacked trays and a foamcore partly worked puzzle sandwich clipped with binder clips make quick work of clearing the table for use for another purpose.
An inverted unpainted picture canvas can be an inexpensive reusable puzzle piece holder (or two) also.
My experiences after some puzzling:
1) create a lot of space
It is much easier and more comfortable to spread out all the pieces in a large area, compared to moving piles around, not ever able to see all the pieces.
2) lighting is important
You will quickly learn how bad standard artificial lighting is, especially when seen at an angle. Diffuse daylight is great for puzzling. A white (or at least bright) underground also helps your eyes.
3) mind your body
Crunching over a small table or kneeling on the floor is not exactly Yoga to your back. Don't just accept the pain, change your setup.
4) puzzle mats are terrible (I love your foam board hack!)
while puzzle mats allow you to roll up your puzzle for later, they attract dust and dirt like magnets and often come with an awkward background color (try assembling a sky or sea on a blue mat, or a forest on a green one...).
You forgot 5) bring beer and make sure it spills all over every piece
@@zacharysherry2910 eugh!
Thanks for the tips. I'm a fairly new puzzler so every bit helps. It's awesome to see an expert taking advice and ideas from others (and sharing them!). It's humbling and a very good trait. Well done.
As for my own tips...I usually leave the edge for last. It's a fun way to finish off the the puzzle.
When I break it up I store it in bags of 50 - 200 pieces depending on the size and picture of the puzzle. (I usually don't store the edge pieces seperately). Then I have "mini puzzles" for whenever I can squeeze in a bit of 'boring-fun'.
Keep the videos coming! It's a great channel :-)
From South Africa
I love the idea of separating the puzzle into quarters and storing them separately to turn it into a few mini puzzles!
I have been using poster board for a number of years, and have since applied a layer of felt with spray adhesive so as I move around or want to prop the poster board up the pieces don't fall off!
Wow! Mind totally blown! I have been doing these things for years and never knew that I was doing it right. Sent my husband to get me a piece of foam core as we speak!
Just found your channel, I bought a jig saw puzzle for something to do.. I'm now binge watching ur videos LOL
Instead of using the foam core, I use an old cork board/bulletin board that I wrapped with white felt I picked up at Joann’s. That way I don’t have to worry about the pieces sliding off because the felt helps to hold them and the cork board offers a bit more support than a foam board.
Great idea! I've been thinking about trying to DIY my own felt board too.
My wife and I use a sewing pattern cutting board made out of a hard plastic to do our puzzles. You can get those at fabric stores.
One tip i have if you have a pet and you leave it during the night. Slide it under a couch or bed when not using it. If it's on a board.
This is so awesome, I think another good tip is to have a good puzzle music play list :)
I have always ALWAYS stored my pieces in ziplock bags. When I start sorting and remove the edge pieces I also have a set of different colored kids plastic bowls and each color is for a different jigsaw Shape. You could buy a set bowl set for Colored pieces too. They also are handy as they stack and take up less room. I even have a bowl just for the lesser Shape pieces where there is only one or 2 of that piece--they all go in one bowl. I also have a bowl for People, Body Part,s small Animals etc, or a certain part of the jigsaw that really stands out. My brother made me 2 different size wooden jigsaw boards and they have a lip so the pieces do not slide off. You could also take a photo of the jigsaw box lid picture and have it on your iPad so you could ZOOM around and also if you want to use the lid to store or display jigsaw pieces
Umm... this guy has a bowl for body parts.
Great idea to take picture to zoom. Thanks!
I use plates :-)
Biggest puzzle hack do them during covid19 quarantaine
Doing the 5000 piece jan van haasteren friday the 13th puzzle sooo huge I bought a wooden plate 180 by 122 cm and its only just big enough. Lol and it has fake edge pieces wich is a disaster. Def gonna safe the edge pieces in a bag when im done never gonna compare 1500 fake and real edge pieces ever again i really think 5000 is the hardest cause its the max without coming in sections
I have a 3000 piece puzzle that I went back to do since I’m bored 😂 and I actually just separated the edges first then went and put the pieces all one way to help 😂
You have inspired me to do the 18,000 piece Ravensbuger “ Magical Bookcase”. I use a combination of the tricks here. I sort pieces on several sizes of foam core /thick cardboard. I can then stack them. I also store the large amounts of pieces that I am not working on in clear plastic containers. This allows me to work on smaller areas of the puzzle without taking up an entire room. This has been effective in keeping the pets at bay. As I progress with the puzzle, I split large areas into shapes. This all allows me to keep the puzzle in some frame of reference and order.
I am going to try the colander method for puzzle dust next.
