Introduction
From the dopamine hit your brain receives when you find the correct piece, to the sense of calm after you start to see the whole picture, to the feeling of perseverance and success when you’re finally finished—the joys of putting together a good puzzle are endless! However, when it comes time to store your puzzle away or pause when you’re halfway through, there is just one major problem—a lack of puzzle storage options.
That’s where we come in. To prevent runaway pieces, cluttered tabletops, and disorganized spaces, we created practical puzzle storage and organization options for you. With solutions like storing the puzzle in its original box to our portable puzzle caddies that fold up for easy transport, you’ll no longer have to wonder about the best way to store puzzles. Whether you’re putting together a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle of species from the polar kingdom or an intricate 1,000-piece puzzle of a beautiful summer terrace—our puzzle storage ideas will revolutionize your jigsaw game. Keep reading to discover the best approaches to puzzle storage!
Put the Puzzle Back in The Box
If you’re short on time and supplies, we suggest placing your puzzle back in its original box. When it comes time for clean-up, we recommend gently breaking apart the pieces so it’s ready for you the next time you want to use them. Don’t rush breaking the puzzle down, as you don’t want to bend any delicate pieces.
Most puzzles have a picture on the side of the box which makes for easy stacking and storage in a cabinet so you can easily find the puzzle you’re looking for. This is the typical go-to option for most people, but if your jigsaw boxes begin to wear out, we have a few more durable puzzle storage options in mind to preserve your puzzles for years to come.
Use a Puzzle Caddy
Putting together a jigsaw puzzle can be a labor of love, but there is nothing more discouraging than when you don’t know how to store your puzzle and risk losing your progress mid-way through. If you can’t let a puzzle sit in one area all day long, a puzzle caddy provides the perfect solution for multi-purpose spaces as it folds up and can slide beneath a bed or behind a couch for easy puzzle storage.
If you love putting together puzzles, but also love decluttered and organized spaces, then consider checking out our Regular Porta-Puzzle Caddy (which holds puzzles up to 1,000 pieces) or our Jumbo Porta-Puzzle Caddy (which holds puzzles up to 1,500 pieces). Their unique fabric lining keeps puzzles from shifting on the board and their foldable panels keep puzzles securely locked in place while your puzzle is still in progress. These puzzle storage caddies are great items to bring on vacation or over to a friend’s house so you can transport your puzzle from one location to the next and pick up right where you left off!
Use a Puzzle Roll-Up Mat
When it comes to the best jigsaw puzzle storage ideas, opt for a puzzle roll-up mat for fast organization and easy clean-up. Similar to curling up a poster and securing it with rubber bands, our puzzle roll-up system rolls up for easy storage while keeping all of the pieces safely locked in place. The deluxe foam mat allows you to package up a partially finished puzzle and all of your sorted pieces. This puzzle storage matt holds up to 1,500 jigsaw pieces and is fastened with velcro straps so you can easily store your jigsaw puzzle anywhere!
Try Using Zip-Lock Bags
Every puzzle aficionado knows there is a strategy to putting together puzzles. Perhaps you start with the border or maybe you begin by sorting pieces by color. Either way, whichever method you choose can leave you wondering how to store a puzzle in progress. For a puzzle storage solution that won’t mess with your puzzle gains, consider using zip-lock bags to prevent pieces from mixing in the box. You can also recycle common household items for creative jigsaw puzzle storage ideas. For instance, wide pencil cases can hold up to 1,500-piece puzzles or more for an easy space-saving solution that won’t wear out over time.
Store Your Puzzles in Flat Trays
For another puzzle storage method you may have on hand at home, consider using a flat tray. A cookie baking sheet pan can be a great foundation to begin your puzzle while smaller trays with raised sides can store partially finished sections in place. Our Stack-Em Puzzle Trays have six brightly colored trays per set that allow you to sort jigsaw pieces by color. They can be easily stacked on top of each other and moved out of the way for fast cleanup!
Conclusion
We hope we’ve given you ample inspiration for storage the next time you break out a puzzle and helped you to learn some options for how to store a puzzle in progress!
Need a new setup to start your next puzzle? Try out our Deluxe Swivel Puzzle Easel or avoid craning your neck and stretching over a table with our Jigsaw Puzzle Spinners.