You've just finished three weeks of life with your head down on the dining room table, clicking tiny individual pieces of cardboard together. Building elaborate tabletop games is actually known to have proven benefits, keeping your brain sharp for longer and helping you to de-stress every day. You finally clicked in the last beautiful final piece.

It's exciting.

You never want to break it apart and throw it back in the box. Figuring out how to frame a puzzle is the best way to turn that hard work into permanent art on the wall. We understand how much effort you put in, and we want to help you preserve that victory for the rest of your life. 

Preparing Your Finished Masterpiece 

Before you can hang a single piece of art on the wall, you've got to ensure that all the individual pieces stay connected.

That's where choosing the right adhesive plays a vital role in understanding how to frame a puzzle.

Gluing the Pieces Together 

Slip a giant square of wax paper underneath your finished masterpiece, so you don't get your dining room table all sticky. Next, get a good multi-purpose craft glue available in the liquid variety. If you check out some of the popular hobby boards on Pinterest, you can find visual guides to applying a good liquefied glue.

Cover the entire back of your artwork with a smooth, even coat. The glue will fill in the tiny gaps and lock each individual piece into one solid sheet. Let it dry overnight, then move on to framing.

Choosing the Right Display 

With your finished art totally solid, now it's time to add a beautiful border to show it off to your house guests.

Knowing how to frame a puzzle means your cardboard masterpiece deserves special treatment, just like an expensive piece of fine art. 

Using Quality Materials 

A proper custom frame online will bring your cardboard masterpiece to life on your wall. A very strong metal or rustic, beautiful wood border will show how much you value your new masterpiece. Hang your cardboard game in the living room or sun room to enjoy your creative arrangement all year round, but be aware that cardboard can fade if exposed to too much sunlight.

The right glass for picture frames can help protect your artwork's highly vibrant colors from damaging sunlight.

We take every step when creating each product that we make in our shop. In fact, you can always come see us in person at our primary manufacturing shop at 15 River St., New Haven, CT 06513 to see exactly who makes the best custom frames online in the United States. 

Measuring Your Masterpiece Custom 

Tabletop games don't always fit into normal photo sizes.

Measuring the finished glued layout of your project to make sure it fits is very important. If you're still a little unsure of sizing your custom border to fit the ready-made dimensions of your artwork, check out our picture frame sizes cheat sheet. Or, explore our enormous inventory of custom framing, to build a border that's just your size.

Final Thoughts on Puzzle Preservation 

You really never have to break your masterpiece apart again.

Now you know how to frame a puzzle, you can keep your gaming space tidy by permanently sealing your hard work into a beautiful, decorative piece of art. Having puzzle and game nights in the future will be even more fun, knowing you've created a stunning display of some of your very best work. We can't wait to help you find the best-looking display of your wonderful puzzle masterpiece. Contact us today to chat with our helpful design team about your next project.