Amazing! Good luck finishing that!
18000? Woooaah that's huge!
I was intrigued by this comment and had to go look up the Magical Bookcase on amazon. So pretty! But it's almost $200 Canadian. Yikes! But thanks so much for bringing it to my attention. In my browsing I also came across a couple of 1000 piece Ravensburger puzzles called Bizarre Bookshop and Bizarre Bookshop2. I am very tempted!
Hi, I did the 32.256pieces puzzle of Ravensburger : the most important thing To get it quickly and easy is to use the symetry and translation that exists in the shapes. Answer if interested, I may do a video To show it
@@morcelluswallace5942 What does “symmetry and translation “ mean in puzzles?
I use the Puzzle Sorter 6 Box kit to sort the pieces into. They boxes are like Puzzle Lids and also stack into each other too. Really simple and extremely Helpful
A tip for cat owners who don't have a rolling mat: when you take a break, cover your unfinished puzzle with puzzle boxes or books and put sth small on top, so the kitty won't sit down there. Bc of my cat, I lost 1 piece of 2000 Heye Victoria Frances Wolf puzzle and I can't experience such a loss again.
I lost a piece of a puzzle for a month! I also have a cat who likes to sit on my puzzle. Try moving every item around your desk to a different area, move your desk to see if it's under there, check surrounding area and maybe it'll show up. There's also the chance they maybe your puzzle is missing a piece. Google the brand of the puzzle and missing piece. It'll yell you how to obtain that one piece from the company:)
It's horrible to lost a piece or some, it doesn't feel the same. If I noticed that I lost one at the beginning I just abandon the game. I either have cats, but I cover it with a trash bag.
I've just started watching your channel and I bought a 1000 piece puzzle. Thanks to your tips it took me 13 hours in two separate days to finish it. Considering that the last 1000 puzzle I did took me weeks working with my sister, I consider this a huge success!
There is indeed nothing new under the sun. You can literally find EVERYTHING you need on CZcams 💯
I keep a spreadsheet of every puzzle I have done, complete with time taken! #puzzlenerd
Nice! Very good idea!
I already knew most of the tips :D
I love Puzzles, and mostly i hang the puzzles on the wall when i'm done, and i do that with the 9000 piece Puzzle. Luckily we have so much room for it.
Great tips. So much fun. I use the cookie sheets to put all the extra (non edge) pieces on. After I finish the frame outline I go thru the various trays and ultimately sort according to colors or type or section theme. I also bag the puzzle but will do the smaller bag for the edges. Great idea.
Karen, your puzzle tips are great, and some I had never thought of before...thanks! I have about three new puzzles tucked away and had just been thinking this social distancing situation would be a perfect time to start one!
I have started my first puzzle today! I have completed the edges i am ready to join this community!
Thanks! I am currently working on a 300 peice rainbow gradient!
Just bought a 300 piece puzzle to get started on and love your tips. Going to get some foam core. I currently have the border on a piece of cardboard but I think the foam core will be better. Thank you sooo much for all your tips.
Good luck with your puzzle! You got this!
Thanks for the tips. I haven't done a jigsaw puzzle since I was a kid (i'm 42 now), and I got a puzzle for Christmas and it's been more difficult than I thought. But I'm enjoying it and looking forward to finishing it.
*watches Karen finish a 2000 piece puzzle in one day while ignoring the 1000 piece I’ve been working on for like 3 day*
*goes to this video*
Thanks for the tips Karen! I'm not a puzzle person, but a friend recommended it as a Christmas gift to help promote 'sanity' during the holiday family visit.🙄😬 It really helped give a few needed moments of meditative, cooperative calm.
Btw, the foam core board helped soo much! Made all the difference. 👌✨💙
I love doing puzzles, a whole lot, when I’m done with them I glue them and hang them up. Puzzles make amazing wall art pieces and they’re a lot of fun to put together.
An alternative to holding them up to the light to see if a piece is a good fit is to turn them over and look at the backs. Also, packing the edge pieces separately is a winner - after all, we all start with the edges don't we?!
I was searching for Karen compilations
I searched "Karen's assemble" and this is what came up.
Pleasantly surprised
Good tips. I think I’ll start using the baking tray idea to give me more room to fiddle with. A tip that I use is to mark out the exact dimensions of the puzzle on my working surface with painter’s masking tape so it keeps my edges straight. I also keep a kind of mental grid map to help locate features relative to each other.
Thank you, these are some great tips. I like the bag idea-it never occurred to me to put the edge pieces in a bag all by themselves (DUH!)..and the foam board-that's a great idea!
I can tell this Karen isn’t like most Karen’s that are typicall to the Karen meme.
