puzzle ART

I think we’ve all been there! A group effort around the puzzle table, final piece goes in, everyone cheers, and now what? Everyone just kind of walks away. How long is the proper amount of time to leave the puzzle out? I personally didn’t work on the latest puzzle, so what is the proper protocol? I want to honor those who “puzzled”, but also is it okay to box this up? I tell ya what, IT’S PUZZLING!

Every once in awhile a puzzle is just so pretty, it’s hard to put away. Enter this very simple DIY! All you need are basic supplies. (We actually had everything on hand!)

• Old paint brush - it’s going to be thrown away

• Mod Podge - matte or glossy

• Paper towels or parchment paper - some kind of protectant for your counter surface or table.

I slid some paper towel underneath the puzzle after it was complete. Full disclosure: some of it stuck to the back of the puzzle, but we just pulled it off. I also suggested parchment paper, but any glue that seeps through has the potential of sticking. Just FYI, it wasn’t an issue at all for us.

I prepped my container with foil for easy clean-up! I also like “lustre” finish of Mod Podge.

This is so simple! It did require most of the 8 oz container, although it wasn’t totally full to begin with. Our puzzle is about 16x21 for reference. You will simply spread the glue on the top of the puzzle. Make sure you stay in the same direction with your brush strokes. I did a coat, let it dry and repeated this process for several coats.

There really was nothing to this project! This would be very easy for younger children to do as well. I would say less is more here. Definitely watch the amount of Mod Podge. I was controlled with my brushstrokes, as with any paint project brushstrokes show. I would also add, wait in between coats to fully dry before adding another coat.

We are so happy with the final result! I have always wanted to try this technique, and now we have a cute Rifle Paper Co. piece of artwork. Let me know if you preserve your puzzle and give this a try!