Poor Santa has trouble.
The puzzle-making elves can’t work. They’re suffering terrible aches in their hands from cutting out so many pieces. I’m sorry to say this year you’d best make your own. Don’t panic. It takes very little time.
Just scan a cherished family picture, or perhaps a piece of art you or your child created and go to www.shutterfly.com or www.puzzleyou.com. Puzzle You is more expensive, but the puzzle arrives in a pretty holiday box that you don’t need to wrap.
Shape puzzles for the youngest on your shopping list are easy to make out of felt. Check out this website for easy instructions. Here’s a picture of one:
And while we’re on the topic of puzzles, do you have any of those kid’s puzzles where each piece is a whole object—a cat,an apple, a house—but you’re missing some of the pieces. The elves always want to throw the rest of the pieces away, but don’t! They make great tree decorations.
If you want to be fancy, paint the backs, or you can leave them plain. Using a glue gun, attach a ribbon hanger and voila! You have a one of a kind decoration that brings back happy memories to your family.
And my last word on puzzles . . .
When Santa comes home after a long and busy day at his factory, he and I often relax over a puzzle. Next month, especially if you’ve finished your shopping and cards, is a great time to bring out a puzzle. What fun everyone will have searching through a pile like this to find the missing edge piece! Make it a family project. It can keep you busy for days.
On my next blog, November 25th we’ll talk about NOT planning Christmas parties.
Until then, let’s all strive for a stress-free, love-filled Christmas . . .
Love the idea of the old jigsaw pieces into xmas decs! xxx
The special fun of puzzle piece decorations is how much the kids enjoy the memories they bring back. And it’s saves the incomplete puzzles from being discarded. Thanks for your comment.
I’ve got left over felt that would make great puzzles. Thanks for the idea!
Great idea, thanks! I especially like the fact that puzzles can be fine-tuned to their recipients’ skills level. A pony in a shape-matching hole for a toddler. Anywhere between four and 1,000 pieces. A pile of puzzle pieces WITH NO COMPLETE PICTURE (i.e., without the picture usually shown on the outside of the puzzle box) so an adult champion can enjoy the challenge of piecing it together with no visual model, uncover the picture bit by bit, and see it for the first time only when it’s all done.
Yipes! I’ve never done a puzzle without the complete picture. Maybe I’ll give one to Mr. Saint Nick for fun. He’ll probably hate me for it though.