For more than two centuries, people have been enjoying puzzles. While a lot of hobbies come and go puzzles seem to be with us for good. No big surprise here! After all, what other entertaining at-home activities (technology-free!) can bond people of all ages for many hours?

A relatively inexpensive and fun hobby is also a good brainteaser that keeps one’s brain toned. In addition to enhancing your logic skills, puzzles also help you become a better problem solver and test your attention like no other.

On long winter nights, time spent with family and friends assembling puzzles fosters a great sense of camaraderie that stays. Some of the best family conversations happen over a simple wooden jigsaw puzzle.

How to Do a Jigsaw Puzzle?

A lot of people wonder how to do a jigsaw puzzle and actually enjoy the process. Whether you’re new to puzzling, a real jigsaw geek, or returning to this form of stress-free relaxation after a long time, ensure to take care of a cozy quiet area that supports this indoor activity.

It’s highly recommended to settle in a place that, you know, is not going to be disturbed until you’re done with the wooden jigsaw puzzle. You need a room that is large enough to welcome you, your puzzle gang, and the puzzle itself. The good news is that all jigsaws list their finished sizes on the box, but having extra space is always a good idea.

No matter how obvious it may sound, choose your puzzle. The reality is that a lot of people go for a wooden jigsaw puzzle for adults that contains 2000 pieces while their skill level requires no more than 300. Before you try to assemble mega-puzzles, ensure to train your brain with simpler variants.

Assembling puzzles should be fun, and sometimes too much time spent on your own with a wooden jigsaw puzzle for adults can take away from that. Find a partner! Time spent with friends collaborating on the assembly of a puzzle is precious and serves as a perfect alternative to hours of video games and TV shows.

One of the best ways to supercharge your puzzle party is to actually have an end plan. What is it that you’re going to do with the assembled puzzle? Mounting it on the wall as a solid proof of your jigsaw almighty or restarting it on sudden rainy days?

When it comes to fun jigsaw puzzle strategies, competition could be an option. Share your passion with like-minded friends or family members by assembling identical puzzles at the same time. Get creative and…handcraft a trophy! Remember the well-known Geller Cup from the good old “Friends”? A cute troll doll trophy that Ross and Monica would get when they were teens after the family football games depending on who was the winner. Come up with your own prize (time to unleash imagination!). 

Ready, steady, go!  

How to Do a Puzzle Fast?

While some puzzlers choose to spend a couple of satisfying hours assembling a wooden jigsaw puzzle in an old-fashioned manner, there are those who don't look for the easy ways. They search for tips and hints on how to do a puzzle FAST. Why not? This is an absolute must for puzzle gurus.

If you’re among those nerds on the lookout for tricks for solving jigsaw puzzles with the speed of light, check out this walk-through.

What Is the Fastest Way to Solve a Jigsaw Puzzle?

So, you’re about to add speed to the monotonous process of solving jigsaw puzzles. Before you rush in, you need to know that no single strategy that works for everyone exists. What is the fastest way to solve a jigsaw puzzle then?

We don’t know.

But the good news is that there are some popular techniques tried by many to complete puzzles in the fastest manner possible, and you’re about to dive into them.

  1. Set up the proper lighting. Remember, light can be both your best friend and your enemy. Get a headlamp to ensure there won’t be any unnecessary shadows, while no colors and patterns will be distorted.
  2. Turn the pieces with the picture facing up and sort. Yes, when it comes to the tips for solving a wooden jigsaw puzzle for adults faster than usual, this one seems to be too tedious. But you will thank yourself later when all the details will be sorted by middle and edge.
  3. Assemble the border. With all the border “building blocks” sorted in one area by pattern, picture, texture, or color, you’ll easily frame your puzzle.
  4. Don’t seek one piece for ages. Can’t find a small piece to fill a particular gap? Drop it. Time is precious. The detail will appear sooner than you know (and in the most unexpected place).
  5. Compete. Quite a dubious recommendation here but…A lot of people find themselves extra-motivated to win when engaged in hot competition. The latter is known to boost productivity and, as a result, improve overall performance. So, why not organize your pajama-style puzzle championship?   

Finally, to do a jigsaw puzzle fast, you have to choose…the right puzzle. Usually overlooked, this aspect is crucial when it comes to assembling puzzles fast. If it’s your first jigsaw battle, don’t grab the box with “3000 pieces” on it. You’re the champion, it’s no doubt. But it’s better to choose the puzzles based on how trained your mind already is. The less skillful you are in putting a jigsaw puzzle together, the slower the process will turn out. The speed is out of the question here.

