Recycle Old Puzzle Pieces Into Puzzle Face Characters

Mar 2, 2011
Melissa Howard

Puzzle Face Character - Melissa Howard

Use extra-large sized jigsaw puzzle pieces to make cartoonish faces with your children.

When children are small parents and grandparents who want their children to have educational toys shower little ones with giant-sized jigsaw puzzles. What does a person do when the little ones outgrow the puzzle or lose too many pieces to make it worth putting together? Typically people throw them away or bring them to a thrift store. Rather than toss them, why not put them in your craft supply bin and use them to make fun puzzle crafts like these puzzle face magnets.

Supplies

Old big-sized jigsaw puzzle, or puzzle with missing pieces
Flesh-toned craft paints
Adhesive (white glue or hot glue can be used)
Google eyes
Markers
Yarn for hair (optional)
Beads, sequins or other such items for jewelry
Clip-art hats or crowns sized appropriately and printed on card stock

Instructions

Sort your puzzle pieces. Pull out all the edge pieces that have protrusions on both sides to look like ears.
Paint one-side of the puzzle piece flesh-toned (several coats may be necessary).
Glue the google eyes onto the puzzle piece.
Draw facial features using markers.
Glue on the hair or hat.
Embellish your character.

Make Yarn Hair for Your Puzzle Face Character

Cut a piece of cardboard that is slightly wider than the length of hair you wish to make.
Cut a long piece of yarn and tape it down along one edge of the cardboard strip.
Wrap yarn around the cardboard strip until you have as much hair as you will want (the yarn on one side of the cardboard strip will represent the amount of yarn on one side of the character’s face).
Untape the long piece of yarn and tie it around the wound yarn. Knot it firmly.
Cut the yarn off the cardboard strip along the edge opposite the knot.
The tied section will be the part for your character’s hair. Glue the hair on. If the hair is long, tuck it behind your character’s ears.

Ideas and Suggestions

Have fun. Search the Internet for different styles of clipart hats. You can change the look of your characters dramatically just by the type of hat you put on them.
Be creative with your embellishments.
Use the characters as whimsical magnets on your refrigerator. If your character has yarn hair tucked behind the ears, it may be necessary to use something to boost the magnet away from the back of the face (the example faces have an old backgammon piece glued to the back).