Do you like to do jigsaw puzzles during the wintertime?

My kids and I like to do puzzles every now and then. We have a hard time with it though, because we have cats and can’t really leave a half-finished one lying around. When we’re done, we dismantle it and put it back in the box. They usually get sold at a later yard sale, or tossed if they are missing pieces (thanks to aforementioned cats). Even though I like some of the pictures on the puzzles, I never liked the idea of making a framed piece of art out of them. The ‘lines’ of the puzzle pieces just distort the picture too much.

All the way back to high school, I used to do one every year in the week between Christmas and New Year’s. A new puzzle was a standard Christmas list item. Doing them together with my husband and, later, kids became a family tradition that survived even through the years of toddlers grabbing pieces off the edge of the card tables and kittens splay-landing in the middle of them. I always went for the 500’s (hard, but not too hard), with challenging but doable pictures that I wouldn’t mind looking at for hours and hours at a time. I usually avoided scenery with endless sky or water and anything that was crude illustration-quality artwork and instead went for beautiful photographs of interesting objects such as porcelain vases, dolls, clocks, or glassware. I remember loving one that was all colorful vegetables.

I also distinctly remember doing them during finals weeks in college instead of studying.

We used to carefully disassemble them and put the pieces into plastic bags inside the box, assuring ourselves that all pieces were present, and from time to time we would redo the favorites.

When Springbok went out of business and it became hard to find puzzles that weren’t shoddy (pieces too thin, not completely cut, sloppily designed, peeling), I quit. I sold most of my old Springboks at a garage sale once, with guarantees that all pieces were present, and now I regret it. If anyone can recommend a high-quality product line or brand name, I am definitely interested.

@Jeruba, The ones I have of Thomas Kinkade are pretty good. Here is the website and it appears they have an assortment of all types of puzzles. I got mine as a gift and it was bought in a store but I bet you can order directly from them if you are interested.

www.ceaco.com

Not just the Thomas Kinkade but several others also in a variety of sizes also.

I can relate to ‘cats’ walking all over the puzzle! UGH but I have managed to keep them off it and then ‘cover it’ while not working on it.

Someone recommended making a collapsible board to do the puzzles on with another piece to cover while still working then it would fold up small for storage. I am going to see if I can get someone to make one for me. The roll up things they sell don’t work that great by the way, as I have one.

They sell the flat, hinged type now too. We just don’t have one : (

@augustlan, Do you know of a website that has those or at least a picture of them? I am wondering what it would look like and what they call them.

Here is one type and here is another. These seem really expensive, though.

@augustlan, You are right about them being on the ‘pricey’ side! I did think the first one you gave seemed like a better idea of the two though. But I still wouldn’t pay that much money for something I wouldn’t need to use very often.

Someone had told me about a wooden one that can be made and is collapsible so I am wondering if there might be some place that would have a picture and pattern for such an item. It also had hinges on it so it folded up for ‘compact’ type storage. But they didn’t give me any more details as to how to find it. UGH!

I always preferred to use a plain pine drawing board, ~22” x 28”, as an auxiliary surface for sorting on and also as a protective cover. For the life of a puzzle, a card table remains up and dedicated, and it’s never more than a week. Now I’m wanting to do a puzzle again! I wish I knew where to buy a really good quality one locally.

@Jeruba: Have you checked your Hallmark stores? They often have nice puzzles.

No, but I will! Thanks, @Augustlan.

The jigsaw puzzles are good thing to do when it is cold and snowing or raining outside and you are stuck! In my case, it is cold but raining! I would much rather have the snow if it is going to be this cold!

Bits and Pieces has a whole bunch of different puzzle boards/caddies/etc. – I’m not sure if they have exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s definitely worth checking out. That’s where we get all of our puzzles and puzzle accessories! =)

@sdeutsch, Thanks for the link I will have to take a look at the site.

I went to Bits and Pieces because I used to get their catalog, but I couldn’t find the kind of thing I was looking for. I did find it here, at Puzzle Warehouse, and placed an order. I’ll report on the quality when I know more. Thanks, @lollipop and others, for inspiring me to resume this great pastime of former years.

yeah, they are calming. and great time wasters.