Do a puzzle

A puzzle is one of the few things you can do for hours that needs nothing from you. Put something on to listen to, tip the pieces out and start. A 500-piece puzzle fits in an evening, and it’s even better with a friend sitting across the table.

Choose the puzzle

For a first one, or one in a long time, choose 500 pieces. It’s big enough to feel like a project and small enough to finish. Pick a picture with a lot of variety, such as a market stall, a shelf of books or a fall landscape with many colours. Pictures with big areas of one colour, like a clear sky or a calm lake, are much harder.

New puzzles are usually in the under $20 range. Thrift stores often have them too, and some libraries lend them. Second-hand ones sometimes have a piece missing, so check the box.

Set up your space

• A table you won’t need. Choose one that can stay as it is for the evening, or longer.
• Good light. A lamp over the table helps a lot, especially in the evening.
• A mat or board. If the table is needed again, you can slide the puzzle away.
• Something to listen to. A podcast, an audiobook or a fall playlist.
• Small bowls or trays for sorted pieces.

Step by step

1. Turn all the pieces face up. Tip them out of the box and flip them over. It’s the dullest bit, so do it together.
2. Keep the box lid in sight. The picture on it is your guide.
3. Find the edge pieces. They have at least one straight side. Pull them out and set them to one side.
4. Build the frame. Match the edges to the picture. You’ll have a border in no time.
5. Sort the rest. Group the other pieces by colour or pattern into trays, like the green of a tree, a red roof and a blue sky.
6. Work on one area at a time. Choose something with a clear detail, like a door or a flower, and build it outwards.
7. Join areas to the frame. As the islands grow, they’ll meet.
8. Finish the last pieces. The final few are very satisfying, so save them if someone else is helping.

Tips that help

• Look at the shape, not just the colour. Pieces with a similar shape, like two tabs and two gaps, often go in the same kind of place.
• Try pieces in different directions. Rotating a piece is often what makes it fit.
• Take a break and come back. After a cup of tea, a piece you couldn’t find is suddenly obvious.
• Don’t force pieces. If it doesn’t slot in easily, it isn’t the right one.
• Work in small sections. Don’t try to see the whole picture at once.

If you get stuck

• A big area of one colour. Sort the pieces by their shape and try them one by one.
• Pieces that look the same. Take a short break, or work on another part of the picture.
• A missing piece. Check under the table and in the box. If it’s really gone, leave the gap or make a replacement from card.

When it’s done

You can leave it on the table for a day or two to admire it. If you want to keep it, puzzle glue from a craft store holds the pieces together so it can be framed, but it’s fine to break it up and pass it on to a friend, or donate it so someone else gets to do it.

Doing it with someone

A puzzle is a good thing to do with a friend, a sibling or a partner, because you can talk while you work. Each of you can take a section of the picture, or one of you can sort while the other builds. The last piece is the most satisfying one to place, so it is nice to hand it to whoever is helping.

Choosing a second puzzle

If you enjoy it, try a larger one next, such as 750 or 1,000 pieces, which takes a weekend or longer. Many people like puzzles with a fall theme at this time of year, such as a farm stand, a forest path or a library. A good puzzle has clear, interesting pieces, sturdy cardboard and pieces that fit together firmly.

Make it a fall evening

Clear a table, light a candle and make a hot drink. Ask a friend to come round to do it with you, or work on it alone with your favourite show on in the background. If you like, make hot cider to go with it.