Upcycle Mismatched Puzzle Pieces Into The Cutest Fall Wall Decor

After spending hours piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, only the most die-hard hobbyists keep them intact and frame them. The rest of us admire them for a bit, then painstakingly break them up and put the pieces back in the box destined for a dusty shelf. Along the way, some pieces might go missing, only to be swallowed by the vacuum a few days later and thrown into the trash. Such a sad way for a puzzle to end its life, isn't it? So, why not DIY some cute decor with those old puzzle pieces instead? This DIY is a great way to upcycle mismatched puzzle pieces into a fall decor piece for your wall.

The idea is to paint mismatched puzzle pieces orange and use hot glue to attach them to a plank of wood, creating the shape of a pumpkin. It's easy and uses items you already have, which is a sustainable and budget-friendly way to create some seasonal decor. Pair with vintage fall decor items from the thrift store to celebrate Halloween without buying new decorations.

To do this hack, you'll need a base. You can use a basic wood plank for crafts, like these Philorn Basswood Sheets, or upcycle an existing piece of wall art and cover it with some white paint. You'll also need about 50 pieces from a jigsaw puzzle. Since they'll be covered with paint, they don't need to match; any color or pattern can work. Speaking of which, you'll need some orange spray paint. You can use the rest of the spray paint can for other cheap and easy Halloween decoration DIYs, like Jack-O-Lantern candle holders. And finally, you'll need a hot glue gun and a small branch to use as the pumpkin stalk, which you can find outside.

This DIY starts with some painting. First, you'll need to cover your base layer with some beige or cream-colored paint. At the same time, take your jigsaw puzzle pieces outside, lay them onto a layer of protective paper, and spray paint them orange. It doesn't matter if the pieces are facing up or down when you do this, just as long as they're completely covered.

@shellydoesdiy

Easy vintage-inspired DIY Fall decor✨ Ever lose a puzzle piece and keep the rest just in case? Here's your sign to upcycle it instead! 🧩 I thrifted a canvas, added faux shiplap with paint and a sharpie, and turned those leftover puzzle pieces into the cutest little pumpkin. So fun, so affordable, and easy to customize for any season! 🎃🖼️ #falldecor #fallhomedecor #falldiy

♬ original sound – ShellyChicBoutique

Once everything is dry, draw a circle at the center of the base layer with a pencil to use as your guide for the pumpkin. Then, start adding puzzle pieces to the circle using a small dot of hot glue on the back of each one. Then, fill in the circle, adding puzzle pieces on top of each other to create some dimension. At the end, you should have a large orange circle made of jigsaw puzzle pieces. Finally, add a small piece of wood to the top of the circle to act as the stalk of the pumpkin. And you're done — pair it with fall centerpiece DIYs to instantly elevate your space.

You can customize this DIY by switching up the colors, like using a black background for something a bit more Halloween-esque. You can also paint the puzzle pieces in a different color for something more conceptual, or create a different fruit for different seasons: red for a tomato, green for an apple, and even purple for a blueberry. And you can draw and fill a larger or smaller circle to play with size or adapt to the amount of loose puzzle pieces you have available.