Introduction
Did you know you can frame and display your favorite finished puzzles? If you’ve recently finished a puzzle you love, why not mount it on your wall as artwork to enjoy every day? It’s very simple to glue and frame your puzzle using supplies you may already have in your craft storage.
There are a few easy ways to frame your puzzles: you can glue them with puzzle glue or use Mod Podge to act as an adhesive. Puzzle glue is a special adhesive that provides a glossy finish once dried. Even better, puzzle glue dries clear and doesn’t cake. Mod Podge is another type of glue used for many different craft projects. You can easily apply Mod Podge with a brush, gliding it over your puzzle to keep the pieces together cleanly. Mod Podge also has a glue made specifically for puzzle mounting called Puzzle Saver.
In addition to your puzzle glue or Mod Podge, you will also need a foam board larger than the size of your puzzle, a foam brush, a flat piece of cardboard, and a rolling pin.
Step 1: Prepare the Workspace
Once you’ve gathered your supplies, you need to make sure you have a flat, even surface to work. You will also need to have a foam board that is slightly bigger than the puzzle. You will glue your finished puzzle to a foam board before framing it.
Step 2: Glue the Puzzle Together
After preparing your workspace, you’re ready to start using your puzzle glue or Mod Podge. First things first: use a rolling pin over your puzzle to ensure it is flat. Then, have a glue that is made for preserving puzzles such as our Bits and Pieces puzzle glue or Mod Podge Puzzle Saver. Puzzle glue differs from traditional glue because it combines adhesive and lacquer. Puzzle glue holds the puzzle together and provides a protective gloss finish that dries clear to make the completed puzzle shine.
Use A Foam Board
Before you frame your puzzle, you need to glue your puzzle to a foam board. Without a foam backing, your puzzle will likely start folding over or curling after some time. The foam board should be slightly larger than the puzzle so that the entire puzzle fits on it. Trim the foam to fit your frame if your board is too large.
Spread The Glue
When you apply Mod Podge to your puzzle, it’s essential to spread the glue as evenly as possible. You will want to be sure to apply a thin layer on the front of your puzzle and spread it gently across the entire puzzle to the edges. You can use a tool such as a piece of cardboard or an old credit card to help spread the glue evenly across your puzzle. Be careful not to apply too much glue to your puzzle, or it will soak up the glue and distort the puzzle. After applying a thin first layer of puzzle glue or Mod Podge, let it dry for about 20 minutes. Once the glue has dried, apply a second layer over the whole puzzle.
Pro tip: Apply glue to the edges of your puzzle to ensure it lays flat against the foam.
Let It Dry
The drying process can be a bit time-consuming. Depending on the glue used, it can take up to 5 hours to dry completely after the second layer of glue is applied. Air bubbles may form as you coat the glue over the puzzle, but these will disappear as the glue dries. Remember to give time for this drying process.
Pro tip: If the puzzle has curled edges after putting the glue on, flip it over once dry and apply another coat of glue to the back. Doing this will generally solve flared edges. Another option is to cover the puzzle and weigh it down flat overnight.
Step 3: Frame The Mod Podged Puzzle
Now that you’ve glued your puzzle to your foam board, it’s time to complete your project and frame your puzzle. Here are a few steps to make sure it turns out perfectly:
Have A Frame Ready
Make sure a frame has already been picked out and is ready to be used by the time you’ve reached this step. There are a lot of puzzle frame styles to choose from, available both online and at your local craft supply store.
Glue The Puzzle To The Frame
For the next step, you’ll want to prepare your project for mounting by gluing your mod podge puzzle to the frame. Cover the back of the foam board with glue. This is the area where you will place your puzzle against the inside of the frame. The glue should be evenly coated to make sure the entire puzzle sticks. Next, line up the puzzle and place it down, gently pressing it while making sure you don’t accidentally move the puzzle out of place.
Pro tip: Place a few heavy objects to ensure total, flat coverage between the puzzle and the board. Let it dry completely for up to 24 hours.
Conclusion
You did it! Now that you’ve learned how to mod podge a puzzle, your puzzle is now framed and ready to be mounted to your wall as a unique piece of art. To avoid damage to your walls, you can use a removable wall mounting like a Command strip.
Now that you’ve finished your project, it’s time to choose your next puzzle to work on! Choose another puzzle you’d like to display as artwork on your walls or one that can be a fun challenge. You may even choose a few puzzles with a similar theme to display together as a series.