I’ve recently started getting into jigsaw puzzles. What are your favorite tips/tricks/strategies? How do you start? Do you have any specific techniques, such as grouping similar pieces or anything like that?
I first sort out all the edge pieces and make the whole edge. Next, I just rummage through the box looking for starting points. Gradually group similar colours, look for distinctive features. When the easier parts are done, looking at smaller and smaller detail. For large areas of a similar colour, I might line up the pieces in neat rows, sorted by shape.
Here’s a progress picture of a 3000 piece jigsaw:
Started with the edge. Then the purple bird and pink flamingo. The sky, zebra’s, etc… There is order in the chaos of pieces on the left. They are grouped by colour.
Last bit of that one, were the elephants. I ended up with a few hunderd grey pieces, but managed to put them together. End result:
I recently got some sorting trays. This is the one I’m currently working on:
I have these same methods, and did that same animal puzzle!! I don’t have trays though, I may go get a couple small Tupperware like containers to sort some pieces by color or zone, since I have cats and can’t leave them out. And, always keep that box pic for reference! It’s crazy how some little feature on a piece will stand right out and give you a spot to get going.
I grab the four corner pieces and start there. Then gather all the end pieces, place them all. Then I’d continue in a sort of spiral pattern.
Though I’ve not done any jigsaws in about two decades. So I imagine there’ll be others with much better advice.
You could probably separate all the pieces by colour and group them that way too.
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