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How to Solve 3-D Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles can be fun and challenging, but they are flat. Adding a foam backing and making a three-dimensional building out of the model gives a whole new perspective on puzzle-making. Three-dimensional puzzles are challenging--they require a lot of thinking and mental flexibility. When putting together 3-D puzzles, it helps to think of them as if you are making several smaller puzzles, then piecing them together to form the intended model.

Things You'll Need

3-D puzzle set

Instructions

- 1
  Lay out all of the pieces on a large, flat surface. Group as many similarly colored or patterned pieces together as you can.
- 2
  Prop the box lid up at the edge of your work surface so you have some idea of how the model is supposed to look.
- 3
  Piece together the smaller parts of the model first. Taking care of the easier parts gets rid of some of the pieces so you won't have to deal with later. As with traditional puzzles, start with the edge pieces--most of them have a regular square-edged pattern, unlike the rest of the pieces, which have wavy edges and either knobs or slots.
- 4
  Set aside completed pieces of the puzzle. Put them in the box for later use.
- 5
  Repeat the process of building sides and sections of the puzzle and setting them aside. Continue until you've built all of the sides of the puzzle.
- 6
  Lay out the side pieces of the model, starting to put neighboring sections next to each other. Look at the box for more on how the pieces fit together.
- 7
  Push the side pieces together and rotate them to form 90-degree angles. These are the corners of the model. Stick them together to form the whole model--again, according to the picture on the box.

Jigsaw Puzzles