How Do Puzzle Mats Work? – And How To Make One

Have you rekindled your childhood passion for jigsaw puzzles? Indeed, puzzle-making is a great brain booster—and teaser—for kids and adults alike.

However, the size of your puzzles may be limited by the small space in your apartment or home. Leaving it on the floor or tables may not be too safe, especially with little kids or pets around.

Good thing, somebody thought about designing a puzzle mat. If you have not used one yet, you may wonder how do puzzle mats work?

We will give you the details in this article. Plus, we will share a simple DIY project so you can have your very own puzzle mat. Let’s begin!

What Is A Puzzle Mat?

A jigsaw puzzle mat is designed to hold and store puzzles. You can put together your puzzle pieces on the mat, and also lay the other loose pieces on it.

Do jigsaw puzzle mats work? Commercial puzzle mats and even homemade ones are proven effective to preserve your work. Why? The puzzle pieces are held securely by the mat’s material—felt fabric.

Once you’re done for the day, you can simply roll the mat without worrying that your puzzle pieces would fall off. You can then store your rolled puzzle mat in any corner of the house. Then, you can unroll it the next day to pick up where you left off.

How To Make A DIY Puzzle Mat

You can buy puzzle mats from online shops. They cost a bit expensive and size options may be limited, especially when you usually work on large puzzle pieces. Say, a 2000-piece (or more) jigsaw puzzles.

Some people repurpose old yoga mats into jigsaw puzzle mats. The material of a yoga mat can also hold puzzle pieces together. You can also roll it up to store your puzzle. Then, secure it with a band.

You can also create your own puzzle mat based on the size of your puzzles. Moreover, this DIY project will cost you less than buying a commercial puzzle mat.

Things You Need

The materials for this DIY project are listed below:

• felt fabric
  
• scissors
  
• tailor’s chalk or pen
  
• ruler or measuring tape
  
• cardboard roll

Procedure

Creating your very own puzzle mat is easy.

1. With a ruler or a measuring tape, take the width and length of your biggest puzzle or the one you would use your mat with. This measurement will only serve as your reference. Your puzzle mat should be a bit larger than your puzzle, as you will need extra space to lay the loose jigsaw puzzle pieces.
   
2. Take your felt fabric. Use a ruler and tailor’s chalk to trace your desired length and width for your puzzle mat.
   
3. Then, cut the fabric based on your measurements. Your mat is ready!
   
4. Take a cardboard roll that matches the length of your mat. Use it when you need to roll the mat after working on your puzzle.
   
5. Secure the rolled mat with a band.

Conclusion

How do puzzle mats work? The felt fabric holds your puzzle together for easy storage. We hope that you will enjoy making one for yourself. The DIY puzzle mat is also a great gift idea for the puzzle lover in your family.