Do you have a puzzle that is missing a piece? Don’t let that ruin your day. Instead, use all those gloriously colored cardboard pieces to create a festive wreath. With a few simple materials found in your cabinets, you can create a sophisticated décor for your home.
A puzzle wreath is perfect for a seasonal wall hanging. When you add a red bow, it can be a happy Christmas decoration. Use pastel colored pieces to create your spring decoration. In fall, golden-brown puzzle pieces with rust-colored dried leaves will make a wreath with pleasant warm tones.
Get out the box of old puzzle pieces, a paper plate, and some white liquid school glue. Place a glass, can, or other circular object upside down in the center of the plate and draw around it. Then cut out the circle with scissors to make the circular crown shape.
You can customize your puzzle piece wreath by separating the main color pieces before you start gluing. A favorite technique is to separate pieces that are primarily green to use for the outer and inner edges of the wreath. This method simulates real green leaves. Another approach is to mix all the colors together for a confetti-style look.
Start with one piece and glue it to the outside edge of the paper plate. Leave about a third of the piece overhanging the edge. Put glue on the back of the next piece. Lay it overlapping the first piece. Continue doing the same thing until the entire perimeter of the paper plate is covered with slightly overlapping puzzle pieces.
Next, glue a new circle of pieces just inside the first row. Overlap so that it covers most of the white that is visible through the paper plate. Continue going around the plate until you have covered all the way to the edge of the center cut. Be sure to use the glue liberally. Even if it gets a little squashed, it will dry nice and clear.
Let the crown dry completely. Then stick a ribbon of the same color on the face of the crown. For more sparkly beads, glue pearls or silk flowers to the crown. Once the glue has completely dried, you can hang the wreath on the wall or place it on a shelf for display. Now you have a unique decorative piece that breathes new life into old puzzle pieces.
