How to Approach a 1000 Piece Puzzle
When you’re just getting started, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to do jigsaw puzzles. There is no right or wrong way how to do 1000 piece puzzles. In fact, the more we research and talk with puzzlers, the more we learn that every puzzler has their own puzzle strategy.
Best Tips for Starting a Puzzle
You have your puzzle. How to solve it, though? There is a myriad of ways to begin a puzzle, but most often, puzzlers will start by sorting the pieces.
1. Sorting the Pieces
Dump the contents of your puzzle onto your designated puzzling space and start sorting! Usually, flipping all the pieces so the design is facing up is a helpful way for puzzlers to efficiently sort through the puzzle pieces. You can sort pieces based on their shape and color, or just separate the edges from the internal pieces. It’s your choice!
2. Starting with the Border
Almost all puzzlers starting out will begin by assembling the border and then working inward. This gives you a solid foundation to start with and can give you an idea of where other sections will fall as you work on assembling the rest of the puzzle.
3. Beginning in the Middle
Some puzzlers are adamantly against starting with the border, and instead prefer to start from the middle and work outward. That’s okay! This is great for those that like to put together fun sections first and then get to the more challenging parts.
4. Finding the Patterns
For those that like to find patterns in everything, putting together the easily discernable sections might be the method to approaching a 1000 piece puzzle. This entails finding the sections that can easily be picked from the pile, such as lettering, like in Keep it Clean or distinct objects, such as the primates in Monkey Biz.
5. Going Rogue
Other puzzlers have no rhyme or reason behind their methods and put together whatever they want, whenever they want. For example, working on the Color Wheel may involve putting together the colors one favors the most first and their least favorite, last.
🚨Beware: more organized puzzlers may find this method horrifying.
Tips for Doing 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzles
No matter how you choose to approach solving a jigsaw, our top tips for 1000 piece puzzles are to flip all the pieces over so the design is facing up, and most importantly, to have fun! Jigsaws are a great way to let off some steam and simultaneously mentally stimulate your brain.
How to Do a Round Puzzle
Are you working on a round puzzle? They’re not much different than a rectangular puzzle. Again, the way in which you approach your puzzle is going to be a personal preference. Many like to start with the border and work their way inwards. But as we’ve outlined above, that’s not the case for every puzzler. Find your rhythm and move as you see fit.
How Long Does it Take to Complete 1000 Piece Puzzles?
On average, it can take a solo puzzler about 9 hours to complete a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. This will vary depending on the puzzle’s difficulty. Sometimes it can take longer, while other times, you can knock it out in just a few hours. The more people involved, the faster the puzzle can be solved (usually).