How To Replace Missing Pieces

Replace Missing Pieces

So, discussing missing pieces includes the different cuts of the same puzzle as in the Dowdle Calgary Stampede jigsaw puzzle for example. If you are missing a piece in a new (even sealed) jigsaw puzzle, there is a chance that it did not arrive with the package. Yes it may have ' escaped' during your assembly process or the pets may have ventured into the area and misplaced it during their ' playtime ' but you also may be ' quite ' certain you were careful enough and were not responsible for the missing pieces. It happens a lot more than you might think.

You may contact the Jigsaw Puzzle Company and they may offer you a replacement IF that is their policy or they may offer you a different puzzle. Because all cuts are not the same.

I was missing one piece AND fortunately had a 2nd puzzle of the same image BUT as you can clearly see....the cut is not the same. There ' s more...read on....

So....about 6 months later - I FOUND the missing piece! No KIDDING! I still had both of the jigsaw puzzles so I instantly put the puzzle piece back to the original box. It amazes me where/how these pieces show up. It just goes to show how easily a piece can get lost and then found again. The Dowdle boxes are really quite secure in packaging so losing it from the box likely did not happen. But amazingly it was found within my piles of puzzles, which means this particular piece was the greatest escapee of all!

With pets around I would constantly scan the floor for missing pieces - that was the norm. So how does one piece escape, get left on the floor, right smack in the middle of the room that I enter the next day - how did I not see it when I left the room the day before?

I have heard some of the weirdest places these pieces can show up. Under the assembled puzzle is common. Inside the trunk of a vehicle, not so much. How about in a sock or shoe? And what’ s incredible is the time it takes for these pieces to surface….sometimes it’ s months.

Replace Missing Pieces

Would you like to know how to replace a missing jigsaw puzzle piece? Follow the steps below for a quick and easy method. Photo, computer and colour printer will be required.

Method 1

1. Take a close up photo of the missing piece area from the puzzle box

2. Upload the photo to a computer device with colour printing

3. Print the uploaded photo in colour on (1) white card stock paper or (2) white Sticker Label sheet

4. Slide the printed (1) card stock paper or (2) Sticker Label sheet under the assembled puzzle to check the accuracy with respect to the size. Compare the size of the ‘ missing ’ piece to the size of the image on the colour printed boxcover image. IF the image is too small or too big, start over with either a larger/close up image or a smaller/more distant image and try another comparison test until you are satisfied with the result

5. Have a piece of cardboard that is relatively close to the same thickness of your puzzle

6. If using (1) card stock paper, smoothly glue the coloured printed paper to the ‘thick’ cardboard

7. If using (2) Sticker Label sheet, peel the back off and stick it to the ‘thick’

cardboard

8. Before cutting the

‘ replacement’ piece, make a template first. Take a sheet of white paper and slide it under the assembled puzzle and this time draw a very thin line on the inside of the ‘ missing ’ piece puzzle getting as close to the edges as possible

9. Lay the ‘template

’ on top of the (1) card stock image or (2) Sticker Label sheet label and use paper clips to hold it into place

10. Carefully cut the ‘template ’ image to maintain as much accuracy as possible

11. Carefully put the ‘ replaced’ piece into the assembled puzzle ’ s empty space.

If all went well and the puzzle fates are on your side, the replacement piece should fit snugly into your puzzle ' s missing piece space.

Method 2

If the area of the missing piece is a clear-clean cut piece like blue sky or a solid pattern, then you could try to cut the missing piece image directly out of the jigsaw puzzle box image. Of course you will want to add cardboard to the back to maintain the thickness of the puzzle board. Can you see the missing piece in the following photo? I used the box lid image to replace the missing piece then taped over the hole on the box lid.

Method 3

There is the option of trying the Jigsaw Puzzle Doctor at this website. He is in the UK but does ship internationally. We have not used that company so we do not have a review. For pricing visit the Jigsaw Doctor

Method 4

We also have a Group member who has honed in on recreating real great quality piece replacements for accuracy, exact color, size and thickness. Got to PuzzleHobby.com and search the website for " missing pieces ' using the sidebar search tool.

So that gives you 4 options to choose from for replacing that little ‘ escapee ’ . If

you really want that jigsaw puzzle. Can you see the ' replaced' piece below?