How To Make A Jigsaw Puzzle Gift

Have you ever wanted to turn a photograph or a piece of art into a homemade jigsaw puzzle. These simple and fun steps will teach you everything you need to know to create an amazing and personal gift to give to a loved one. The photo I used is of some of my favorite people. It is the perfect gift to give them in the form of happy mail. You could use a photo or a pieces of artwork. I am going to show you how to make a jigsaw puzzle gift with cardboard and some of my favorite products from Therm-O-Web using a photograph from one of my favorite places.

Materials and Supplies Needed to Make a Jigsaw Puzzle from Cardboard

Cardboard or Chipboard
Photo or Artwork Printed on Card Stock (in center with room around edges)
Clear Stamps from Therm-O-Web (Kindness on Purpose and Me and My Peeps)
Permanent Black Stamp Pad
Clear Stamp Blocks
Colored Pencils
Big Shot Pro and Puzzle Die (or hand cut using free template)
Therm-O-Web Easy-Tear Tape
Pixie Tape

Directions to Create a Homemade Jigsaw Puzzle

The most important step to the directions is to make sure you have a combination of chipboard that layers with the Easy Tear Tape and the card stock AND can still be easily cut. TEST this before getting creative and designing your magnificent piece of work. When you are learning how to make a jigsaw puzzle and it is your first one, you don’t want to ruin your photo without even knowing it SO BE SURE to use tape that won’t peel the paper.

Put a strip of Pixie Tape around the photograph in the center. This will create a layer that can be stamped on WITHOUT getting on the photograph. Pixie Tape works great because it will create the barrier then easily peel off without damaging the photo.

Step Two

Use the clear stamps to create a fun border around your photograph. The smaller that you decide to print the photograph, the more room you will have for this creative step.

Peel off the Pixie Tape. This is so much fun and feels so satisfying. It is like a super reveal.

Step Three

Once the stamping is complete, color the images with colored pencils. If you prefer, you could use crayons or markers for this too. It would even be fun to mix them all up!

Step Four

Completely cover the artwork with Easy-Tear Tape. This tape is strong and will hold the artwork in place long term. One roll of Easy-Tear Tape goes a long long way so while this might seem excessive, it is actually very practical. Tear off the top piece of the tape.

Step Five

Attach your artwork to the cardboard and gently press all over the surface to make sure it is completely adhered. It will get a good press when it goes through the Big Shot machine if you are using one. I bent it a little here to show you how well the Easy-Tear Tape holds it together.

Step Five

Run the completed piece through the Big Shot machine with the puzzle die. If you are hand cutting, follow the directions in the next part of this post.

Look at all of the darling pieces.

DIY Jigsaw Puzzle Tips

When learning how to make a jigsaw puzzle, an important step for this project is choosing the right cardboard for your handmade puzzle. Ensure that the cardboard you choose is thin enough that you are able to cut it with scissors or by using an exacto knife. This applies if you are using a digital cutting machine, a Sizzix Big Shot or cutting by hand.

If you are planning to make a puzzle using a special piece of art or an original photograph, it is probably a great idea to make a photo copy and use it for the actual puzzle. This way you can keep the treasured piece. I strongly recommend NOT cutting up a special photograph or piece of art.

It is fun to take the puzzle apart and give it in pieces as a gift. This can be bagged or sent in an envelope.

It is fun to put the pieces in a gift box with a handmade tag that matches too.

Hand Cutting a Cardboard Jigsaw Puzzle

On the back of the cardboard, draw your own puzzle pieces OR use the free template. If you are drawing your own pieces, make them LARGE so they can be easily cut. If you are using the template, cut the pieces apart and one by one trace around them onto the cardboard.