The only Karen we accept
I put felt on the cookie sheets so the pieces don’t slide. I chose a pale blue color. Seems to work ok.
Good idea!
(I’ve often separated pieces by color, and also by shape. Lining them up facing the same way is a great idea that I’ll also try, thanks! I already have a puzzle mat, but it’s dark blue; and I do have some foam board so will be using that too, especially since it’s easier to move than the mat.)
First I would like to thank you for all the great videos. I find them encouraging and helpful.
Second, many of your tips are helpful, some I already did. I too always store the puzzles in zip lock bags and once I finished the puzzle separate the edge and place it in a smaller zip lock bag inside the bag with the puzzle. I also take a sharpie and write the date I completed the puzzle and how long I spent on it. This way if I choose to redo that puzzle I can either try to beat my time or have an idea of how much time needed to complete it.
*I love the colander idea* Puzzle dust frustrates me. I use a felt puzzle board on a lazy susan and once I have pieces on it I cant remove them and vacuum the dust away. I will def use that tip.
Another tip I can offer is I always take photos of my progress. After I break down a finished puzzle I like a reference of how it came together. As I get older my memory slips and after doing so many puzzles it helps me recall each one.
I like using puzzle trays, I sort edge pieces first but always find a section to start with and I always leave all the dark colors for last.
Yikes. 3:42 is a disaster waiting to happen...at least for me. 🤣
I actually sort the egdes first, then I sort by charectors and then sky or what ever is in back ground. I do not turn them up right just in containers where I can sift through as I go. Always fun.
I like to do online puzzles and have been doing puzzles on Jigsaw World for about 5 years and have done more than 500 puzzles. I appreciate your tips, and use a lot of them while doing online puzzles. They are easier than real jigsaws, because each piece is already the right side up. So far, I have only been doing up to 500 piece puzzles, but only recently started doing 1000+ piece puzzles. Every week I try to challenge myself and do their weekly contests. They give you 6 days to complete them, and I usually take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to do one, but the winners can do them in about 15 minutes. I know I probably can't win, but like to challenge myself and see how I do.
Nice! Will try online one.
I started getting really interested in jigsaw puzzles summer of 2021 and the first time I got my 1000 piece puzzle I really underestimated how difficult it was for me but I came to this video and it helped me dramatically that I finished the puzzle in 3 days, people probably finish it in 3 hours but I was very happy that I at least completed it, ever since my love for puzzles grew and I got more of them, Im coming back to this video cause my most recent puzzle is pretty difficult to me but im sure that this will help a lot, thank you very much for the tips.
You know quarantine is getting bad to the point when ur doing puzzles
Lol yup.
I love your enthusiasm !
I am your new fan, and bought a puzzle after seeing your videos, today I got it and started immediately as it got delivered and did a 500 PIECE JIGSAW PUZZLE IN 8 HOURS STRAIGHT. I'm so shocked that I did it with taking short 10 min breaks 3 4 times and did rest in one stretch, you brought me a new hobby. Will do more and try to reduce my time. Thanks for tricks and tips for my first attempt 😊😊😊🤩🤩🤩
I LOVE TO DO PUZZLES, and probably have 500, I do all of the tips you have listed, but instead of a cooking tray, I use multiple white paper plates to sort, then they can be stacked, I also use 2 foam boards, one to put under, and one on top ( then I can slide it under my sofa ) KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.
I use the piece shape sorting technique for the cloudberries puzzles mostly for the background colour for the origami and canvas puzzle, the light green to dark green section of the gradient puzzle and the purple to white part of the mountain puzzle. I always do my puzzles on the floor and one thing that I do is put all of the inside pieces face up in straight lines so I can see all the pieces, one problem is that it takes ages to do, for example: it takes me 30-60 minutes for 1000 pieces and it takes me 2-3 hours for 2000 pieces. I love watching your videos, they are interesting to watch and very helpful and it's also nice to see someone who is crazy about jigsaw puzzles like me. Keep up the good work ❤😊
I love that you organize all the pieces in straight lines! It's a lot of work upfront but I'm sure it makes the puzzling way easier once you can actually get started!
It's easier to do the hard part before hand to get it out of the way and then start doing the puzzle whilst being able to see every piece
Who is here March 2020?
I am. A week or two ago the stores seemed to have plenty of puzzles. Today, almost none.
Craig Wilson I know right?
@@plantplanetearth509 I have four Walmarts within 15 miles, and they're all cleaned out. :(
You have the best puzzle collection!!
