How to Make Your Own Photo Slider Puzzles

Choose the picture you wish to use in your sliding puzzle. You can select a photograph or find a picture from the Internet.

Print out the picture on a sheet of heavy stock paper. Do not use standard printer paper as the paper will not be sturdy enough to shift around in your puzzle. If you're using a photograph, you do not need to print anything out.

Cut out any white space around your picture. Measure the length and width of the picture using a ruler. For example, the picture may measure 6 inches long and 4 inches wide.

Draw a box in the center of one of the pieces of cardboard that measures the same length and width as the picture. Cut the shape out using a box cutter. You will be left with what resembles a frame for your picture.

Glue the piece of cardboard with the hole to the cardboard that has not been cut. The second piece of cardboard acts as a backing so your puzzle pieces do not fall out while being shifted. When attached, it will look like one piece of cardboard with a shallow recess in the shape of your picture.

Flip your picture over and create a grid using your ruler and a pencil. Each space in the grid should be of equal size. For example, the 6-by-4 inch picture can be split into six spaces measuring 2-by-2 inches.

Cut along the lines in your grid to create the pieces for your sliding puzzle.

Place all but one of your puzzle pieces into the cardboard holder. Make sure all the pieces are facing the same direction.

Slide the pieces of your puzzle using your index finger. Shift the pieces to create the picture or give the puzzle to a friend to solve.

Flip the cardboard over to empty the picture pieces from the puzzle and replace it with a new picture of the same size for a brand new challenge.