All puzzlers know how amazing it feels to put the final piece of a puzzle in place. Finishing a puzzle is an impressive feat, and you should take a moment to congratulate yourself and admire your masterpiece. However, after that moment ends, one question remains: what should you do with your finished puzzle?
In this guide, we’re giving you our best ideas for what to do with a finished puzzle (if you're not renting them from Completing the Puzzle, of course!). Whether you want to preserve your puzzle or pass it on to someone else, there are more options than you realize. Let’s jump in.
You spent hours working on your puzzle, so framing it is a great way to celebrate your work. Plus, puzzles make great inexpensive wall art, and it will mean more to you than store bought art since you had a hand in making it. Framed puzzles also make great gifts, and your friends and family will appreciate how much time you put into it.
The first step to framing a puzzle is to glue it together. You can use modge podge or puzzle glue, but we prefer no glue peel and stick adhesive sheets. You simply apply the sheets to the back of your puzzle, and there’s no mess or drying time.
Craft stores like Michaels have a wide selection of puzzle frames, or you can order one on Amazon.
Another way to preserve your hard work is to create a unique craft with your puzzle. For example, you can choose small sections to make into Christmas tree ornaments by glueing them together and punching a hole in the top to tie a ribbon into.
You can also use puzzle pieces to create unique textured wall art, like this puzzle piece tree. Create fun puzzle coasters by attaching small sections of a puzzle to a cork base and applying a heat and water proof finish. Projects like these leave a ton of room for creativity and imperfections, so it’s great to do with kids.
You can find more kid-friendly DIY puzzle piece projects on Pinterest. They are a great way to make use of puzzles with missing pieces that you can’t put together anymore.
Puzzles make great gifts, and since they can be put together over and over again, there’s nothing wrong with gifting one of your old puzzles to a friend. In fact, gifting your pre-loved puzzles is an eco-friendly and budget-smart choice!
Puzzles are meant to be played, so why not give them to someone who will use them instead of letting them sit in your closet? As long as all of the pieces are still in the box, no one will mind that the puzzle came from your personal collection.
Another way to pass on your gently used puzzles to someone else is to donate them. Nursing homes and children’s homes are always looking for activities to entertain their residents. A quick Google search will pull up local charities that would love to use your puzzles.
If you have puzzles meant for younger ages that your kids have outgrown, you can pass them on to younger families in your community. Foster families would greatly appreciate and benefit from your gift.
Even though there are several creative ways to save or repurpose your old puzzles, it’s not a crime to store them to use again. You never know when you’ll need a new family activity. For instance, putting a puzzle together is a great way to pass the time during a power outage.
They’re also perfect for vacations. Instead of the family sitting in front of a TV for hours, you can pack a puzzle to do together in the evenings after a day of adventures. Lasting family memories are made around puzzles, so it’s always a good idea to have a couple on hand at home.
You can also use your puzzle collection to host game nights. Invite all of your puzzler friends over, break them into groups, and challenge them to see who can put together a portion of a puzzle the quickest.
If trying to decide what to do with a finished puzzle is puzzling you, consider renting puzzles instead. When you sign up for a Completing the Puzzle membership, we send you a puzzle to complete and include a prepaid shipping label so you can send it back to us when you’re done. Then, we send you a new puzzle to work on.
Using a puzzle rental program like ours is a great way to support your hobby without having puzzles piling up all over your home. Plus, we buy back old puzzles that are gently used and have all of their pieces. Find out how our buy back program works here.
A puzzle subscription is also a great way to save money on premium puzzles that cost a pretty penny to buy yourself. We offer subscriptions at various difficulty levels, so you will always feel challenged.
Hopefully, you feel less overwhelmed about what to do with a finished puzzle. With so many ways to preserve, reuse, or repurpose your finished puzzles, this part can be just as fun as putting together the puzzle in the first place.
Find out more about our puzzle subscription service here, and sign up for yourself or give a membership to a friend or family member.