Meet the Artist: Kenneth L. Keith
Puzzle Strategy
Step One
Find a Flat Surface
You’ll want to make sure you have a flat surface that is large enough to accommodate the size of your puzzle. Trust us, it’s no fun moving a half-assembled puzzle!
Step Two
Organize Your Pieces
Next, sort by color or pattern as best you can. This is not going to be a perfect science, so simply sort in whatever way makes sense to you. Some puzzlers like to sort their colors into bowls or plastic cups; others simply make groupings of like colors or patterns on the flat surface. No matter how you do it, be sure when you lay out your pieces that you also have enough space to assemble the puzzle.
Step Three
Build the Frame
Most new puzzlers start by locating the border or "edge pieces" both because they are easy to identify and because they will provide a frame for the puzzle.
Step Four
Start Piecing
Once you've found the majority of the border pieces, look carefully at their shapes and colors. Which ones appear to go together? You'll need to pay close attention to the number of "ins" and "outs" (also known as "tabs" and "holes" or any number of other names) on each piece as you try to connect them.
Step Five
What To Look For
Every TOOZLE puzzle comes with three pictures you can use to guide you:
- The box lid.
- A full-size poster.
- A collector's card (which you might want to frame when you're finished).
Each of these will give you and your fellow puzzlers a way to predict where a specific puzzle piece should fit.
Step Six
Important Tip
If a piece doesn't lock together so that there's no space between it and its neighbor, that piece is not in the right place. You should never have to force a piece into place. On the other hand, a piece should fit snugly; if there's too much "wiggle", try another location.
Step Seven
Celebrate Your Success
As your puzzle nears completion, you'll probably find it hard to leave the table! This is when your hard work, observation, and patience come together in victory. When you've placed that last piece, you may find yourself running your hand over the completed puzzle in a kind of caress. Don't worry; it's perfectly normal even for experienced puzzlers. We suggest leaving your completed puzzle on display for as long as you wish. After all, you worked long hours to finish it; you deserve to enjoy it.
Step Eight
You Did It!
Some puzzlers will glue their finished products together as keepsakes. In case you don't have the space or the inclination to hang a full-size puzzle on your wall, we invite you to frame your 5" x 7" collector's card or the full-size poster (frames not included) as a lovely reminder of the puzzle you've completed.
Share this article
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
TOOZLE STEAM Puzzles is a woman-owned-and-operated small business based in Iowa City, Iowa.