How Long Does It Take to Do a 500-Piece Puzzle?

We have a wide assortment of easy, medium, and hard combined jigsaws. When it comes to adult beginners, the 500-piece wooden jigsaw puzzle is a perfect starting point. An interesting fact here is that first-time puzzlers tend to be somewhat obsessed with time. How long does it take to do a 500-piece puzzle?” is the most popular question among customers regardless of whether they plan a collaborative or solo puzzle activity.

The answer is…who knows.

The factors like mood/emotional/health state, design patterns, complexity level, ability to focus, and many others are part of the process and affect the time it takes to cope with 500 pieces. On average, puzzlers report spending 2-6 hours on one 500-piece puzzle session. However, assembling a puzzle in one sitting is quite stressful, and that’s not what “a healthy distraction and relaxation” is all about. Choose your pace for keeping the stress level to a minimum.

Tips for Solving Jigsaw Puzzles

If it’s puzzle time but you have been out of business for a while, here is our quick guide to some tips and hints to help you assemble puzzles effectively and enjoy the ride.

  1. Open the puzzle box and turn every detail photo-side up.
  2. Check the puzzle picture to see the key texture and color schemes on it.
  3. Sort the colored details. Use these piles to complete different chunks of the puzzle.
  4. Work with the edge pieces first. Create the puzzle border first to visualize the size and workspace of every section.
  5. Connect all the board pieces to have the so-called picture frame.
  6. Take a break. Get a coffee. Take a nap. Have a phone call. Anything that helps you recharge. You need a fresh pair of eyes to keep on puzzling.
  7. Fill in all the gaps that remain and reward yourself!

When you feel bored or tired, ensure to unwind. Jigsaw puzzles are a challenge, but not nerve-racking. A fresh perspective a couple of hours later may increase both your creativity and productivity.

Tricks for Solving Jigsaw Puzzles

While there has been much said above, there are still a number of tricks that help make the act of putting the pieces of a puzzle together faster, more effective, and less frustrating.

  1. Got stuck? Act differently! While taking breaks helps your mind have some rest, looking at the table with puzzle pieces on it from a different angle can work magic.
  2. Spread pieces out. Seeing the complete picture is a must. Thus, you know what gaps should be filled.
  3. Pick the appealing motif. Always choose the puzzle with the photo that hooks you. You’ll be both inspired and motivated to see the final image.
  4. Go for strong contrasts. The more monotonous a picture, the tougher it gets to find the right pieces. Choose bright and strong colors.  
  5. Mind the puzzle pieces' size. While most puzzle fans tend to deal with the standard size, huge pieces work well for beginners.
  6. Teamwork. Solving puzzles with your comrades is an effective trick. After all, what can be better than seeing someone else racking their brains over a tiny definitely-not-from-this-collection puzzle piece?

And…never give up! Do you feel like you’ve tried everything and are still stuck in the middle of nowhere? Take a break and start anew. Remember: assembling puzzles knows no quitting!

Jigsaw Puzzle Strategies

Jigsaw puzzles have gotten more challenging and assembling them can wear on your patience. But instead of starting with jigsaws chaotically scattered all over the table, start with some tried-and-tested strategies in mind.

  1. Identify ALL irregular shapes. If you’ve decided to play a hard game, consider this strategy. When assembling complicated puzzles, you have to jiggle pieces of varying sizes and designs. The latter include faces, trees, balloons, and all other possible shapes.
  2. Small zones at a time. One of the best working strategies is about dealing with small sections at a time (don’t try to solve the whole puzzle at once!).
  3. Sort the pieces. Make sure you have several mountains at hand. The groups may vary based on the puzzle photo. For instance, if you’re about to assemble the puzzle featuring Mona Liza, your sample groups might be “the face,” “the sky,” “the road,” “the hands,” etc.
  4. Build the most outstanding sections first. The most contrasted and biggest objects should be assembled in the first place.  
  5. No theme character? Focus on the most recognizable textures first.
  6. Have fun! OK, this one isn’t helpful at all. But a lot of puzzlers seem to forget that these cute brain teasers are nothing but a great way to have fun. So, don’t take it seriously or get frustrated if some of the pieces seem to not even exist. It’s entertainment, not self-torture.

Ah, seems like the last piece of the puzzle is finally in its place. The satisfying sense of accomplishment in the air! Your mini-vacation from the gadget-based world is over…just to give a push and motivate you to take a new no less exciting and engaging jigsaw journey!

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