How To Frame A Jigsaw Puzzle Without Damaging It

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Login 0 Home / Main / How to Frame a Jigsaw Puzzle Without Damaging it Feb 05, 2020 Artifact Puzzles How to Frame a Jigsaw Puzzle Without Damaging it

Supplies:1. "box frame"2. foamcore3. mat boardAll could be found at your local arts and craft store. First, a note on the dangers of framing.1. Gluing the puzzle down means you...

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Supplies:1. "box frame"2. foamcore3. mat boardAll could be found at your local arts and craft store. First, a note on the dangers of framing.1. Gluing the puzzle down means you will never be able to play with it again. This method is definitely not recommended.2. Displaying a framed puzzle means that the colors will fade over time. More light exposure will lead to more fading.3. Having glass or plastic in contact with the puzzle risks damage to the puzzle surface over time.A simple way to frame an assembled jigsaw puzzle without having to glue it down is to use a clear “box frame”, easy to find in craft and frame shops. A box frame is not permanent, so you can take the puzzle out and play with it. Or replace it a few months later with your newest favorite puzzle.* Note: A "box frame" is not the same thing as a "shadow box frame". A shadow box frame is not good for framing a puzzle. A box frame consists of two parts. The bottom, is a 5-sided cardboard box that is sized to standard sizes for photos, and are about 1 inch thick. The top is a clear plastic lid. For example, the box could be 8" x 10" x 1" and the clear lid 8.2" x 10.2" x 1.2". Simply lay the assembled puzzle in the bottom box and put the lid down on top of it. Get a frame that is a bit larger than the puzzle - for an 8" x 10" puzzle, get a 10" x 12" frame. Use some foamcore that is the same thickness as the puzzle pieces, and cut four strips from it, to center the puzzle in the frame. In this case 2 strips of 1" x 8" and 2 strips of 1" x 10" foamcore. Finally, get a mat board and cut the opening just a tad smaller than the puzzle dimensions – in this case a 10" x 12" mat board with a 7.75" x 9.75" opening. The mat board is a spacer thus eliminating the risk of damage to the image by the lid. To assemble, lay the puzzle in the box, roughly centering it; put the foam core strips around it; lay the mat board on top of the puzzle; and put the lid on top. Since wooden puzzle pieces are thick, you may need to tape the edges of the lid to the box part of the frame to keep the lid securely on the box. Guest blog from jigsaw puzzle historian Anne D. Williams Author of The Jigsaw Puzzle, Piecing Together A History

6 comments on How to Frame a Jigsaw Puzzle Without Damaging it

Scooter — January 25, 2025
What keeps the inner 5 sided box from protruding out the back of the clear cover top? Wouldn’t the thickness of the puzzle plus thickness of frame mat cause this to happen?

If yes, does the protrusion affect appearance and/or ability to hang on a wall?
Kelli — July 05, 2024
I don’t understand why you get a matboard that is larger than the boxframe? What do you mean cut the opening?
John — December 23, 2023
Some illustrations would be very helpful, please
Mama N — August 11, 2023
How big a puzzle can you frame this way?
Ter — August 14, 2021
Yes please to adding pictures to the instructions. I’m very visual and written instructions are difficult for me.