Hi Karen OMG I'm so glad I found you channel, I've recently just rediscovered my love/passion/obsessing for this hobby and love watching all your videos, so much so that I forget to go do some of my puzzles 😅 I love all your tips and suggestions and am now an avid puzzle shopper when ever I go out to thrift stores as well
Thanks for you wonderful channel 🧩
I use a second - same size foam board - and run masking tape along the two boards. This creates a twice as large board for ease of use and also allows it to fold up and use binder clips for temporary, in-process puzzle storage. Colander idea is fab!! I would also add using a spatula for moving 'chunks' around when working with lower quality puzzles that don't stay together or moving large 'chunks'.
Since being quarantined my family and I have started working on puzzles. We’re first timers and are working on a 500 piece😂 maybe one day we’ll be working on a 1000 piece.
Don’t mind me just trying to solve the hundred thousand dollar puzzle by David Dobrik
Bro that’s why I’m here lololol
Same
As a kid, I had a ton of puzzles, it was my only hobby. During the Covid situation, I began it again and I'm in love - so much nostalgia, but also so much new, cool puzzles to discover :)
I do all of the suggestions. I have also started sorting w both hands. Using one hand, your dominant is most natural but using both is faster to turn pieces over, to sort into cups, and to separate out edges. Thanks for sharing!
I'm in a retirement community and each floor in our 13 floor tower and its sister tower has a jigsaw puzzle table. I love the strategies in your video. Can't wait to try them!
Very Nice. I'm sure the tables are busy. LOL
Done all these at one time or another !!
Thanks as always Karen. I feel there is a whole book on this topic! I actually think the different approaches needed for different puzzles is a big part of what makes puzzling enjoyable, and its about how quickly you adapt your standard methods to the particular needs of the kind of puzzle you are doing now that is important. I get really excited about a puzzle when my standard strategies fail and I have to do things in a new way. A flexible and open-minded approach is necessary and a marker of being on the wrong track with your strategies is your frustration level. Insert something here about zen puzzle attitude and its applicability to life in general.
PS - subtopic puzzle ethics; separating edge pieces into the bag - wrong!
you're amazing ! :)
I'm doing my second puzzle in my life!
And the sky left, so I just sort them for tommorow as you tip ! :)
Best wishes from PL :)
Sometimes jigsaws could be really PUZZLING to solve
.....
I'm see myself out the door-
Formcore.....yeah, that's the ticket ! Thanks !
We have a dedicated counter height puzzle table in our home with an additional round top on top of the square tabletop that you can turn to orient the puzzle different ways to gather pieces or change your perspective as you work the puzzle. My 95 year old mom participates in the process and loves to be able to do this without getting up and down. My sister and I can work the puzzle standing up or sitting down because the counter height table makes it comfortable to do so. Yes, we are jigsaw puzzle obsessed! Love your hacks!
I bought an amazing rainbow coloured flowers puzzle to solve with my husband. This video is so helpful thanks.
No code word?
Is that some sort of code?
I have one personal habit in puzzling. If I find a unique piece, I save it for last. I call it my keystone piece.
Keep the videos coming.
Very cool, I love everyone's unique puzzle habits!
Great idea !
Thank you for saving me a lot of time at 1:30 :D
Thank you so much for this! Starting my 2nd puzzle. First one.. i got so frustrated. .was way to hard for my first one lol
Got an easier one now.
loved the foam board idea so I can move it. ❤
I always use the Ziploc bag trick. The strainer is a great idea; thank you Karen!! I also write the date I completed the puzzle on the box. I do the same for books. It’s hard to remember if you competed either a book or a puzzle. Thanks again Karen
You don't have to destroy the puzzle once it's done. You can frame them. That's what I do!
I always take them apart so I can do them again later! But framing them is a great idea too if you really love the picture!
@@KarenPuzzles Wow! I love your energy for puzzles!
you’re not destroying it by taking it apart. You’re preserving it for another rainy day.
When I sort my puzzle looking for the edge pieces if there are smaller groups of color I sort them on Paper plates. They will stack easily and then when you're ready to put that smaller part of the puzzle together just get that plate!
Good idea!
Karen I love this channel of yours in the tips you give for working on puzzles. I especially enjoyed your video on the ravens burger puzzle‘s and I went and googled them I know that sounds a little weird probably. To my amazement surprise and delight they also make paining kids and I am to teach myself watercolor I found three of the most amazing watercolor kits from ravens burger on eBay I love them so much. I haven’t been confident enough to use the actual watercolor prints that came with the kids so I keep tracing over it with an empty pen and keep practicing and practicing. Thanks for all your hard work and effort you put into each video
I just finished a 1000 piece puzzle with my mum. It looks amazing and took us a month. I'm going to hang it in my room! We are doing a 500 one now (quarantine made us do this not complaining tho) and thank for the tips!