How to Seal a Jigsaw Puzzle

Jigsaw puzzles are good for passing time and challenging yourself in your free time. They’re an entertaining and gratifying way for both kids and adults to unwind, and they’re great for enhancing memory, focus, and problem-solving skills. Fortunately, you can create a custom-printed jigsaw puzzle with your preferred images and patterns to match your jigsaw puzzle needs from a reliable platform like MakeYour Puzzles!

Once you know how to put together a jigsaw puzzle, it’s a good idea to learn how to seal it. The most effective way to seal a jigsaw puzzle is to apply glue to the surface of the puzzle. Spread the glue across the surface using a business card or a piece of plastic, ensuring that it spreads evenly.

What Is a Jigsaw Puzzle?

A jigsaw puzzle is a puzzle made of unevenly molded, interlocking pieces. These pieces are mosaicked, with each piece displaying a portion of the entire picture that appears when you complete the puzzle.

What is a jigsaw puzzle versus a puzzle? A jigsaw puzzle is one category of the broader concept of puzzle games. A puzzle can come in many forms, including jigsaw puzzles, matchsticks, and crosswords, among others. 

John Spilsbury, a British cartographer and engraver, developed the first jigsaw puzzle in 1760. The name comes from one of the tools (a jigsaw) used in the 18th century to cut the pieces of the puzzle from a flat piece of wood.

Sealing a Jigsaw Puzzle

Although jigsaw puzzles are mainly intended for passing time and challenging your mind, they can also become unique pieces of art you can frame. After spending so much time putting together that sophisticated puzzle, you can seal it to ensure that it doesn’t fall apart.  

The question is, how do you seal your jigsaw puzzle for preservation? The process of sealing a jigsaw puzzle involves several important steps. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Prepare a Flat Surface

Start by finding a flat surface that is clean and spacious where you can place your puzzle. Make sure there is no dust or particles that might stick to the puzzle when you’re gluing it, and make sure the whole puzzle fits in the space.

Place Wax Paper Under the Puzzle

Slide a sheet of wax paper under your puzzle before you apply the glue to prevent your puzzle from sticking to the surface. Make sure the wax paper covers an area larger than the puzzle.

Apply the Adhesive

Because there are numerous types of adhesives designed to seal jigsaw puzzles, choose the one that suits your puzzle. You can either use liquid adhesive or adhesive sheets.

If you choose liquid glue, you’ll need a brush or a flat piece of plastic, like a credit card, to apply it to the puzzle. Ensure that the adhesive covers every piece of the puzzle. Adhesive sheets are applied to the back side of the puzzle, so you have to turn your puzzle upside down to apply the adhesive sheets. 

Let MakeYourPuzzles Help

Because you put in all that work, you might as well make the memory last, especially if you designed the puzzle yourself! Check out MakeYourPuzzles and see what kinds of custom photo puzzles you can create today!