Don't Toss Old Puzzles When There Are 16 Creative Ways To Repurpose Them

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Once you've placed that final piece in your newest jigsaw puzzle, you probably wonder what to do next with it. Sure, you can box it back up and add it to your board game collection, but why not discover a new way you can use it in your home? Jigsaw puzzles are easily repurposed into a variety of creative projects, whether they're intact or missing a few pieces. You can easily reimagine puzzles of any material (wood, foam, paper) or size in your home as a compelling piece of art, a way to mark your reading spot, and as a clever timepiece. 

Jigsaw puzzles have emerged as a top pastime for various age groups, from the very young to the elderly. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many people sought ways to spend time while at home. Puzzles, an affordable and interesting hobby, emerged as one of the preferred activities. Even today, puzzles are an industry projected to increase to more than 600 million. The variety of puzzles sold on the market, with interesting themes, piece shapes, and difficulties, makes the world of puzzles vast. This aspect of puzzling also increases opportunities for fun new uses for them. Whether you're trying to reuse an existing puzzle, accidentally picked up an incomplete one at the thrift store, or you're paring down your kids' collection of superhero puzzles, consider these fun ideas on how to give them new life.

An easy way to repurpose an old puzzle is to turn it into framed artwork. If you have all of the pieces, that's great, though you could certainly also frame an incomplete puzzle as a piece of abstract art, if that's your style. After flipping your puzzle over, apply puzzle glue (such as MasterPieces Jigsaw Glue) then attach foam board as the backing, and frame. 

Using puzzle pieces with magnet tape lets you celebrate your love of all things puzzling. If working with paper pieces, edges can wear over time with repeated use, so make them more durable by covering your pieces with resin before attaching the magnets. You can paint or embellish the pieces to create something entirely new. Make it cute by theming your magnets to the notes or pictures you use them to hold, such as a food-themed piece for your grocery list. 

Don't forget your spot in that latest read. Turn puzzle pieces into a bookmark, decorating the piece with paint if desired. Try gluing each piece to a paper clip to slide over a book's page. Another option is to take a completed puzzle, cut one of the ends off, then seal with Mod Podge. Once dry, you can slip in between the book pages. If your kids have lost some of the pieces to their beloved Disney Princess puzzles, this is a good way to give them new life. 

If looking for a gift for a family member who loves puzzles, dress up an old or thrifted picture frame into a cute piece of decor by covering it with assorted puzzle pieces. You could use the same puzzle, or, if you have some missing pieces, mix them up. Play with each shape and color you add to the frame, perhaps making a rainbow effect with like colors clustered together by painting them. You also adopt a modern style by using pieces in the same hue. 

You may not realize it, but that jigsaw can transform into a fun bowl for catching your keys, sunglasses, and other essentials. Gather your pieces, and a bit of glue, then adhere a circle of pieces to a medium-sized piece of cardboard. Continue layering more and more pieces over the first circle you created, building it up until you have a bowl. Before assembling the bowl, you can spray paint or brush the pieces with acrylic paint for a clean look.

It's time to shape that fun activity into something a bit, shall we say, worldly. Find a free picture of the outlines of all of the continents online, then print. Cut out each shape, and use as a stencil onto your canvas. Next, gather your pieces together, bunching them to fill out each "continent." Glue onto the canvas, then seal with Mod Podge, and hang. If you lack a blank canvas, you could do this with a piece of poster board and frame it.

Instead of buying a canvas, turn a completed jigsaw into your base for an epic painting. You can put together a cheap puzzle, maybe one from a bargain store, then paint the background a solid color adding in vibrant splashes. Once you do that, you can then paint your new image on top, then frame it or seal and hang. The varying colors and elements on each piece will make the image pop.

Repurposing assorted things into creative ornaments can be a fun activity, and you'll likely love the whimsical nature of these DIY low-cost ornaments for your Christmas tree. Try shaping red and white pieces into a candy cane, or using green ones to make into a wreath, accenting with buttons or other bits. When you're done, thread the ornament with a piece of ribbon or twine by attaching it with glue. If you don't like the way they look on the tree, you can turn them into a festive package decoration for a gift instead.

Junk journals are a creative way to reuse paper and other things that might otherwise go to the trash. Using these elements, you can create a book of memories and observations, and each one is one-of-a-kind. Puzzle pieces can be a tiny but handy canvas for junk journaling, letting your transform them into small individual works of art. When it comes to decorating, you can add lace, rub-on transfers, whimsical charms, and anything else that strikes your fancy. 

Show it's always time for puzzles when you craft your puzzle into a clock! Ideally, this works with a round puzzle, however, those are pretty common. You will need to assemble it first, then attach to a foam board or a dish of a similar size. Once adhered to its base, cover the puzzle with Mod Podge, then drill a small hole to insert a clock kit, like the Hicarer Clock Movement Mechanism.

If you have an old children's puzzle, consider using it as a placemat. All it requires is a self-laminating sheet cut to the same size, such as 18 x 11 inches. Because some puzzles are large when completed, double check the puzzle's dimensions with the laminating sheet package. After you've assembled the jigsaw, lay it on a flat surface, press the sheet firmly to the surface. To add more durability to the place mat, consider covering the back as well.

Want to see your love for puzzles reflected daily? Use pieces to decorate the frame of a mirror with hot glue. Scatter them around to cover the surface, glue and let dry. This DIY decor can work well with a metal or wood frame mirror, though you're best working with one with a thick frame. The thin bezel frames won't give you much surface room to work with when placing pieces. You can also try gluing the mirror in the center of a large piece of cardboard or wood as your frame.

Perfect for a teen's bedroom or as a creative gift, a piece of initial art can be easily created with jigsaw pieces. Using a cardboard or wooden letter like TDock 12 Inch Wooden Letters, paint it with a bright shade, either a solid or in a gradient design. Arrange flipped over puzzle pieces how you like on top of the letter, then adhere with school glue or hot glue. To make your design stand out, try adding the same color(s) as the background to the pieces. 

Craft a one-of-a-kind piece of home decor with puzzle pieces, no matter the season. Consider decorating cut-out wood pumpkins with orange pieces for Halloween, Christmas trees with greens and reds, and pastels for Easter or spring. Another twist is to use the green pieces to decorate a styrofoam cone to make a fun Christmas tree.

You can remember the thrill of completing that hard 2,000 piece puzzle every time you grab a drink by turning the puzzles into a DIY coaster to protect your wood furniture. Resin will make the coaster last the longest, but you could also just cut a square or circle from the puzzle's design, use self-laminating sheets or seal with Mod Podge to give it more durability. Add an optional backing out of felt. 

Donating your puzzles is a great way to let others enjoy them. You could donate them to a senior center, your local library, hospital, or shelter. Some areas might even have a Little Free Puzzle Library, which lets you leave a puzzle, take a puzzle, much like some little library shelves offer books. Just ensure they have all of their pieces and the box isn't too damaged. You should also read each potential recipient's donation guidelines so you know what's accepted and what's not.