3 Ways to Display Completed Puzzles in Your Home

Puzzles are not just fun activities for the family to complete together, but they often provide fun pieces of artwork to display in the home. When you complete a puzzle, you do not need to put the design back in a box again. You can preserve the puzzle using puzzle glue and then plan out a way to display the puzzle art in your home.

Consider three unique ways to display puzzles in your home. You can use multiple puzzles to create more than one of the DIY projects.

1. Framed Puzzles
One of the easiest ways to display a puzzle is with a picture frame. A picture will help contain the puzzle and add a more elegant look when hung up on the wall. When you decide which puzzle to frame, you may consider placing a matte around the puzzle. A colored matte will help draw focus to the puzzle design and allows the frame to stand out when hung on the wall.

Some puzzles have unique shapes or designs. To help accommodate for the puzzle shape, you can cut the matte to size. Lay a matte flat down and place the puzzle over the center. Trace over the puzzle edges with a pencil and then slide the puzzle away. Cut out the traced shape to have a matte ideal to display the puzzle.

When you hang a framed puzzle, the UV protection in the frame glass will help prevent discoloring and keep the puzzle colors preserved. You can hang framed puzzles in any room of the house and find themes to fit each room. For example, a food-based puzzle like a doughnut collage or pizza will go great in a kitchen.

2. Laminated Place Mats
Create a fun kitchen table decoration by laminating puzzles to use as place mats. If you have children in the house, the family can build puzzles together and then turn those builds into the place mats. Ideally, you want to use rectangular-shaped puzzles for the place mats. You also want a large-enough puzzle to accommodate the size of an average place mat.

When you shop for puzzles, look for the completed sizes to know what will work well for place mats. Sizes vary, but anything with 12 inches of height and at least 16 inches of width should work. Look for a lamination kit or oversized lamination pouches to stick the puzzles in. Then place the pouch through a lamination machine.

Once the lamination is set and formed around the puzzle, trim the lamination down to size. The clear coat from the lamination allows you to easily see the puzzle while providing a protective surface for meals, snacks, and drinks. Every few years, you can build new puzzles and replace the place mats you have.

3. Glass Top Coffee Tables
If you have a coffee table, you can purchase a large sheet of glass to go over the top. Between the layer of glass and the coffee table, you can display a completed puzzle. With the glass option, you do not need to preserve the puzzle with glue, but you still have the option to do so.

The removable glass also turns a coffee table into a puzzle work station. You can work on building a puzzle and then place the glass back over the top when you need a break. The glass will prevent any tampering of the puzzle and allow you to still use your coffee table space for everyday needs.

Along with the purchase of a large sheet of glass, you may shop for coffee tables with a glass layer already built into the design.

For all of your supplies and display needs, visit us at Koontz Hardware. We will help you find the supplies you are looking for and can help you turn puzzles into displays of artwork for your home.