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How To Glue A Jigsaw Puzzle For Hanging

Jigsaw puzzles have been around forever, but I feel like they have had a recent uptick in popularity. They are great family entertainment at holidays and the whole family can work on a project together. They are great way to get your kids to spend some time with the grandparents. Sometimes old fashioned fun and games are in order. What do you do when that puzzle masterpiece is complete, though? Why not hang it on the wall? Keep reading to see how to glue a jigsaw puzzle for hanging.

A few Christmases ago, my family and I completed the hardest puzzle I have ever done. There was no way I was about to tear that thing apart and put it back in it’s box. No way; no how. So, I decided I would glue it together and hang it on my son’s wall. It was his puzzle, after all. The Star Wars puzzle went perfectly in his room, but how do you glue a puzzle?

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Step One: Put Your Puzzle Together

Don’t worry, you don’t have to glue each piece individually. So, complete your puzzle normally and then you are ready to glue. If you can’t get to this project right away, find a safe place to store your puzzle lying flat. I left this one on the kitchen table and my cat sat on it a bunch. I blame him for the lost puzzle piece.

We actually lost a corner piece to our puzzle. So, I got in touch with the manufacturer and they mailed us a replacement – a whole puzzle. It was that easy. I had come up with all kinds of ideas on how I could make the missing piece myself or order just one piece. However, the company just replaced the whole thing. So, if that happens to you, check with the manufacturer. If I was going to go to the trouble of framing this puzzle and hanging it on the wall, I wanted a complete puzzle.

Step Two: Gather Your Supplies

Once your puzzle is ready, you will need glue, an applicator, and a frame. There are lots of different puzzle glues out there, but the easiest thing I recommend is Mod Podge, and a sponge brush. I used the Mod Podge that is made for paper with a matte finish . Mod Podge goes on white which makes it easy to see where you have spread it and then it dries clear. So, don’t worry when you pour it on your puzzle and it looks like Mayo! Ha Ha!

You’ll probably also want something to put under the puzzle while you glue it. The Mod Podge stays mostly on the top of the puzzle and doesn’t run down between the pieces. It’s a pretty clean process, but I used the back of the board that came in the poster frame I planned on using to hang it in.

I just looked for a poster frame that was close to the size of the puzzle. I couldn’t find one that was exact, but what I found worked. Obviously, you can find something a lot more expensive if you are wanting to do this project and make a real work of art. When I was searching, I found some frames that are specially made for puzzles and I’m linking them down below if you want to go that route.

Step Three: Glue It Together

After you have something under the puzzle like a piece of cardboard or plastic, just pour a good amount of Mod Podge right on top of your puzzle. Next, take your sponge brush and spread the glue over the entire puzzle. Then, while the glue is still wet, try to make sure your brush strokes are all going in one direction and that your glue is as smooth as possible. Yes, it dries clear, but now is you chance to give it that smooth look where you won’t even notice the glue when it’s dry.

Step Four: Display

Now, once your puzzle is nice and dry, you will be able to frame it and hang it on the wall with no problem. I just used a poster frame I bought at Michael’s to frame this one. It’s currently displayed in my son’s room. That’s all there is to it. This was a super easy DIY project. The hardest part of this was putting the puzzle together!

Speaking of my son’s room, yes, this puzzle work of art is still on display. Even after we have recently completed a room makeover. See more of this puzzle in my son’s room at Floating Shelves for Legos. Here I found the perfect shelves to display all the Star Wars Legos that go with this jigsaw puzzle art work. You can also check out the shades I found to match the shelves at Cordless Bamboo Shades Really Update This Bedroom. If you want to see how I displayed this puzzle art before the room makeover, you can check out Toy Storage Ideas.

So, now you know it’s a super easy project. So, do you think you will try to glue a jigsaw puzzle for hanging? Check out all the links below for supplies and frames.