Almost all 500- and 1,000-piece puzzles will fit on this board with extra room to spread out the pieces, but you can cut the board smaller or larger if you want to. You can usually get your plywood cut to size at the store when you buy it if you don’t have access to tools at home.
2 pieces that are 36 in (0. 91 m) 2 pieces that are 26 in (0. 66 m)
If you don’t want to cut angles into your trim pieces, just cut the shorter trim pieces to 25 1⁄2 in (0. 65 m) instead.
Clamping the trim to the plywood ensures the wood glue makes a secure bond so they don’t come undone.
Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area if you’re using wood stain.
If you plan on sliding your puzzle board underneath furniture when you’re not using it, make sure the handles don’t stick up so far that it doesn’t fit anymore.
36 in × 26 in (91 cm × 66 cm) particleboard pieces (2) 35 in × 13 in (89 cm × 33 cm) particleboard piece (1) 35 in (89 cm) pieces of 1⁄2 in (1. 3 cm) square wood trim (3) 25 1⁄2 in (65 cm) pieces of 1⁄2 in (1. 3 cm) square wood trim (2) 12 in (30 cm) pieces of 1⁄2 in (1. 3 cm) square wood trim (2) 36 in (91 cm) piece of 1⁄2 in (1. 3 cm) square wood trim (1) 36 in (91 cm) pieces of 1⁄4 in (0. 64 cm) wood trim (2) 25 1⁄2 in (65 cm) pieces of 1⁄4 in (0. 64 cm) wood trim (2)
The first large piece of particleboard and trim pieces will create the bottom frame for the puzzle board.
This trim piece prevents the drawer from sliding deeper into the puzzle board.
This piece of particleboard forms the work surface where you’ll build your puzzle.
The trim on top forms the border around the puzzle board so your puzzle pieces don’t slide off.
Position a cabinet handle onto the front of one of the long trim pieces on the drawer and mark the hole locations. Drill holes into the front trim on the drawer and use a screwdriver to attach the handle so you can easily pull the drawer open. The drawer lets you store your unused pieces so they stay safe when you’re not working on the puzzle.
You can buy all your supplies from your local craft store. Tri-fold display boards are a great starting point since the flaps can fold over and protect the puzzle when you’re not working on it.
Give your puzzle board a little pizzazz by using patterned duct tape to personalize it even more.
You can paint or cover the cardboard strips with felt or paper if you want them to blend in with the rest of the board.
When you work on your puzzle, make it in the middle section of the tri-fold board. When you want to put it away, just fold the flaps over and wrap the loop around the button.
