How To Solve A Jigsaw Puzzle Like A Boss

So you want to solve a jigsaw puzzle, do ya? Well, what may seem so simple a baby could do it can actually be frustrating if you have no strategy. Don’t worry, young grasshopper. We’re like the Mr. Miyagi of puzzles and will help you wax on, wax off and assemble your jigsaw so you can win that karate tournament!... Er, or just have a fun evening. Peep these super fresh tips—your friends will be super impressed.
 

Before You Get Started

Whoa! Slow down there. Before you just jump in to your puzzle experience, we have some preliminaries. We’ll make it quick since we know your attention span is super short.  

• Pick a puzzle that doesn’t suck.

• Make sure it’s not too challenging.

• Find a flat surface to work on.

• Lay out the pieces.

• Don’t forget snacks & your fave party beverage.

Now you’re ready for our expert, step by step tips on how to solve a jigsaw puzzle. 

 

Step 1: Locate & Assemble The Edge Pieces

Once you’ve spread out all the pieces, find the edges of the puzzle and put them all in one big stack. Once you have ‘em, assemble the outside edge of your puzzle. This will give you a canvas to work off of.

 

Step 2: Sort Pieces by Colors, Patterns & Shapes

Depending on your puzzle, you may be able to make some piles of pieces according to colors, distinguishable patterns from the image, and piece shapes. If you’re organizers like us, this might be your favorite part of the process.

Pro Tip: Play around with putting a few pieces together based on shape — sometimes you’ll find that pieces that look like they’d fit, don’t. It’s good to familiarize yourself with this to make it easier as you go along.

 

Step 3: Work on Small Sections First

Are there areas of the puzzle that have a standout subject, high contrast colors, or shapes? Start by trying to assemble those parts first.

 

Step 4: Fill in the Negative Space

Once you have parts of the image assembled, you can start filling in the space around them. It helps to try to place your assembled clusters inside the edge pieces, trying to approximate where they’d lie in the puzzle image. Just eyeball it—you got this.

 

Step 5: Complete Your Puzzle

There’s nothing more satisfying than slipping in that last piece and hearing the final snap. Make sure to savor it, then bask in the knowledge that you’re a super smart person who can do just about anything. You did it. You didn’t give up. Some might say, you’re a hero.

Just for good measure, take a shot of your favorite spirit, slap yourself in the face and do a little dance.

 

Step 6: Immortalize Your Achievement For Future Generations

So you completed a puzzle. Now what? Achieve world peace? Take down the NRA? Hang on there, Mother Teresa—how about we give you a few of our many ideas for what to do with your finished puzzle. 

• Glue it together so it can never be undone.

• Frame it and mount it on your wall.

• Give it to your grandma.

• Trade it with a friend.

 

That’s it! Hope you enjoyed these tips on solving a puzzle. It’s not rocket science but it helps to go in with a little info so you don’t look like a total a-hole.

Have any more hacks to share? Let us know in the comments below.