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How to Cut Jigsaw Puzzles

Chose a photo of a favorite vacation spot, a favorite relative or the newest addition to the family and use it to create a customized jigsaw puzzle. The result is a hand crafted memento of that special place or person. Puzzles are multi-person activities that the whole family or an entire group of friends participates in together. Cutting and customizing your own jigsaw puzzle requires only a few specialized tools and the result is a heirloom to last for years and provide hours of entertainment.

Things You'll Need

  • Photo printed on paper
  • Birch or mahogany plywood
  • Hand-held orbital sander
  • Puzzle template
  • Table saw
  • Carbon paper
  • Pencil
  • Spray adhesive
  • Wall paper roller
  • Scroll saw
  • Several scroll saw blades-.009 in. or .020 in. thickness
  • Fine grade sand paper
  • Two uncut pieces of plywood larger than the puzzle
  • Colored spray paint
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select a photo to use for the face of the puzzle unless a blank puzzle or puzzle with painted pieces is desired.

    • 2

      Select a birch or mahogany plywood, either three or five ply. Cut the plywood to the size of the photo with a table saw. Sand the edges and the front and back surface areas of the cut plywood with a hand-held orbital sander.

    • 3

      Spray mounting adhesive on the back of the photo. Fit the edge of the photo to the edge of the cut plywood and slowly roll the photo down onto the plywood in the position it is to stay. Roll the photo with a wall paper roller to ensure complete contact between the adhesive and the wood.

    • 4

      Download and print a puzzle template to use as a guide in cutting the plywood into the individual puzzle pieces. Turn the photo-mounted plywood photo side down to keep the photo side clean. Place a piece of carbon paper, carbon side down, on the wood and lay the template on top of the carbon paper. Trace the template with a pencil to transfer the template design onto the wood.

    • 5

      Load the scroll saw with a very thin blade, turn it on and slowly move the wood into the blade at the beginning of a template line. Cut slowly along the template lines, cutting out one puzzle piece at a time.

    • 6

      Sand the edges of each pieces with fine grade sand paper, just enough to smooth the edges but not so much as to change the shape of the pieces.

    • 7

      Assemble the puzzle, turn it face down by pressing it between two uncut pieces of plywood and turning the entire plywood-puzzle sandwich over. Remove the top piece of wood to expose the back of the puzzle and spray the back of the puzzle with a solid color of choice.


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