Altered Puzzles

Puzzles are not just for piecing together anymore. They can be altered to form completely different images than they were originally intended. When assembled as newly altered puzzles they can be displayed on the wall in a frame or a shadow box or stored as a regular puzzle and put together with its new theme.

Puzzle groups are forming to give artists another avenue for creating unique works of art. Members send each other blank pieces and receive them back altered to fit their chosen theme. The final results are quite stunning as each artist puts her own spin on the design of her piece and yet each puzzle seems to harmonize.

Here’s how it works:

Obtain a puzzle. This can be as simple as rummaging through your child’s toy closet or buying one at a discount store. Puzzles can vary from sturdy six-piece preschool puzzles to larger floor puzzles. Cardboard or wooden puzzles can be used, but the thick wooden puzzles seem to be most popular as they provide a sturdier base for painting and stamping techniques.

Choose a theme. Themes can range from Baby Pink/Blue, Classic TV, The Letter J, Paris/France, Vintage Victorian, Nautical or whatever topic interests you. Write the theme on the back of each puzzle piece as well as a directional arrow showing the position of the piece in the overall puzzle. Each puzzler/player may have many different puzzle pieces arriving to be altered and it is helpful to have the basic information on the back of each piece explaining the theme and how that piece should face in the final composition.

Join a puzzle group. There is a puzzle group you can join at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Puzzleart/ or you can start your own group with online friends. Each person sets up a database that stores the details of her puzzle such as how many people are needed and their names and addresses. The Yahoo Puzzle group provides a database grid where you can add a table using a blank template to keep track of these puzzle requirements. Then a puzzle piece, return labels and postage are sent to each person who signed up for that particular theme.

Alter the puzzle piece. These mini canvases are open to the imagination. Paints or colorful patterned paper, 3D elements such as charms or buttons, or stamps and ink can be used to create an artistic masterpiece.

Assemble the final puzzle. Once the piece is altered it is sent back to the original owner who then has a completed altered puzzle that mysteriously harmonizes with these individual components.

This technique can also be used without a puzzle group. You can alter pieces on your own and use them as embellishments on layouts, tags or book covers. They’re simply a new canvas to decorate!

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