Jigsaw Puzzle Mats

Have you ever started a large jigsaw puzzle only to put it away shortly after you realized that you didn't have the space to finish the puzzle? Many people like to solve their jigsaw puzzles on their dining room tables because a table is flat and sturdy. When dinnertime comes around that puzzle needs to be moved to make room for the meal. But how do you move a puzzle without completely disassembling it?

Instead of destroying all of your hard work, try using a puzzle mat. Puzzle mats are an affordable solution to keeping your jigsaw puzzles intact when you need to move them. Before you start a puzzle, lay the puzzle mat down on the table you plan to use. When you need to move your puzzle, roll up the mat with all of your pieces on it and store the mat wherever you like. When you're ready to finish solving the jigsaw puzzle, carefully unroll the mat. All of your pieces, including the pieces that were connected, will all be in the same place where you left them. A few pieces may have become slightly dislodged, so just put them back where they were. Some minor adjustments beat having to solve the same puzzle all over again.

Jigsaw puzzle mats are easy to find in most major retail stores and online. Use a puzzle mat the next time you pull out your favorite puzzle. It may save you some time and hard work later.

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Happy Mother's Day!

From all of us at Crazy4Jigsaws, have a very happy Mother's Day!

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What to do with a Finished Jigsaw

Jigsaw puzzles are a great game. You can solve them by yourself or with a group and there's no competition unless someone hides a piece from you. Everyone works together to put the picture together and usually some fun conversation takes place around a puzzle. But after you've spent countless hours finding a place for every piece what do you do with your finished puzzle?

Gluing a puzzle is a great way to save your jigsaw accomplishment. Puzzle glues can be found in retail stores and online. Slide a piece of baking paper, thin plastic or some other sturdy material under the jigsaw puzzle to prevent the puzzle from sticking to the table you are working on. Evenly coat the surface of the puzzle in multiple thin coats, getting in all of the little nooks and crannies. Applying too much glue at once may cause the puzzle to swell and the picture may start peeling off of the puzzle pieces. If the edges of the jigsaw begin to curl, flip the puzzle over to the unfinished side and apply glue. The puzzle will usually return to its flat shape once the glue has dried. Make sure you read the label of the glue that you purchase. Remember that not every puzzle glue is the same and each will recommend how many pieces it will cover.

Now that you have your glued jigsaw puzzle, how should you display it? The most common way to display a jigsaw is to put it in a frame. Most jigsaw puzzles come in standard sizes so finding a frame shouldn't be too difficult if you go to a craft and framing store. Once your jigsaw puzzle is in a frame, hang it up wherever you like!

The most common thing to do with a finished puzzle is to break up the pieces and put the jigsaw back in the box after you're done admiring your hard work. Nothing beats keeping your favorite puzzle around so you can solve it again on another day.

Happy puzzling!

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Having the Same Solve Times

Have you ever looked on the Fastest Solve Times scoreboard and noticed that two members have the same solve time? Why is the one member listed above the other if they have the same score?

Although it may appear that the two members have the same solve times, we calculate solve times down to the millisecond. The member listed first solved the jigsaw puzzle just a few milliseconds faster.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

From all of us at Crazy4Jigsaws, have a very happy St. Patrick's Day!

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